Same Sex Marriage

[Ezri D]

Thinking over the past few months on my own, that Star Trek should have the first same sex couple in their next Star Trek television series – as Star Trek has opened new doors for people. Star Trek during TOS was the first show to ever show a kiss between a black woman and a white man. Star Trek was a first for a number of taboo type conflicts since the 1960’s. Star Trek, would not take the leading role with a same sex marriage, but, it can follower.

To make it more acceptable, I would say it may be more acceptable if the same sex married couple are female then male.

 

[DonIago]

If the next incarnation of Star Trek, movies notwithstanding, doesn't feature at least one gay person (I don't necessarily mean a regular, though it would be nice) then I may just give up on the franchise going forward. It's frankly shameful the way the show went from (YMMV, and I'm not looking to get into an argument about it) being ahead of its time to lagging behind and taking half-steps.

 

[Ezri D]

If the next incarnation of Star Trek, movies notwithstanding, doesn't feature at least one gay person (I don't necessarily mean a regular, though it would be nice) then I may just give up on the franchise going forward. It's frankly shameful the way the show went from (YMMV, and I'm not looking to get into an argument about it) being ahead of its time to lagging behind and taking half-steps.

As I see it, Star Trek from the 1960's until the end of Deep Space 9 was taking the lead with their fans. Now, even with Enterprise, it is the fans that take the lead and the franchise tags along.

 

[Sindatur]

See the General Trek Sub Forum, "Debunking Star Trek Exceptionalism" thread for the debate on what Star Trek really was first with (many of their credited "firsts" weren't really firsts, but, still right up there on the forefront of controversial issues). You probably don't want to cloud up your SSM thread with that debate (it can get ugly, LOL)

But, yea, it's long past time for Star Trek to feature a Gay character as either a regular or a recurring character, just please, don't camp it up with a Richard Simmons (Or bull dog female) stereotype, just give us a nice normal guy (or girl) who happens to be attracted to the same gender. No big flashing neon signs, just let them talk about their feelings and dates (and maybe show one/some) or a married couple would be great too, talking politics over dinner or breakfast while holding hands, peck on the cheek, etc, no reason for them to be any differently written then a straight married couple, the looks, the hand holding, and all the other normal married stuff is plenty.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

But, yea, it's long past time for Star Trek to feature a Gay character as either a regular or a recurring character, just please, don't camp it up with a Richard Simmons (Or bull dog female) stereotype, just give us a nice normal guy (or girl) who happens to be attracted to the same gender. No big flashing neon signs, just let them talk about their feelings and dates (and maybe show one/some) or a married couple would be great too, talking politics over dinner or breakfast while holding hands, peck on the cheek, etc, no reason for them to be any differently written then a straight married couple, the looks, the hand holding, and all the other normal married stuff is plenty.

QFT!

It is long past time for Trek to have a gay character. The chance to make a statement about a same-sex couple being in Trek was left behind at the beginning of TNG. When they do include a character and/or couple(s), then it should be done in the exact same way as straight characters/couples are done, nothing flashy or melodramatic about it, just two people in love.

As for whether it should be a male or female couple, I'd say go with two men--it is still the more 'shocking' pairing.

 

[Knight Templar]

IIRC, back early in TNGs run Gene Roddenberry (back when it was not politically incorrect to suggest this) indicated that he thought homosexuals would not exist in the 24th century.

Why?

Selective abortion.

In vitro testing would be easily able to identify a fetus genetically prone to homosexuality and that the parents would choose to abort it.

Given that presumably most parents would want their children to be like them.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

It definitely should be a male couple. No sense catering to homophobic fanboys by letting them off easy with lipstick lesbians.

But the next series will be on cable, where such things are now boring and mundane.

 

[Knight Templar]

It definitely should be a male couple. No sense catering to homophobic fanboys by letting them off easy with lipstick lesbians.

But the next series will be on cable, where such things are now boring and mundane.

Well, knowing modern Trek producers actions in the past, any homosexual couple would be aliens or humans from an obscure colony world where "ways are different".

 

[DonIago]

...don't even get me started...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

A future Star Trek series isn't going to be on network TV, so those kinds of chickenshit dodges won't be needed. In fact, it's questionable whether they're needed on network TV anymore. Definitely not on cable or someplace like Netflix.

 

[Knight Templar]

A future Star Trek series isn't going to be on network TV, so those kinds of chickenshit dodges won't be needed. In fact, it's questionable whether they're needed on network TV anymore. Definitely not on cable or someplace like Netflix.

Yeah, but ST:TNG and DS9 were not on networks either and neither of them were particularly groundbreaking on social issues.

Success tends to produce conservatism. When the money starts rolling in, people prefer to "keep the money rolling" and not "push the envelope".

 

[Squiggy]

IIRC, back early in TNGs run Gene Roddenberry (back when it was not politically incorrect to suggest this) indicated that he thought homosexuals would not exist in the 24th century.

Why?

Selective abortion.

In vitro testing would be easily able to identify a fetus genetically prone to homosexuality and that the parents would choose to abort it.

Given that presumably most parents would want their children to be like them.

Citation needed.

 

[Knight Templar]

IIRC, back early in TNGs run Gene Roddenberry (back when it was not politically incorrect to suggest this) indicated that he thought homosexuals would not exist in the 24th century.

Why?

Selective abortion.

In vitro testing would be easily able to identify a fetus genetically prone to homosexuality and that the parents would choose to abort it.

Given that presumably most parents would want their children to be like them.

Citation needed.

Can't. Don't even know for sure if it was GR. It most certainly wasn't David Gerrold. And I don't think it was D.C. Fontana.

It was just a line in a magazine (possibly Starlog) back when ST:TNG was not even on the air yet.

 

[Squiggy]

IIRC, back early in TNGs run Gene Roddenberry (back when it was not politically incorrect to suggest this) indicated that he thought homosexuals would not exist in the 24th century.

Why?

Selective abortion.

In vitro testing would be easily able to identify a fetus genetically prone to homosexuality and that the parents would choose to abort it.

Given that presumably most parents would want their children to be like them.

Citation needed.

Can't. Don't even know for sure if it was GR.

Then perhaps you shouldn't attribute that saying to him.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I don't see why this should even be a question. There should definitely be homosexual married couples depicted in future Star Trek, and there should be male ones as well. There's no need to please homophobes watching the franchise any more.

It's pretty bad that to date the only way homosexual couples on Star Trek were either aliens previously of different genders or from the evil mirror universe.

Though I loved how in Rejoined, no character in the episode ever commented on the gender of Jadzia and Lenara, and that there was absolutely no indication on screen of anyone, whether from the characters or the makes, who found anything unusual in the situation. Any future depiction should follow that model, although I wouldn't have an issue with some homophobic aliens.

 

[Kemaiku]

Same with the Ferengi who was in love with Quark, although since Jadzia was very open minded about sexuality in general it doesn't surprise me she wasn't phased by it, it would have been nice to see more of the cast follow suit.

But yes, any new Trek on TV should aknowledge same sex couples and marriages, as casually or simply as they would any heterosexual couple.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Same with the Ferengi who was in love with Quark

That was about as homosexual as Bob in Blackadder.

But if I remember right this episode portrayed Quark as squeamish about homosexual things and even homophobic, and if I'm not mistaken he said something slightly homophobic in the episode with Ezri Tigan too. That's what I meant by homophobic aliens. It fits wonderfully with the depiction of the Ferengi as a bigoted and prejudiced culture, relates pretty well to the present, yet at the same time portrays a future with less and even no intolerance among humans, especially at places where the more reasonable people are gathered.

 

[Kemaiku]

Same with the Ferengi who was in love with Quark

That was about as homosexual as Bob in Blackadder.

Yeah I remember now, just a transvestite.

 

[T'Girl]

no character in the episode ever commented on the gender of Jadzia and Lenara

The thing there is, while Jadzia and Lenara are both female at the time of the episode, in the past when the hosts of the Trills were married, one was male, and one was female.

There was (iirc) no mention of Trill having same sex marriages. All it would have taken was changing one line in the script. Star Trek fails again.

Yeah I remember now, just a transvestite.

Another group who should also at some point be included in the Star Trek future.

 

[Kemaiku]

Yeah I remember now, just a transvestite.

Another group who should also at some point be included in the Star Trek future.

Yup. Well actually several male crew members in early TNG were shown wearing the female "dress" uniform. I don't know if that was an early attempt at doing so or just an odd wardrobe choice.