Sexuality in Star Trek
Kirk and Uhura's kiss in "Plato's Stepchildren", broadcast in November 1968, is often cited as the first interracial kiss or the first scripted interracial kiss on American television.
The franchise has been criticized for its failure to represent LGBT characters and relationships over its long history. In 2016, Star Trek Beyond portrayed Hikaru Sulu as married to a male partner in homage to George Takei, the originator of the role. However, Takei criticized the decision and preferred that a new LGBT character be created; Simon Pegg, the film's co-writer, believed creating a new character would be tokenistic. During development for the 2017 television series Star Trek: Discovery, series co-creator Bryan Fuller stated his intention to include an openly gay character and with the casting of Anthony Rapp as Lt. Stamets, the series was said to include the franchise's first character "originally conceived and announced as gay".
Interracial relationships
editSpock's parents, the human Amanda Grayson and the Vulcan Sarek, were felt to be an analogy for an interracial marriage.
Kirk and Uhura's kiss
edit"Plato's Stepchildren", an episode of Star Trek broadcast in November 1968, featured a scene in which Kirk and Uhura, played by William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, are forced to kiss by a telekinetic race. The scene is often cited as depicting the first interracial kiss on American television, though the television special Movin' with Nancy a year earlier featured an interracial kiss between Sammy Davis Jr. and Nancy Sinatra.[1] Other sources claim that the Kirk and Uhura scene is the first scripted interracial kiss in American television.[2][3][4][5]
Uhura and Scotty in The Final Frontier
editUhura and Spock in the reboot films
editIn the 2009 Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, Uhura and Spock, played by Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto, have a romantic relationship. This was criticized by fans, including media scholar Henry Jenkins, who felt the relationship undercut the suggestion of romance between Kirk and Spock. Jenkins characterized Uhura as a "love object in some kind of still to be explored romantic triangle between Kirk and Spock" and felt her role was to "discourage fans from writing slash stories".[6] Others praised the decision, citing the intersectionality of Uhura as a black woman and noting many fictional romances between black women and white men are framed as cautionary tales.
Actress Zoe Saldana stated that
In
Female sexuality
editStar Trek has been criticized for the
Borg queen
http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2017/01/16/star-trek-tng-the-surprisingly-progressive-sexuality-of
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4239702?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Gender and Sexuality in Star Trek: Allegories of Desire in the Television Series and Films
http://startrekdom.blogspot.com.au/2007/06/chase-masterson-speaks-candidly-about.html
Criticism of sexual objectification
editDonna Minkowitz of The Nation, writing about season one of Enterprise, criticized the series for its depiction of women who are "sexy, exotic alien wenches, completely inhuman, who only, only, only aim to please", especially criticizing the series pilot, in which two male characters watch "scantily clad" alien dancing women and are offered the chance to buy one. Minkowitz said of the moment: "The women were like insects themselves, fuckable insects, and in the time we spent mentally fondling their soulless, bouncy bodies I felt, for the first time, that Star Trek didn’t consider me a person."[7]
Marina Sirtis, who played Deanna Troi on The Next Generation, felt that her character's intelligence and role was written differently based on the costume she wore. When she was given a regulation Starfleet uniform, which did not expose her breasts like other costumes, she believed her character was written to be more intelligent "because when you have a cleavage you can't have brains in Hollywood". She felt that due to the change in costume, her character was subsequently "allowed to do things that [she] hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years", including be a member of away teams, command staff, wear rank insignia, and carry phasers and other equipment.[8]
In response to T'Pol's narrative arc in season three of Enterprise, during which she spend much of her screentime half-naked and engaging in sexual or sexualized acts, actress Jolene Blalock expressed her discontent: "You can’t substitute tits and ass for good storytelling. You can have both, but you can't substitute one for the other, because the audience is not stupid. You can’t just throw in frivolous, uncharacteristic... well, bull and think it's gonna help the ratings!"[9]
Seven of Nine
editRyan voiced her dislike of her costume,
though she stated she did not mind the "overtly sexual appearance" of her character, she took no issue with it in tandem
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/jeri-ryan-body-of-proof-star-trek-voyager_n_1413141.html
https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-249/249#page/n32/mode/1up
LGBT characters, relationships, and themes
editTakei stated that during the show's run, despite the inability to air a series with a gay character, he asked Roddenberry to write an episode centering on LGBT issues and equality. Though Roddenberry was supportive of the idea, Takei quoted him as saying: "I’m walking a tightrope. I can’t step a little too far or the show will be canceled."[10] David Gerrold, screenwriter for The Next Generation, similarly recounted Roddenberry advocating at conventions and in staff meetings for a gay character.[11]
Rick Berman, co-creator and executive producer of Enterprise and Voyager, was criticized for his lack of receptiveness to requests from cast and crew, including actress Kate Mulgrew,[12] and to fan petitions for a recurring gay character on both series.[13] Gerrold and Andy Mangels, novelist for the franchise, stated their belief that Berman was responsible for the continued lack of gay characters in the television series.[11] In response to rumors circulating for years that a same-sex relationship would appear in the series, Berman stated: "That was really the wishful thinking of some people who were constantly at us. But we don't see heterosexual couples holding hands on the show, so it would be somewhat dishonest of us to see two gay men or lesbians holding hands."[14] This statement was criticized with examples of heterosexual
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-18/magazine/tm-24103_1_star-trek-24th-century-tracking-trek
http://www.tor.com/2011/01/25/brannon-braga-talks-gay-star-trek/
http://www.startrek.com/article/rick-berman-answers-your-questions-part-2
http://web.archive.org/web/20090102020952/http://www.afterelton.com:80/TV/2006/4/startrek.html
http://www.newnownext.com/forbidden-gay-frontier-where-star-trek-hasnt-boldly-gone/04/2006/
https://www.advocate.com/film/2016/7/22/spock-gay-not-sulu
http://ew.com/article/2016/07/07/star-trek-beyond-sulu-gay-john-cho/
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-03-07/magazine/tm-7933_1_star-trek
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-05/magazine/tm-2100_1_star-trek/2
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-trek-producer-regrets-lack-79399
Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn
Ro Laren and Tasha Yar The Last Generation Comics
Ezri and Leeta, Emperor’s New Cloak, Saturn’s Children, The Soul Key
Leslie Thompson, TOSverse, marries a cadet and they adopt, Waypoint comics
Garak
Kirk/Spock
editFans interpreted many scenes between Kirk and Spock, played by Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, characters as having homoerotic subtext, leading to the popularity of a sexual or romantic relationship between the characters in slash fan fiction. The relationship is referred to as Kirk/Spock, often abbreviated as K/S, and is often cited as the first slash pairing.
While Rodenberry stated that Kirk and Spock love one another, he insisted that the love is a Greek love.
"The Host"
editLieutenant Hawk
editNo mention of Hawk's sexuality is made in the film, and he is quickly killed by the Borg.
Analogies to HIV/AIDS
editRoddenberry wrote a memo listing HIV/AIDS among the issues The Next Generation could address. To address the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, Gerrold wrote screenplay in 1987 titled "Blood and Fire revolving around blood donation as a means to combat a deadly pathogen. Gerrold hoped that the episode would assuage fears surrounding blood donation and encourage viewers to donate; the episode also included a passing mention to a same-sex relationship between two central male characters. However, Berman and Roddenberry's lawyer strongly opposed the episode, particularly the reference to a same-sex relationship, and the screenplay was never produced.[11]
An episode referencing HIV/AIDS was later produced for Enterprise. "Stigma", broadcast in February 2003, centered on T'Pol contracting an incurable degenerative disease when a member of a Vulcan minority group forcibly mind melds with her. Because the mind meld and the minority who practice it are stigmatized by Vulcan society, she is refused treatment and faces the loss of her position. The episode was written as an analogue to homophobia in the handling of the HIV/AID crisis.[14]
The episode was criticized for its handling of the material, including for the decisions to address HIV/AIDS in analogy rather than directly, present the disease as affecting primarily a minority group, connect T'Pol's contraction of the disease to a rape analogue, and emphasize that T'Pol is not a member of the Vulcan minority.[13] The episode was also criticized for being "twenty years too late".[13]
Sulu in Star Trek Beyond
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In a 2011 interview with AfterElton.com, J. J. Abrams, director of the 2009 Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, stated he would consider including a gay character.[15] In the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond, Hikaru Sulu, played by John Cho, is portrayed as married to a male partner with whom he is raising a daughter. Director Justin Lin and writer Simon Pegg made the decision in an homage to George Takei, who originated the role of Sulu and was closeted when he played the role.[16]
Though "delighted" at the inclusion of a gay character and "flattered" at an homage,[17][18] Takei criticized the decision and preferred the creation of a new character "who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted".[17] He felt that creating a character with a newly developed background, rather than a reinvented one, "would have been even more impactful".[18]
Pegg felt that creating a new character would be perceived as tokenistic and noted that the reboot series never states that Sulu is closeted. He, Lin, and co-writer Doug Jung chose Sulu because the audience had a "pre-existing opinion of that character as a human being, unaffected by any prejudice" and the choice would lead to the inference of an LGBT presence since the beginning. Pegg also expressed that he believed Rodenberry's portrayal of the crew as straight was a "necessity of the time" and suggested Rodenberry would have explored an LGBT identity with Sulu if he had the chance.[19]
When the idea was pitched during pre-production, Cho worried that Takei would object and would feel that the crew "were just seeing him for his sexual orientation". Cho was also concerned that Asians and Asian American may feel it was continuing the feminization of Asian men and stated: "Asian American men, Asian men have been basically eunuchs in American cinema and television, and I thought maybe it would be seen as a continuation of that." Despite this, Cho requested that Sulu's husband also be an Asian man, citing "some extra cultural shame to having two Asian men together" he perceived among his Asian gay male friends due to familial stigma and his wish to normalize such a relationship. "So that relationship, to me, the optics of it are that it looks very traditional on the one hand and very radical on the other." Cho was also concerned that because his depiction of Sulu is genetically identical to Takei's Sulu, Beyond would inadvertantly imply that sexual orientation is chosen. However, he became convinced that the depiction was handled correctly, and he ultimately decided an audience would not share his concerns.[20]
However, the decision was criticized by Christine Gallagher of The Sydney Morning Herald as, while a milestone, "a soft way of introducing a gay character" and neither ground-breaking nor bold because it "invited [audiences] to imagine a back story for an existing character who was initially played by a gay actor".[12]
Star Trek: Discovery
editWhile developing Star Trek: Discovery, series co-creator Bryan Fuller confirmed that the series would include an openly gay character. Though idea was first pitched by co-creator Alex Kurtzman, Fuller, who is gay himself, explained that he was previously determined to create a gay character for the franchise after receiving hate mail as a Voyager writer when a character was rumored to be coming out as gay.[21][22]
In November 2016, Anthony Rapp was announced to be cast as Lt. Stamets, the "franchise’s first [character] to be originally conceived and announced as gay".[23] Rapp, who is also gay, spoke of the role: "It meant a lot to me, too. I’m thrilled and I’m honored to be the vehicle for this aspect of the story that’s being told."[24] Takei, who previously expressed mixed feelings about Sulu's marriage to a man in Beyond as an homage to him, felt that Discovery was taking a better approach and better honored Roddenberry's vision.[10]
It was later announced in July 2017 that Lt. Stamets will be in a relationship with medical officer Dr. Hugh Culber, played by Wilson Cruz.[25][26]
Gender identity
edit"The Outcast"
edit"The Outcast", an episode of The Next Generation broadcast in March 1992, featured a species of aliens called the J'naii forbidden by their government from choosing a preferred gender. William Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, falls in love with Soren, played by Melinda Culea, a J'naii who identifies as female, and becomes an advocate for her right to a choose a gender identity. Soren is ultimately forced to undergo a therapy intended to remediate gender identification and, after the therapy's success, Soren tells Riker that the affair with Riker was a result of sickness.
All of the J'naii are played by women. Frakes opposed this casting decision, feeling that Soren should have been "more evidently male".
Alien sexuality
editPon farr
Reception and criticism
editIt’s unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science-fiction hasn’t featured an LGBT character until now.
—Simon Pegg, speaking about the decision to depict Sulu with a male spouse in Star Trek Beyond[19]
The failure of the franchise's television series and films to represent LGBT characters and relationships was criticized. Donna Minkowitz, in reviewing the first season of Enterprise, remarked that "at this rate, Star Trek won’t admit the existence of gays and lesbians until 2150".[7]
Fan response
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ Maloney, Devon (May 13, 2013). "Star Trek's History of Progressive Values — And Why It Faltered on LGBT Crew Members". Wired. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Jacob, Mark; Benzkofer, Stephan (October 11, 2014). "10 things you might not know about 1968". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Garmon, Jay (September 21, 2012). "Geek Trivia: What is the only major Emmy award the Star Trek franchise ever won?". TechRepublic. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Firefly, Rufus (September 8, 2012). "Interview: Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols On Uhura's Groundbreaking Kiss With Captain Kirk". Geeksofdoom.com. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Dyer, James (July 18, 2016). "William Shatner reflects on 50 years of Star Trek". Empire. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Jenkins, Henry (May 12, 2009). "Five Ways to Start a Conversation About the New Star Trek Film". Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ a b Minkowitz, Donna (March 7, 2002). "Beam Us Back, Scotty!". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ "Cleavage or Brains?". Cult Television. BBC. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; June 29, 2011 suggested (help) - ^ "Enterprise's Jolene Blalock speaks out!". SFX. November 18, 2004. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ a b Yee, Lawrence (December 12, 2016). "George Takei on New 'Star Trek' Gay Character: 'It's the Way It Should've Been Done'". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ a b c Drew, Brian (September 12, 2014). "Exclusive: David Gerrold Talks Frankly About TNG Conflicts With Roddenberry & Berman + JJ-Trek & more". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Gallagher, Chrstine (July 27, 2016). "Star Trek Discovery needs to push boundaries with a new gay character". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Ruch, John (February 5, 2003). "'Trek's' AIDS episode not so bold". Boston Herald. p. 51.
- ^ a b Keck, William (December 9, 2002). "'Enterprise' to explore gay story lines". USA Today. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ Jensen, Michael (August 4, 2011). "Gay Star Trek Character? J.J. Abrams Promises AfterElton He'll Explore The Possibility For Next Film". Logo TV. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Wigney, James (July 7, 2016). "Star Trek Beyond favourite Mr Sulu has come out as castmates reflect on the death of Anton Yelchin". Herald Sun. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ a b Abramovitch, Seth (July 7, 2016). "George Takei Reacts to Gay Sulu News: "I Think It's Really Unfortunate"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ a b Gettell, Oliver (July 16, 2016). "Star Trek Beyond: George Takei clarifies gay Sulu comments". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Romano, Nick (July 8, 2016). "Simon Pegg on Sulu being gay in Star Trek Beyond: 'I respectfully disagree' with George Takei". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Zuckerman, Ester (July 19, 2016). "John Cho on representation and his concerns with gay Sulu". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Goldbery, Lesley (August 10, 2016). "CBS All Access' 'Star Trek: Discovery' to Be Captained By a Woman, Feature Gay Character". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Hibberd, James (August 10, 2016). "Star Trek: Major details revealed about new TV show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Hibberd, James (November 29, 2016). "Star Trek: Discovery casts 3 actors, adds gay character". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Shulman, Randy (March 23, 2017). "About a Bwoy: An exclusive interview with Anthony Rapp". Metro Weekly. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Hayner, Chris E. (July 22, 2017). "'Star Trek: Discovery' Reveals 'Rent' Reunion, Debuts New Trailer at Comic-Con". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (July 22, 2017). "Comic-Con: 'Star Trek: Discovery' Goes All in With Gay Storyline -- and There's a 'Rent' Connection!". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
Further reading
edithttp://web.archive.org/web/20160303225128/http://www.salon.com/2001/06/30/gay_trek/
Gender and Laughter: Comic Affirmation and Subversion in Traditional and Modern Media
Science Fiction Audiences: Watching Star Trek and Doctor Who
Queer Cinema: The Film Reader
Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture
Fan Phenomena: Star Trek