Tag: star trek

thevalkyriedirective:

[I found this while searching back through my blog for another post – it was a response to a reply I had gotten on a post, but I felt that, in light of our recent discussions about the reboot/representation in future Trek, maybe I should share it again, because I don’t think I’ve ever said it better than I did here.]

Why the hell shouldn’t I expect an LGBT crewmember and LGBT relationships from Star Trek?

They had one of the first televisied interracial kisses.

They had one of the first televised same-sex kisses.

They had an Asian man and African woman and a Russian on the Bridge of the Enterprise in the height of the Cold War!

So I’m sorry but like hell I can’t expect it to break every barrier. That’s been its mission statement from the very first episode.

You’re right though, it has addressed it, in a single episode of DS9 – one of the many reasons I adore that series more than I ever will Voyager or Enterprise. Because the showrunners of DS9 weren’t afraid to push the envelope, and they made a better show because of it.

People have been calling for a LGBT character and relationship since the Next Generation first aired. By the time it got to Voyager, the showrunners started saying that they ‘wanted’ to do it – Kate Mulgrew even apologised for never having it on her show, saying that she pushed them to do it but they never did.

There were rumours they’d finally have a LGBT character on Enterprise, because again they said they’d do it, but it didn’t happen.

Why? Because the showrunners (i.e. Braga and Berman) were too busy putting attractive women in sexy clothing to bother pushing any more boundaries.

By your logic, it’d be ‘strained’ for the crew of the original Enterprise to represent so many cultures, or to even have a woman on the Bridge, considering the time it was made in. That kind of justification would have resulted in a show so unremarkable it wouldn’t be remembered today, let alone cherished as much as it is. 

So I’m sorry, but there is no excuse for the creators not having an LGBT character in Star Trek, considering they’ve been on TV since the 90s, and it’s already 2013. It’s time that Star Trek got with the times and began pushing the envelope again. Because quite frankly, having a gay or lesbian character on a show isn’t pushing any boundaries any more. 

When they get around to making a new Star Trek series, you bet your ass I’m going to expect not just one LGBT character, but multiple.

And a full fledged, long-term romantic relationship, because LGBT people deserve a representative on a show that is supposed to be showing us a better future.