A Gay Character in Star Trek 2?

[Vic 17]

Although he hadn’t really given thought to the issue, J.J. Abrams is open to the idea of a gay character in Star Trek 2.

 

Star Trek has always been considered to be progressive and groundbreaking, but there has never been an identifiable gay character, although there were stories which dealt with homosexuality in an oblique way.

 

Abrams confessed to being surprised that during the years of the televised Star Trek, that there was never a gay character in any of the shows. “You know what’s funny? As someone who was never a huge Star Trek fan and I didn’t watch the shows,” he said. “And my experiences with the movie was the first series and then watching and re-watching some of the movies that I’ve seen. I’m frankly shocked that in the history of Star Trek there have never been gay characters in all the series. In Deep Space Nine and all the Enterprises that that’s never come up.”

 

According to Abrams, it’s a bit trickier to have a gay character in a movie than in a television series, due to the time and story limitations. “Where in a movie when you got those two hours, it usually is a broader stroke thing, and the question is how do you do it in a film that doesn’t feel like you’re shoehorning in something that has meaning to you in a piece of entertainment that doesn’t otherwise have room for it,” he said. “So that’s the trick. So honestly I’m stunned that it’s not been something that’s been overtly, you know, dramatized. What an ideal opportunity on one of those shows to have that be an ongoing storyline.”

 

But now that he’s aware that of the lack of gay characters, will Abrams do something about it for Star Trek 2? “Well, thank you for bringing this up for me,” he told AfterElton, “because honestly this was not in the list of my priorities to try to figure out how to make this movie in the best possible way. But it will now be in the hopper. And it’s one of those things I’ll bring up with the writers next time we meet.”

 

 

 

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[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

He should have Sulu be gay just to see Takei's reaction. "I had a wife and kids! I was the ONLY character to have a wife and kids! Now this guy Cho gets to play the role the way I wanted for myself?"

[GhostofMajorHayes 10]

Actually, this is kind of an interesting statement by Abrams. I recall reading in one of the star trek paperbacks (can't recall the name of it) that Lt. Hawk from ST:First Contact was gay. There was some type of conflict regarding Picard and Hawk's surviving partner in that book.

[BakulaBabe 2]

Actually, this is kind of an interesting statement by Abrams. I recall reading in one of the star trek paperbacks (can't recall the name of it) that Lt. Hawk from ST:First Contact was gay. There was some type of conflict regarding Picard and Hawk's surviving partner in that book.

 

It might be Star Trek: The Next Generation: Section 31: Rogue. I had to do an internet search because most my Star Trek novels are out of reach in a bookcase in the "spare room".

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

If you go by the books and screenplays Hawk had 3 different first names. The actor aand producers all deny he was intended to be gay.

 

You have to wonder what the actor must be thinking. "I had one line. I thought my voce was deep enough. Did I sound gay? Really, do I come across as gay?"

[oldfan1 0]

If they want to have a gay character in the next Star Trek movie they need to just show the character doing his or her job and being their regular self that happens to be gay. It does not need to be pointed out or any reference made to the fact that the character is gay. An idea would be to show a group of characters in a lounge area having a meal and as one of them gets up to leave to report for duty have him or her give a quick kiss to his or her partner and move on with it. The other crew members need to have no reaction to it and just move on to the next scene. Another idea would be to have him or her have a picture of him or her with their partner on display in their quarters.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Let's be honest here. First Contact was all business. Not even 2 minutes into the movie the Borg threat was already in your face. There wasn't time for a lot of off-duty socializing. Even that scene with Riker, Troi, and Cochrane in that bar was part of the mission. Who had time to be gay?

[LoveMalePecs1 0]

I'd seen all 5 Trek Series and 11 Films ST:TNG sort of had one and ST:DS9 Dax (Jadzia and some other Female Character)so It be interesting if they were to add one in the second one in what form it might be in? but most of the time it's just Business not much time at all for any socializing.

[oldfan1 0]

I'd seen all 5 Trek Series and 11 Films ST:TNG sort of had one and ST:DS9 Dax (Jadzia and some other Female Character)so It be interesting if they were to add one in the second one in what form it might be in? but most of the time it's just Business not much time at all for any socializing.

 

Apparently I saw different Star Trek series and movies than you did. I recall crew members in 10 Forward, Quark's bar, in the lounge area socializing and eating in TOS and crew members eating and socializing aboard Voyager in the mess hall. Showing a gay character should not be highlighted or treated any differently than showing blacks, asians or women as crew members or in positions of authority or responsibility. In the Star Trek reboot movie Kirk had time to mess around with a woman and so did Spock.

If you consider the time frame of the "reboot" movies having a gay crew member should not be anything out of the norm since other species are common and accepted as ordinary and part of the norm as a gay crew member should also be.

Edited August 9, 2011 by oldfan1