Dpe beg known as a lear terms of genr and racial tegratn, wasn't until 2017 that the first openly gay characters were troduced a Star Trek televisn show. We talk to curator Margaret Weekamp about Star Trek's history wh LGBTQ+ stori and characters.
Contents:
- GAY 'STAR TREK' CHARACTER PROVOK POLARIZG RPONSE
- THE ‘STAR TREK’ CAST ON THE RADIL LGBT+ REPRENTATN OF ‘STRANGE NEW WORLDS’FINAL FRONTIER: PRIDETHE OUT STARS OF “STRANGE NEW WORLDS” DISCS WHAT THE SHOW’S UNAPOLOGETIC PICTN OF QUEERNS AND GENR MEANS TO THEM AND THE “STAR TREK” ANCHISE’S HISTORY OF ALLYSHIP.DAWN ENNISPUBLISHED JUN. 15, 2023 4:35AM EDT PARI DOVIC/PARAMOUNT+WHEN THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE FALLY NTU S VOYAGE THIS WEEK, THE LOUD AND PROUD NTGENT OF LGBTQ+ STAR TREK FANS WILL SEE SOMETHG VERY SPECIAL: THEMSELV, REPRENTED THE 23RD CENTURY.“I LOVE THAT WE’RE PREMIERG DURG PRI MONTH,” ACTOR MELISSA NAVIA TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, SPEAKG AHEAD OF THE SEASON 2 LNCH OF STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS JUNE 15 ON PARAMOUNT+. “I FEEL LIKE OUR POSTER IS ABOUT THAT, TOO,” SHE ADDS. PROMOTNAL ADVERTISEMENTS AND VIOS PROMENTLY FEATURE RABOW LORG AND GRAPHICS, MUCH TO NAVIA’S LIGHT. “I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ON PURPOSE, BUT I’M GOG TO GO AHEAD AND SAY WAS!”ON STRANGE NEW WORLDS, NAVIA PLAYS ERI ORTEGAS, THE PILOT OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. THE STAR TREK PREQUEL SERI IS SET THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO THE PAST; THE ADVENTUR TAKE PLACE THE 2200S, BUT ’S SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THOSE PICTED THE ORIGAL SERI OM THE 1960S, WHEN SULU (GEE TAKEI) SERVED AS HELMSMAN UNR WILLIAM SHATNER’S INIC CAPT. JAM T. KIRK.WHEN STRANGE NEW WORLDS LNCHED LAST SUMMER, NAVIA WAS ASKED BY VARIETY ABOUT HER CHARACTER’S ANDROGYNO APPEARANCE AND MEANOR. “I LIKE THAT WE’RE APPROACHG A WAY THAT NOBODY BATS AN EYE. LIKE, THEY SHOULDN’T, RIGHT? EVERYBODY SHOULD BE A B QUEER,” SHE SAID. “I KNOW I GIVE OFF THIS WONRFUL QUEER ENERGY. IT’S JT BEEN A PART OF WHO I AM.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ ALMOST A YEAR LATER, NAVIA TELLS SHE “ABSOLUTELY” STANDS BY THOSE STATEMENTS, AND THE MUNY.“THROUGHOUT MY REER, THE TRANS AND LGBT MUNY HAVE BEEN JT SUCH ROCK STARS FOR ME, TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE WHAT THEY SEE ME. THEY LOVE WHAT I BRG TO THE SCREEN AND WHAT I BRG TO CHARACTERS,” SHE SAYS. “THE FACT IS, GENR [FLUIDY] PLAYS ALMOST HERENTLY A PART OF ME AND ALWAYS HAS. SO WHENEVER I’M ST THGS, I THK PEOPLE SOMEHOW SEE THAT. [THE LGBT MUNY] HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY MY BIGGT FANS.”“I’M QUEER,” SAYS ACTOR JS BH, WHOUT HATN, SPEAKG ABOUT BOTH HER OWN LIFE AWAY OM THE TV SCREEN AND ON THE PARAMOUNT+ STREAMG SERI. “I AM SO LIGHTED THAT THERE'S MORE REPRENTATN FOR ALL EXPRSNS OF SEXUALY AND GENR STAR TREK. THAT’S REALLY EXCG TO ME, AND I’M REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT REPRENTATN.” THE ATRALIAN NATIVE RETURNS AS NURSE CHRISTE CHAPEL, WHO THIS RNATN IS AN OPENLY BISEXUAL CHARACTER—BUT STILL WH THE HOTS FOR SPOCK. “I WOULD LIKE TO SEE [SEXUALY AND GENR] EXPLORED MORE FOR CHAPEL AND FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO’S ON THE SHOW,” SAID BH. “THAT IS SOMETHG THAT I THK THE FANDOM REALLY APPRECIAT, AND ’S ALSO A DIRECT REFLECTN OF OUR SOCIETY RIGHT NOW. THE CREASED VISIBILY AND THE CREASED ACCEPTANCE OF QUEER FOLK IS SOMETHG THAT'S BEG CELEBRATED A LOT RIGHT NOW, BUT IS ALSO THREATENED A LOT RIGHT NOW. THERE’S A LOT OF VLENCE TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO ARE QUEER.”BH WAS ALLUDG TO CINTS LIKE THE GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, BOARD OF EDUTN MEETG THAT EPTED A BRAWL BETWEEN ANTI-LGBTQ+ AND PRO-LGBTQ+ MONSTRATORS THIS MONTH. AND AS THE DAILY BEAST HAS REPORTED, FAR RIGHT EXTREMISTS HAVE BEEN TARGETG SCHOOLS THAT SHOW SUPPORT FOR QUEER STUNTS. BH MENTNS HOW, THROUGHOUT S HISTORY, STAR TREK HAS ADDRSED CURRENT NFLICTS THROUGH SCIENCE FICTN STORYTELLG, OM WAR TO RACISM AND, MORE RECENTLY, LGBTQ+ AND NONBARY CLN.“I THK STAR TREK HAS A CERTA POWER THAT ULD BE ED TO FIGHT THAT [VLENCE],” SHE SAID. “I URGE THE [PRODUCERS] TO DO THAT WH THE WRG. I THK ’S AN OPPORTUNY FOR THEM TO REALLY STEP UP AND STAND BEHD OUR QUEER FANS.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ THOSE FANS HAVE LONG FANTASIZED—AND POSED REAMS OF FAN FICTN—ABOUT A POTENTIAL ROMANCE BETWEEN STAR TREK’S ORIGAL LEAD CHARACTERS, KIRK AND SPOCK, SHIPPG THEM AS “SPIRK.” PL WLEY PLAYS A YOUNG JIM KIRK ON STRANGE NEW WORLDS, WHILE ETHAN PECK, THE GRANDSON OF THE LEGENDARY ACTOR GREGORY PECK, WEARS THE FAMED POTED EARS THIS TIME AROUND.“I DO THK ONE’S RELATNSHIP WH ANOTHER ACTOR OFFSCREEN, OR YOUR GENERAL CHEMISTRY, DO ACTUALLY TRANSLATE ONTO THE SCREEN,” WLEY SAYS. SPOCK MEETS KIRK FOR THE FIRST TIME SEASON 2, AND PECK SAYS THEIR FOUNDATNAL IENDSHIP WAS KEY TO THAT SCENE.“IT REALLY ADD A LOT OF NUANCE TO THAT MOMENT, THE MOMENTO MOMENT THAT THE TWO CHARACTERS MEET,” PECK SAYS, AFTER WHICH WLEY ADPANS: “CAN WE GET ‘SPIRK’ TATTOOS?”CELIA ROSE GOODG IS BREAKG GROUND STRANGE NEW WORLDS, NOT JT AS THE FIRST ACTOR TO PORTRAY MUNITNS OFFICER NYOTA UHURA SCE THE ATH OF THE TRAILBLAZG NICHELLE NICHOLS, BUT ALSO AS THE FIRST QUEER ACTOR TO PLAY THE ROLE. DAWN ENNIS “AS AN OUT QUEER PERSON, AS SOMEONE WHOSE RELATNSHIP WH THEIR GENR IS EVER-EVOLVG AND EVER-CHANGG, IS SO EXCG TO BE A PART OF THIS, PECIALLY PLAYG A ROLE THAT HAS BEEN ORIGATED BY CIS WOMEN AND HAS HISTORILLY ONLY BEEN PLAYED BY CIS WOMEN,” GOODG SAYS, ADDG THAT SHE IS HUMBLED TO BE TSTED WH UHURA’S STORY.“TO THE TRANS AND NONBARY QUEER MUNY, KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ENTIRE ST OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO RIGHT BY Y’ALL AND WANT TO REPRENT Y’ALL A WAY THAT IS HUMAN AND TE AND BETIFUL AND LOVELY. AND TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE MOON AND BEYOND TO ALL OF , BUT PECIALLY TO ME, BEE I AM SOMEONE WHO HAS LEARNED THE MOST ABOUT MYSELF OM QUEER PEOPLE, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS MYSELF EVERY DAY AND HAS TO SHOW UP AS MYSELF TO PLAY THIS CHARACTER,” GOODG SAYS.“IT JT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO BE A PART OF THIS AND TO BE JT A SMALL PIECE OF AN CREDIBLY LIC ANCHISE PIE AND HAVE MY LTLE QUEER STAMP ON AND SAY, ‘A QUEER PERSON WAS HERE AND REPRISED THE ROLE AND MA SURE THAT EVERYONE KNEW THAT THIS PERSON IS HERE AND IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS MUNY AND HAS A ROLE TO PLAY STAR TREK.’” REBEC ROMIJN, WHO FANS MAY RELL AS MYSTIQUE THE FIRST THREE X-MEN MOVI, PLAYS A CHARACTER WHO WAS HIDG A TERRIBLE SECRET THAT WAS EXPOSED THE FIRST SEASON. THE REVELATN RULTED HER ARRT THE SEASON FALE, AND SHE WILL GO ON TRIAL THE SEND EPISO OF THIS SEND SEASON. ROMIJN’S CHARACTER IS UNA CH-RILEY, AN “GMENT,” MEANG SHE IS THE RULT OF GEIC ENGEERG, WHICH IS BANNED BY STARFLEET AND THE FERATN. SHE IS THE ENTERPRISE’S FIRST OFFICER AND CAPT. PIKE’S “NUMBER ONE.”GIVEN THAT ROMIJN ALSO PREVLY PLAYED A TRANS WOMAN ON TV’S UGLY BETTY, WE ASKED HER IF SHE SAW A PARALLEL BETWEEN HER CHARACTERS’ EXPERIENC AND THE WAY SOCIETY TREATS TRANS PEOPLE AS OUTSTS.“IT'S LIKE THE THREE CHARACTERS KEEP G BACK MY LIFE AND I LOVE ,” ROMIJN SAYS. “EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THIS UTOPIAN, FUTURISTIC WORLD TREK, SOMETIM WE STILL GRAPPLE WH THE VERY HUMAN ISSU LIKE PREJUDICE AND PERSECUTN. THAT EPISO REALLY PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THAT. I THK THAT THE MSAGE THAT UNA WANTS TO SEND IS, JT BEE I N HI DON'T MEAN I SHOULD HAVE TO. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF TRANS PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, TOO.”ROMIJN ALSO SHOUTS OUT JSE JAM KEEL, THE OUT TRANS ACTOR WHO PLAYED A NONBARY VILLA A GROUNDBREAKG SEASON 1 EPISO DIRECTED BY A TRANS WOMAN, SYDNEY FREELAND. “HAVG THAT EPISO WH THEM, WH JSE JAM KEEL, SHE WAS SO AMAZG ON OUR SHOW. WE JT N’T WA TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BRG HER BACK.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ IT’S CLEAR THAT THE STARS OF STRANGE NEW WORLD KNOW HOW POWERFUL AND HOW RADIL THE SHOW’S LGBT+ REPRENTATN IS.AS AN ACTIVE ER OF SOCIAL MEDIA, NAVIA HAS HEARD OM QUEER FANS, ASKG ABOUT HER CHARACTER’S LOVE LIFE. “I KNOW PEOPLE WANT TO SEE MORE OF ORTEGAS TERMS OF HER RELATNSHIPS AND WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS, ‘JT HANG ON. HANG ON FOR SURE!’” SHE SAYS. “I N'T WA TO SEE WHAT FANS AND PECIALLY THE TRANS AND LGBT MUNY NTUE TO SEE ORTEGAS. AND HEARG OM THEM ALSO SPIR A LOT OF WHAT WE THEN BRG TO THE ROLE. SO, THANK YOU TO THEM AND, YEAH, PRI MONTH: LET'S DO !”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. DAWN ENNIS
- FOR PRI MONTH, WE CELEBRATE STAR TREK’S GAYT MOMENTS
GAY 'STAR TREK' CHARACTER PROVOK POLARIZG RPONSE
“My attu toward homosexualy has changed, ” he told The Humanist 1991.
THE ‘STAR TREK’ CAST ON THE RADIL LGBT+ REPRENTATN OF ‘STRANGE NEW WORLDS’FINAL FRONTIER: PRIDETHE OUT STARS OF “STRANGE NEW WORLDS” DISCS WHAT THE SHOW’S UNAPOLOGETIC PICTN OF QUEERNS AND GENR MEANS TO THEM AND THE “STAR TREK” ANCHISE’S HISTORY OF ALLYSHIP.DAWN ENNISPUBLISHED JUN. 15, 2023 4:35AM EDT PARI DOVIC/PARAMOUNT+WHEN THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE FALLY NTU S VOYAGE THIS WEEK, THE LOUD AND PROUD NTGENT OF LGBTQ+ STAR TREK FANS WILL SEE SOMETHG VERY SPECIAL: THEMSELV, REPRENTED THE 23RD CENTURY.“I LOVE THAT WE’RE PREMIERG DURG PRI MONTH,” ACTOR MELISSA NAVIA TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, SPEAKG AHEAD OF THE SEASON 2 LNCH OF STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS JUNE 15 ON PARAMOUNT+. “I FEEL LIKE OUR POSTER IS ABOUT THAT, TOO,” SHE ADDS. PROMOTNAL ADVERTISEMENTS AND VIOS PROMENTLY FEATURE RABOW LORG AND GRAPHICS, MUCH TO NAVIA’S LIGHT. “I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS ON PURPOSE, BUT I’M GOG TO GO AHEAD AND SAY WAS!”ON STRANGE NEW WORLDS, NAVIA PLAYS ERI ORTEGAS, THE PILOT OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. THE STAR TREK PREQUEL SERI IS SET THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO THE PAST; THE ADVENTUR TAKE PLACE THE 2200S, BUT ’S SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THOSE PICTED THE ORIGAL SERI OM THE 1960S, WHEN SULU (GEE TAKEI) SERVED AS HELMSMAN UNR WILLIAM SHATNER’S INIC CAPT. JAM T. KIRK.WHEN STRANGE NEW WORLDS LNCHED LAST SUMMER, NAVIA WAS ASKED BY VARIETY ABOUT HER CHARACTER’S ANDROGYNO APPEARANCE AND MEANOR. “I LIKE THAT WE’RE APPROACHG A WAY THAT NOBODY BATS AN EYE. LIKE, THEY SHOULDN’T, RIGHT? EVERYBODY SHOULD BE A B QUEER,” SHE SAID. “I KNOW I GIVE OFF THIS WONRFUL QUEER ENERGY. IT’S JT BEEN A PART OF WHO I AM.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ ALMOST A YEAR LATER, NAVIA TELLS SHE “ABSOLUTELY” STANDS BY THOSE STATEMENTS, AND THE MUNY.“THROUGHOUT MY REER, THE TRANS AND LGBT MUNY HAVE BEEN JT SUCH ROCK STARS FOR ME, TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE WHAT THEY SEE ME. THEY LOVE WHAT I BRG TO THE SCREEN AND WHAT I BRG TO CHARACTERS,” SHE SAYS. “THE FACT IS, GENR [FLUIDY] PLAYS ALMOST HERENTLY A PART OF ME AND ALWAYS HAS. SO WHENEVER I’M ST THGS, I THK PEOPLE SOMEHOW SEE THAT. [THE LGBT MUNY] HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY MY BIGGT FANS.”“I’M QUEER,” SAYS ACTOR JS BH, WHOUT HATN, SPEAKG ABOUT BOTH HER OWN LIFE AWAY OM THE TV SCREEN AND ON THE PARAMOUNT+ STREAMG SERI. “I AM SO LIGHTED THAT THERE'S MORE REPRENTATN FOR ALL EXPRSNS OF SEXUALY AND GENR STAR TREK. THAT’S REALLY EXCG TO ME, AND I’M REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT REPRENTATN.” THE ATRALIAN NATIVE RETURNS AS NURSE CHRISTE CHAPEL, WHO THIS RNATN IS AN OPENLY BISEXUAL CHARACTER—BUT STILL WH THE HOTS FOR SPOCK. “I WOULD LIKE TO SEE [SEXUALY AND GENR] EXPLORED MORE FOR CHAPEL AND FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO’S ON THE SHOW,” SAID BH. “THAT IS SOMETHG THAT I THK THE FANDOM REALLY APPRECIAT, AND ’S ALSO A DIRECT REFLECTN OF OUR SOCIETY RIGHT NOW. THE CREASED VISIBILY AND THE CREASED ACCEPTANCE OF QUEER FOLK IS SOMETHG THAT'S BEG CELEBRATED A LOT RIGHT NOW, BUT IS ALSO THREATENED A LOT RIGHT NOW. THERE’S A LOT OF VLENCE TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO ARE QUEER.”BH WAS ALLUDG TO CINTS LIKE THE GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA, BOARD OF EDUTN MEETG THAT EPTED A BRAWL BETWEEN ANTI-LGBTQ+ AND PRO-LGBTQ+ MONSTRATORS THIS MONTH. AND AS THE DAILY BEAST HAS REPORTED, FAR RIGHT EXTREMISTS HAVE BEEN TARGETG SCHOOLS THAT SHOW SUPPORT FOR QUEER STUNTS. BH MENTNS HOW, THROUGHOUT S HISTORY, STAR TREK HAS ADDRSED CURRENT NFLICTS THROUGH SCIENCE FICTN STORYTELLG, OM WAR TO RACISM AND, MORE RECENTLY, LGBTQ+ AND NONBARY CLN.“I THK STAR TREK HAS A CERTA POWER THAT ULD BE ED TO FIGHT THAT [VLENCE],” SHE SAID. “I URGE THE [PRODUCERS] TO DO THAT WH THE WRG. I THK ’S AN OPPORTUNY FOR THEM TO REALLY STEP UP AND STAND BEHD OUR QUEER FANS.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ THOSE FANS HAVE LONG FANTASIZED—AND POSED REAMS OF FAN FICTN—ABOUT A POTENTIAL ROMANCE BETWEEN STAR TREK’S ORIGAL LEAD CHARACTERS, KIRK AND SPOCK, SHIPPG THEM AS “SPIRK.” PL WLEY PLAYS A YOUNG JIM KIRK ON STRANGE NEW WORLDS, WHILE ETHAN PECK, THE GRANDSON OF THE LEGENDARY ACTOR GREGORY PECK, WEARS THE FAMED POTED EARS THIS TIME AROUND.“I DO THK ONE’S RELATNSHIP WH ANOTHER ACTOR OFFSCREEN, OR YOUR GENERAL CHEMISTRY, DO ACTUALLY TRANSLATE ONTO THE SCREEN,” WLEY SAYS. SPOCK MEETS KIRK FOR THE FIRST TIME SEASON 2, AND PECK SAYS THEIR FOUNDATNAL IENDSHIP WAS KEY TO THAT SCENE.“IT REALLY ADD A LOT OF NUANCE TO THAT MOMENT, THE MOMENTO MOMENT THAT THE TWO CHARACTERS MEET,” PECK SAYS, AFTER WHICH WLEY ADPANS: “CAN WE GET ‘SPIRK’ TATTOOS?”CELIA ROSE GOODG IS BREAKG GROUND STRANGE NEW WORLDS, NOT JT AS THE FIRST ACTOR TO PORTRAY MUNITNS OFFICER NYOTA UHURA SCE THE ATH OF THE TRAILBLAZG NICHELLE NICHOLS, BUT ALSO AS THE FIRST QUEER ACTOR TO PLAY THE ROLE. DAWN ENNIS “AS AN OUT QUEER PERSON, AS SOMEONE WHOSE RELATNSHIP WH THEIR GENR IS EVER-EVOLVG AND EVER-CHANGG, IS SO EXCG TO BE A PART OF THIS, PECIALLY PLAYG A ROLE THAT HAS BEEN ORIGATED BY CIS WOMEN AND HAS HISTORILLY ONLY BEEN PLAYED BY CIS WOMEN,” GOODG SAYS, ADDG THAT SHE IS HUMBLED TO BE TSTED WH UHURA’S STORY.“TO THE TRANS AND NONBARY QUEER MUNY, KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ENTIRE ST OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO RIGHT BY Y’ALL AND WANT TO REPRENT Y’ALL A WAY THAT IS HUMAN AND TE AND BETIFUL AND LOVELY. AND TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE MOON AND BEYOND TO ALL OF , BUT PECIALLY TO ME, BEE I AM SOMEONE WHO HAS LEARNED THE MOST ABOUT MYSELF OM QUEER PEOPLE, AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS MYSELF EVERY DAY AND HAS TO SHOW UP AS MYSELF TO PLAY THIS CHARACTER,” GOODG SAYS.“IT JT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO BE A PART OF THIS AND TO BE JT A SMALL PIECE OF AN CREDIBLY LIC ANCHISE PIE AND HAVE MY LTLE QUEER STAMP ON AND SAY, ‘A QUEER PERSON WAS HERE AND REPRISED THE ROLE AND MA SURE THAT EVERYONE KNEW THAT THIS PERSON IS HERE AND IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS MUNY AND HAS A ROLE TO PLAY STAR TREK.’” REBEC ROMIJN, WHO FANS MAY RELL AS MYSTIQUE THE FIRST THREE X-MEN MOVI, PLAYS A CHARACTER WHO WAS HIDG A TERRIBLE SECRET THAT WAS EXPOSED THE FIRST SEASON. THE REVELATN RULTED HER ARRT THE SEASON FALE, AND SHE WILL GO ON TRIAL THE SEND EPISO OF THIS SEND SEASON. ROMIJN’S CHARACTER IS UNA CH-RILEY, AN “GMENT,” MEANG SHE IS THE RULT OF GEIC ENGEERG, WHICH IS BANNED BY STARFLEET AND THE FERATN. SHE IS THE ENTERPRISE’S FIRST OFFICER AND CAPT. PIKE’S “NUMBER ONE.”GIVEN THAT ROMIJN ALSO PREVLY PLAYED A TRANS WOMAN ON TV’S UGLY BETTY, WE ASKED HER IF SHE SAW A PARALLEL BETWEEN HER CHARACTERS’ EXPERIENC AND THE WAY SOCIETY TREATS TRANS PEOPLE AS OUTSTS.“IT'S LIKE THE THREE CHARACTERS KEEP G BACK MY LIFE AND I LOVE ,” ROMIJN SAYS. “EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THIS UTOPIAN, FUTURISTIC WORLD TREK, SOMETIM WE STILL GRAPPLE WH THE VERY HUMAN ISSU LIKE PREJUDICE AND PERSECUTN. THAT EPISO REALLY PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THAT. I THK THAT THE MSAGE THAT UNA WANTS TO SEND IS, JT BEE I N HI DON'T MEAN I SHOULD HAVE TO. AND I WOULD LIKE TO THK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF TRANS PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, TOO.”ROMIJN ALSO SHOUTS OUT JSE JAM KEEL, THE OUT TRANS ACTOR WHO PLAYED A NONBARY VILLA A GROUNDBREAKG SEASON 1 EPISO DIRECTED BY A TRANS WOMAN, SYDNEY FREELAND. “HAVG THAT EPISO WH THEM, WH JSE JAM KEEL, SHE WAS SO AMAZG ON OUR SHOW. WE JT N’T WA TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BRG HER BACK.” KHAREN HILL/PARAMOUNT+ IT’S CLEAR THAT THE STARS OF STRANGE NEW WORLD KNOW HOW POWERFUL AND HOW RADIL THE SHOW’S LGBT+ REPRENTATN IS.AS AN ACTIVE ER OF SOCIAL MEDIA, NAVIA HAS HEARD OM QUEER FANS, ASKG ABOUT HER CHARACTER’S LOVE LIFE. “I KNOW PEOPLE WANT TO SEE MORE OF ORTEGAS TERMS OF HER RELATNSHIPS AND WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS, ‘JT HANG ON. HANG ON FOR SURE!’” SHE SAYS. “I N'T WA TO SEE WHAT FANS AND PECIALLY THE TRANS AND LGBT MUNY NTUE TO SEE ORTEGAS. AND HEARG OM THEM ALSO SPIR A LOT OF WHAT WE THEN BRG TO THE ROLE. SO, THANK YOU TO THEM AND, YEAH, PRI MONTH: LET'S DO !”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. DAWN ENNIS
I have, over many years, changed my attu about gay men and women. Even after his ath, took another 28 years for the first gay character to appear Star Trek’s televisn seri (although y, novel tie-s, ics, fan works, and other non-nonil media featured a markedly improved number of LGBT Starfleet officers). Given that the first openly gay recurrg character on televisn wouldn’t appear until the edy Soap 1977 (and played by Billy Crystal, so not exactly a nuanced character portrayal), pictg one the ‘60s when Star Trek first aired would have been unthkable to most people.
Of urse, much of what Star Trek did to highlight actors and characters of different ethnic backgrounds would have been pretty far-fetched for many televisn dienc of the time, too – so what ma gay stori different at the time? But still others were spired – enough that Kirk and Spock’s endurg nnectn to one another has remaed a potent symbol of homosexual love for Trek fans.
Durg a 20th anniversary nventn 1986, show creator Gene Rodnberry was asked by a foundg member of a Boston LGBT science fictn group (lled, charmgly, the Gaylaxian Network) whether or not the recently announced The Next Generatn would troduce gay characters to Starfleet.
FOR PRI MONTH, WE CELEBRATE STAR TREK’S GAYT MOMENTS
We should probably have a gay character. That same year, Gerrold (who’s bt known for wrg the TOS episo “The Trouble Wh Tribbl”) began workg on a script which revolved around two gay characters beg afflicted by an curable, tergalactic blood disease that mirrored the spread of HIV. Dpe this, Rodnberry still seemed mted to makg good on his promise to the Gaylaxians, who by 1990 had begun a letter-wrg petn (spurred partly by Gerrold’s stori of his episo’s mise at var nventn appearanc).