Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations:
Sexual Diversity in Star Trek (p. 1/2)
James Sheldon
February 2, 2000
Kresge 42- SDS: Star Trek
Mr. Doss
Homosexuality in Star Trek is one of the more hotly debated issues among fans and viewers of the series. The conspicuous lack of gay characters has troubled many viewers who feel that the philosophy of Star Trek, of a positive inclusive vision of the future, should include sexual diversity. And the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC (loosely translated as Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) seems to suggest that homosexuality would be welcomed and accepted in the 23rd century. The whole philosophy of the show is about diversity and acceptance and tolerance for other races and other ways of thinking. Why should this not extend to sexual orientation?
There have been several episodes that have touched directly or indirectly on homosexual themes. Gender-switching was touched upon in “Turnabout Intruder,” where the vengeful Janice Lester switches minds with Captain Kirk. It raises the question of whether a relationship between the Kirk body with Lester’s mind with a women would be a heterosexual or homosexual one. Fortunately for our brains, the producers didn’t write in any sexual relationships into that episode.
The first real episode to deal with the issue of homosexuality, however, was the Host. In this episode, the alien Trill Ambassador Odan and Dr. Crusher fall in love. Ambassador Odan is on the Enterprise to mediate a dispute between two moons that have been at war for generations. His own father resolved a similar dispute 40 years ago. He insists on taking a shuttle rather than the transporter and is terminally injured. It is then revealed that he is a symbioant. The symbioant (funny creature that lives inside him) is implanted in Riker in order to complete the peace negotiations and resolve the dispute. The new trill host then arrives.
She is female. Dr. Crusher is unable to deal with this. She rationalizes her beliefs by stating that: “We are not accustomed to these kind of changes… I can’t live with that kind of uncertainty.” Latent homophobia or just natural resistance to change? Who knows? Roberts states that “The literal transfer into a female body proves too much for her [Beverly’s] homophobic prejudice” (115). But she does redeem herself, at least partially, with her next comment that seems to apply to all homosexual relationships and to our own society at large—“Perhaps someday our ability to love won’t be so limited.” And she reaffirms her love for Odan, even in his? her? present form with her words: “Odan, I do love you. Please remember that.”
The Outcast is an episode that deals with the androgynous J’Naii, who do not have gender. The episode on the surface deals with gender and gender identity. It starts off by dealing with the differences between genders.
Soren, a J’Naii who is working with Riker, asks him what the difference between males and females are. He replies that boys are “snips and snails and puppy dog tails” and girls are “sugar and spice and everything nice.” When she seems confused, he adds that men have a stronger upper body, different sexual organs, and can’t bear young. Soren asks Dr. Crusher what it’s like to be a woman and observes that women seem to “have longer hair, arrange it more elaborately, and put color on their bodies.” Crusher states that “Men want to be attractive too… They want to pretend that they aren’t doing anything to attract the woman even when its the most important thing on their mind.” She states that women used to be considered weak and inferior in the past but that this hasn’t been true for hundreds of years.
Later, at a poker game, Troi deals out a game with 3 wild-cards. Worf remarks that it is “a woman’s game.” When they question him on it, he argues that “All those wild cards… They support a weak hand. A man’s game has no wild cards.” Crusher is disgusted and states that she had told Soren that women were not considered inferior and that perhaps she was wrong. Worf then states that he finds the J’naii unsettling.
This exploration of gender issues really touches on the ambiguity we have with gender roles and the difference between the genders in this modern era of “equal rights” and “gender equality.”
What the “Outcast” though is clearly making an analogy and comparison to, however, is sexuality and specifically homosexuality and gay rights. Even the producer and writer of the episode, Jeri Taylor, states that “’The Outcast,’ though, is a gay rights story. It absolutely, specifically and outspokenly dealt with gay issues.” (Tulloch and Jenkins 255, cited in Roberts 117)
Worf’s reaction to the J’naii shows his prejudice towards those who are different. Soren reveals her secret—that she is a female—to Riker, whom she has fallen in love with. This is sort of like the homosexual “coming out” process. She says, “I’d like to tell you something… Something that’s not easy to say… I’m taking a terrible risk telling you that. It means revealing something to you—something that if it was known on my planet would be very dangerous for me.” Putting oneself at risk by revealing their true identity and not knowing how they will react is something many self-identified gay and lesbian people face when “coming out.”
Soren goes on to say to Riker that “Occasionally, among my people, there are a few who are born different… But in front of Krite and the others, I must be careful not to reveal myself… Those of us who have these urges lead secret and guarded lives—we seek each other out, always hiding, always terrified of being discovered.” This is clearly intended to be similar to the genetic concept of gays, the concept of a closeted gay, and the separate gay community.
The concept of the “psychotectic therapy” is an analogy to the reparative therapy advocated by conservative religious organizations in the United States. Also, the “I’ve known I was different all my life, but I did not know how or why until I was older” echoes many gay people’s feelings about how they always felt different all their life. And the harassment by the children of the child with gender is quite similar to the discrimination and harassment that gay people face daily.
Soren’s speech to the court also mirrors the thoughts and words of many gays. “It is not unnatural. I am not sick because I feel this way. I do not need to be helped. I do not need to be cured. What I need and what all those who are like me need—is your understanding and your compassion.” If only people would apply this to their lives and treat those who are different with understanding and compassion. “We talk and laugh… we complain about work and we wonder about growing old. We talk about our families and we worry about the future. And we cry with each other when things seem hopeless. All of the loving things that you do with each other.—THAT IS WHAT WE DO.” People who are different because of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc… are still all human beings with feelings, hopes, and dreams. Despite our differences, we are all quite similar. How can we say that some are inferior to others and should be suppressed?
“And for that—we are called misfits and deviants and criminals? … What makes you think you can dictate how people love each other?” What makes us think so indeed. Star Trek again addresses the issue, while using alien races to create a parallel and to project our social situations and dilemmas upon alien races. To again quote Doctor Crusher, “Perhaps some day our ability to love won’t be so limited.”
According to Roberts, “By defamiliarizing the site… the viewer can attain some distance and perspective on our culture’s homophobia. When alien characters are presented sympathetically, as they are in both ‘The Host’ and ‘The Outcast,’ even a homophobe may find him or herself rooting for a metaphorically homosexual character. (109).
There have also been deep-space nine episodes that deal with homosexuality. The mirror universe Kira and possibly Garak are bisexual. There is an episode (DS9: Rejoined) where a former lover of Dax, a Trill (strange how homosexuality and Trills seem to go together…) comes back and now they are both women and they share a kiss and reminisce about the past. Once again, an alien race is used to challenge our human prejudices and stereotypes.
It is clear that Gene Roddenberry had intended to at some point introduce homosexual characters into Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Roddenberry:
The Last Conversation, the following is written:
"’I’m sorry I [Gene Roddenberry] never had a homosexual relationship,’ he remarks pensively, out of the blue, one afternoon, ‘because I know that there must be many joys and pleasures and degrees of closeness in those relationships. I think that I have in a way been cursed by having picked my particular time period and background and so on, because I have no doubt that I am capable of homosexualism… as a matter of fact, remind me, I’m in the midst of making a decision about homosexuality—male and female—and how we are going to treat it on Star Trek, the lovely ways in which we will treat it—without defying present average conditions" (Fern 168-169).
An article from the Los Angeles Times, October 30, 1991, states that "This season it [Star Trek], will again challenge viewers to boldly go where they’ve never gone before. This season gays and lesbians will appear unobtrusively aboard the Enterprise in the 24th century." Apparently after Gene Roddenberry’s death, the studio and producers backpedaled on this promise and refused to include regular gay characters.
Sexual Diversity in Star Trek (p. 1/2)
James Sheldon
February 2, 2000
Kresge 42- SDS: Star Trek
Mr. Doss
Homosexuality in Star Trek is one of the more hotly debated issues among fans and viewers of the series. The conspicuous lack of gay characters has troubled many viewers who feel that the philosophy of Star Trek, of a positive inclusive vision of the future, should include sexual diversity. And the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC (loosely translated as Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) seems to suggest that homosexuality would be welcomed and accepted in the 23rd century. The whole philosophy of the show is about diversity and acceptance and tolerance for other races and other ways of thinking. Why should this not extend to sexual orientation?
There have been several episodes that have touched directly or indirectly on homosexual themes. Gender-switching was touched upon in “Turnabout Intruder,” where the vengeful Janice Lester switches minds with Captain Kirk. It raises the question of whether a relationship between the Kirk body with Lester’s mind with a women would be a heterosexual or homosexual one. Fortunately for our brains, the producers didn’t write in any sexual relationships into that episode.
The first real episode to deal with the issue of homosexuality, however, was the Host. In this episode, the alien Trill Ambassador Odan and Dr. Crusher fall in love. Ambassador Odan is on the Enterprise to mediate a dispute between two moons that have been at war for generations. His own father resolved a similar dispute 40 years ago. He insists on taking a shuttle rather than the transporter and is terminally injured. It is then revealed that he is a symbioant. The symbioant (funny creature that lives inside him) is implanted in Riker in order to complete the peace negotiations and resolve the dispute. The new trill host then arrives.
She is female. Dr. Crusher is unable to deal with this. She rationalizes her beliefs by stating that: “We are not accustomed to these kind of changes… I can’t live with that kind of uncertainty.” Latent homophobia or just natural resistance to change? Who knows? Roberts states that “The literal transfer into a female body proves too much for her [Beverly’s] homophobic prejudice” (115). But she does redeem herself, at least partially, with her next comment that seems to apply to all homosexual relationships and to our own society at large—“Perhaps someday our ability to love won’t be so limited.” And she reaffirms her love for Odan, even in his? her? present form with her words: “Odan, I do love you. Please remember that.”
The Outcast is an episode that deals with the androgynous J’Naii, who do not have gender. The episode on the surface deals with gender and gender identity. It starts off by dealing with the differences between genders.
Soren, a J’Naii who is working with Riker, asks him what the difference between males and females are. He replies that boys are “snips and snails and puppy dog tails” and girls are “sugar and spice and everything nice.” When she seems confused, he adds that men have a stronger upper body, different sexual organs, and can’t bear young. Soren asks Dr. Crusher what it’s like to be a woman and observes that women seem to “have longer hair, arrange it more elaborately, and put color on their bodies.” Crusher states that “Men want to be attractive too… They want to pretend that they aren’t doing anything to attract the woman even when its the most important thing on their mind.” She states that women used to be considered weak and inferior in the past but that this hasn’t been true for hundreds of years.
Later, at a poker game, Troi deals out a game with 3 wild-cards. Worf remarks that it is “a woman’s game.” When they question him on it, he argues that “All those wild cards… They support a weak hand. A man’s game has no wild cards.” Crusher is disgusted and states that she had told Soren that women were not considered inferior and that perhaps she was wrong. Worf then states that he finds the J’naii unsettling.
This exploration of gender issues really touches on the ambiguity we have with gender roles and the difference between the genders in this modern era of “equal rights” and “gender equality.”
What the “Outcast” though is clearly making an analogy and comparison to, however, is sexuality and specifically homosexuality and gay rights. Even the producer and writer of the episode, Jeri Taylor, states that “’The Outcast,’ though, is a gay rights story. It absolutely, specifically and outspokenly dealt with gay issues.” (Tulloch and Jenkins 255, cited in Roberts 117)
Worf’s reaction to the J’naii shows his prejudice towards those who are different. Soren reveals her secret—that she is a female—to Riker, whom she has fallen in love with. This is sort of like the homosexual “coming out” process. She says, “I’d like to tell you something… Something that’s not easy to say… I’m taking a terrible risk telling you that. It means revealing something to you—something that if it was known on my planet would be very dangerous for me.” Putting oneself at risk by revealing their true identity and not knowing how they will react is something many self-identified gay and lesbian people face when “coming out.”
Soren goes on to say to Riker that “Occasionally, among my people, there are a few who are born different… But in front of Krite and the others, I must be careful not to reveal myself… Those of us who have these urges lead secret and guarded lives—we seek each other out, always hiding, always terrified of being discovered.” This is clearly intended to be similar to the genetic concept of gays, the concept of a closeted gay, and the separate gay community.
The concept of the “psychotectic therapy” is an analogy to the reparative therapy advocated by conservative religious organizations in the United States. Also, the “I’ve known I was different all my life, but I did not know how or why until I was older” echoes many gay people’s feelings about how they always felt different all their life. And the harassment by the children of the child with gender is quite similar to the discrimination and harassment that gay people face daily.
Soren’s speech to the court also mirrors the thoughts and words of many gays. “It is not unnatural. I am not sick because I feel this way. I do not need to be helped. I do not need to be cured. What I need and what all those who are like me need—is your understanding and your compassion.” If only people would apply this to their lives and treat those who are different with understanding and compassion. “We talk and laugh… we complain about work and we wonder about growing old. We talk about our families and we worry about the future. And we cry with each other when things seem hopeless. All of the loving things that you do with each other.—THAT IS WHAT WE DO.” People who are different because of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc… are still all human beings with feelings, hopes, and dreams. Despite our differences, we are all quite similar. How can we say that some are inferior to others and should be suppressed?
“And for that—we are called misfits and deviants and criminals? … What makes you think you can dictate how people love each other?” What makes us think so indeed. Star Trek again addresses the issue, while using alien races to create a parallel and to project our social situations and dilemmas upon alien races. To again quote Doctor Crusher, “Perhaps some day our ability to love won’t be so limited.”
According to Roberts, “By defamiliarizing the site… the viewer can attain some distance and perspective on our culture’s homophobia. When alien characters are presented sympathetically, as they are in both ‘The Host’ and ‘The Outcast,’ even a homophobe may find him or herself rooting for a metaphorically homosexual character. (109).
There have also been deep-space nine episodes that deal with homosexuality. The mirror universe Kira and possibly Garak are bisexual. There is an episode (DS9: Rejoined) where a former lover of Dax, a Trill (strange how homosexuality and Trills seem to go together…) comes back and now they are both women and they share a kiss and reminisce about the past. Once again, an alien race is used to challenge our human prejudices and stereotypes.
It is clear that Gene Roddenberry had intended to at some point introduce homosexual characters into Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Roddenberry:
The Last Conversation, the following is written:
"’I’m sorry I [Gene Roddenberry] never had a homosexual relationship,’ he remarks pensively, out of the blue, one afternoon, ‘because I know that there must be many joys and pleasures and degrees of closeness in those relationships. I think that I have in a way been cursed by having picked my particular time period and background and so on, because I have no doubt that I am capable of homosexualism… as a matter of fact, remind me, I’m in the midst of making a decision about homosexuality—male and female—and how we are going to treat it on Star Trek, the lovely ways in which we will treat it—without defying present average conditions" (Fern 168-169).
An article from the Los Angeles Times, October 30, 1991, states that "This season it [Star Trek], will again challenge viewers to boldly go where they’ve never gone before. This season gays and lesbians will appear unobtrusively aboard the Enterprise in the 24th century." Apparently after Gene Roddenberry’s death, the studio and producers backpedaled on this promise and refused to include regular gay characters.
