The Star Trek universe was launched when the original series premiered on television in 1966. The series pushed the boundaries of sci-fi storytelling with its progressive themes and ideas. However, for all its futuristic ideas and progressivism, the series has had a troubled history with sexuality.
Since the original series, several of the franchise’s installments have included cast and crew who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Even after franchise creator Gene Roddenberry supported a more nuanced depiction of sexuality, it took a long time for an identifiable gay character to appear. Here is what Roddenberry had to say about Star Trek‘s depiction of sexuality.
Gene Roddenberry discussed sexuality in the Star Trek universe
Gene Roddenberry took network television in a bold new direction with Star Trek: The Original Series, which started airing in 1966. The series launched the careers of several stars, and its syndication success led to an expansion into a globally popular franchise.
Despite its progressive ideas and themes, the franchise has faced constant criticism for its poor depiction of homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community. However, Roddenberry admitted in an interview that the series helped him overcome his homophobia.
In a conversation with David Alexander, first published in The Humanist magazine in 1991, Roddenberry addressed his views on homosexuality.
My attitude toward homosexuality has changed. I came to the conclusion that I was wrong.
Roddenberry revealed (via Philosophy Sphere) that while he wasn’t hateful towards homosexual people, the showrunner admitted that he would often make fun of them with anti-homosexual comments off the top of his head. However, Roddenberry expressed that he never believed the comments.
Star Trek took a long time to include an identifiable gay character
During the same interview, Roddenberry revealed that working on the Star Trek franchise helped change his attitude over time. The showrunner explained that the experience made him more secure, allowing him to be open to exploring topics like sexuality with the sci-fi series.
The original series featured actor George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, who came out as openly gay later in his career (via The Progressive). However, the franchise was criticized for its heterosexist depiction of sexuality, including an episode of The Next Generation (via Salon).
Despite Roddenberry showing an openness to exploring homosexuality and LGBTQ+ themes through the sci-fi franchise, it wasn’t until 2016 that an identifiable gay character appeared in the series. In Star Trek Beyond, it was confirmed that John Cho‘s Hikaru Sulu was gay in the rebooted Kelvin timeline.
Although Sulu was depicted as gay, not having an openly gay actor portray the franchise’s first identifiable LGBTQ+ character was a major missed opportunity. However, later installments, such as Star Trek: Discovery, have been more open to exploring sexuality, depicting the franchise’s first openly gay couple. As a result, the franchise is heading in a bold new direction with its depiction of sexuality.
The Star Trek shows and movies are currently streaming on Paramount+ (USA).
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