Star trek is gay
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Recognizing this, Hugh Culber takes on the responsibility of becoming the ship's counselor, hoping to ease the crew's transition into the future.
Stamets and Culber's relationship is not without its challenges. Of course, the visible gay representation that “Blood and Fire” episode would have given to TNG was not present here – instead, the episode, ”Stigma,” revolved around T’Pol contracting a degenerative Vulcan illness through a mind-meld, which at this point in Star Trek’s timeline was considered taboo.
After sustaining the Hiawatha survivors, Reno joins the crew of the USS Discovery as a senior engineer known for dry wit, out-of-the-box ideas, and a penchant for snack foods. Still, Musiker's options are limited, and another mission gives Raffi the opportunity to move forward with her life. Commander Musiker's Star Trek: Picard journey finds Raffi back in Starfleet's good graces, and working for Starfleet Intelligence in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Raffi's relationship with Seven of Nine also represents second chances.
9 Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio)
Star Trek: Discovery
Ensign Adira Tal is a 32nd century member of Earth's United Defense Force who joins Starfleet after encountering the USS Discovery.
And I am sorry for that.”
StarTrek.com
Despite Mulgrew’s suspicions, Enterprise didn’t fare much better than Voyager did. That doesn't deter Culber and Trill Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis) from attempting the procedure. However, it certainly hasn’t always been this way.
Before Discovery aired, Star Trek typically stuck to ‘read between the lines’ scripts when it came to LGBTQ+ relationships and identities.
Dax, the symbiote, transfers from one Trill host to another, changing their body and name over time, mirroring the transitions someone may go through as they discover their own identity. “Alex Kurtzman, the straight man in the team, was telling me we would need a gay character.”
Fuller departed from the series in October of that year, but the show stayed true to his word.
One pertinent scene illustrates this well in the episode “Blood Oath,” when a friend from Dax’s past meets Jadzia for the first time and immediately accepts her new identity. I couldn't get it done on mine. But still others were inspired – enough that Kirk and Spock’s enduring connection to one another has remained a potent symbol of homosexual love for Trek fans.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
During a 20th anniversary convention in 1986, show creator Gene Roddenberry was asked by a founding member of a Boston LGBT science fiction group (called, charmingly, the Gaylaxian Network) whether or not the recently announced The Next Generation would introduce gay characters to Starfleet.
Takei continued:
And I understood because I was a closeted guy talking to him about it, so I understood. A lot of viewers connect this scene to a positive acceptance of transitioning, one that unfortunately not everyone gets to experience.
The first gay couple represented in Star Trek was technically Sulu and his husband, Ben, in Star Trek: Beyond, but it didn’t connect with Sulu’s past storylines, even according to George Takei.
I'm dealing with issues of the time.
“Absolutely, we’re having a gay character,” series co-creator Bryan Fuller said at the Television Critics Association conference in 2016. As Jadzia, Dax engages in the first same-gender kiss on Star Trek in “Rejoined,” after reconnecting with the wife of a former host. Others wanted to see something more substantial from Star Trek’s first gay officer than a small detail in the background of a scene – especially when actor John Cho revealed that a “welcome home“ kiss was cut from the final edit.
Seven's relationship with Raffi isn't perfect, but it's clear they're trying to make it work despite the difficulties.
5 Commander Raffaela Musiker (Michelle Hurd)
Star Trek: Picard
Life has not been particularly kind to Raffaela Musiker. According to George Takei, this wasn’t due to a lack of interest from TOS creator Gene Roddenberry, but rather because he was concerned about it would impact the series’ run.
And [Roddenberry] said, ‘Yes I'm aware of that, but you remember the show in which we had Kirk kiss Uhura?’ A Black and white kiss, first ever in American television.