So now Sulu is gay. But the question remains: is he gay enough?
As you’ve probably heard, the character was given a husband and a kid in the latest Star Trek film, a sort of tribute to George Takei, who originally played him. Despite diversity being a cornerstone of Star Trek since its inception, it took until 2016 for it to show a character in a same-sex relationship. George is still unsatisfied with queer content in the franchise, even after the momentary glimpse of Sulu’s family. “They talked about Sulu becoming gay, but it was such a tentative thing,” he said. “Sulu comes back, picks up the little girl and hugs her, and then puts his arm around a guy and they walk off… not even a kiss. Just hugging the baby and arm around the guy… and it’s over.”
He lamented that Gene Roddenberry wasn’t around to create a queer character — and he has a good point. Gene, if unshackled from meddling studios and his gross lawyer, could have overseen a truly innovative storyline. As it was, The Next Generation tackled nonbinary people in one episode (though it drew protests and was subsequently impossible to find in syndication). And let’s not forget that Star Trek was responsible for TV’s second interracial kiss, after Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
So what would be enough queer content for Star Trek? Well, considering how many women Riker and Kirk have bedded, maybe a main character actually having a romantic scene isn’t too much to ask for.
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And of course, there were plans for an episode with a gay crewman, but that was scrapped by the show and later made by fans:
jheryn
I personally thought it was good. I don’t care if there was a kiss. Just a normal family walking off after picking up dad from work. No one reacted, judged or looked at them sideways when they walked off arm in arm. It was just normal for them and everyone around them.
Isn’t that what we strive for? Just to be as accepted and respected as anyone? I sure would love a world where my partner could meet me at the airport, we walk off arm in arm and not feel one twinge of judgement or hate from those that see us.
Mo Bro
Wait wait wait . . .
Didn’t he initially deride the whole gay-Sulu thing?
Methinks this has-been just likes attention.
ChrisK
@Mo Bro: Yes because it breaks the story line of Sulu being a straight guy in the original.
BitterOldQueen
@Mo Bro: My thought exactly. Initially Takei was miffed that anyone would dare diddle with St Roddenberry’s creation and make a non-gay character gay, now he’s huffing and puffing that it wasn’t sufficiently homo to suit him. I think the normalcy of a same-sex marriage was shown just fine in the fleeting glimpse we got of Sulu’s personal life. What does George want? Feather boas and more tongue?
BitterOldQueen
@ChrisK: I’m not sure that TOS took a position on Sulu’s sexuality one way or another–there was the leering in the mirror universe, and love-drug-planet mooniness, but that was about it. (This may be the most painfully fanboy sentence I’ve ever written…at least I didn’t give the episode number)
jkthsnk
@jheryn: I’m all for civil equality but no, being included in traditional marriage is not the end game. Ending the reign of terror on all queer lives is. As for normalizing same sex relationships (which WTF should we have to), a kiss would have gone a long way toward that goal.
ChrisK
@BitterOldQueen: I’m with you on that. I remember one of those episodes. He was fucked up though. Damn we’ve all been there anyways. Capt Kirk got to do all the serious dick’n. There wasn’t much left for anything else.
MacAdvisor
Having eagerly awaited the “gay scene” in the latest movie, I was sincerely disappointed. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in that scene says, “gay couple.” The kiss is barely a peck on the check. Might as well have been Sulu’s brother meeting him with his daughter. They didn’t show anything clearly demonstrating they were a gay couple. Moreover, the Enterprise has family members on board, why not have Sulu’s family on the ship?
GC1985
That old queen needs A LOT of attention.
jheryn
@jkthsnk: Did I say ANYWHERE about traditional marriage being the endgame? In response to your “terror” statement, did I or did I not say “I sure would love a world where my partner could meet me at the airport, we walk off arm in arm and not feel one twinge of judgement or hate from those that see us.”?
I was speaking to the fact that I liked the way that Sulu and his family were portrayed like it was completely normal and nothing wrong with it by them and everyone around them, and you take exception to that? SMH.
As for the kiss, some people do and some do not in public even after being apart for a long time. Both are normal. I hardly think that any couple gay or straight HAS to kiss in a movie to give validation to the relationship.
Did you just want to disagree with someone?
jheryn
@MacAdvisor: Maybe his partner has a job of his own.
Paco
It really was a blink and you’ll miss it moment. It was subtly implied, but that is no surprise since it was filmed in Dubai and the writer had to play the part of Sulu’s husband because they couldn’t find an actor to do it over there. Paramount also had a lot of foreign backers for the film so couldn’t do much to upset those markets.
I don’t like the new movies anyway. At least the new television series is set to push boundaries with a gay character. Can’t wait to see it.