Sexuality in Trek

I Am Spartacus · Post by **I Am Spartacus** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:36 pm

In Insurrection, after Troi compliments Crusher on her, to put it like Graham, newly rejuvenated breasts, Crusher responds with "not that we care about such things in this day and age."

And yet, we have numerous occasions (too many to list here) indicating that's clearly not the case. We even have one episode of DS9 where Quark allows someone to use his holosuite as a virtual brothel! Though the guy ends up getting Kiras body with Quark's head *shudder* In real life, we know that would be the single most popular use of holodecks...

Being the future liberal utopia that Star Trek is often purported to be, shouldn't it be a sort of "free love, make out in the fields, random casual sex" type environment? Of course, the writers could never actually depict such a culture on prime time television.

So what is Trek's take on sexuality?

Post by **Teaos** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 12:44 pm

I think Beverly was not being serious when she said that.

Also I think that while they would accept that I think Humans or at least those in Statfleet try to hold themselves above such things. While not prudes they probably think they have more sexual Discipline. And starfleet personal are most of the humans we see.

Also you are very correct about the holodecks.

Foxbat · Post by **Foxbat** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:37 pm

"You go in that holodeck with that brothel program one more time and you'll go blind..."

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:22 pm

"Not that we care about such things in this day and age."

Yeah...riiiiiiiight.

Unless mass brainwashing was introduced that statement was probably not serious.

I Am Spartacus · Post by **I Am Spartacus** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:52 pm

It's entirely possible that Crusher was not comfortable talking about her bosom with others publicly (even such a long time friend), or because of her age (she must have been into her fifties during the movie).

Foxbat wrote:"You go in that holodeck with that brothel program one more time and you'll go blind..."

It's alright, I can still find it.

Post by **Teaos** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:52 am

I dont care how advanced we are we will always enjoy eye candy.

Bryan Moore · Post by **Bryan Moore** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:40 am

Well remember the Great Bird of the Galaxy had intended the TNG Enterprise to be assexual in many ways, with the uniforms being unisex, including the odd skirted ones (which I actually sorta liked). Clearly he was aiming for a society where, if nothing else, sexual roles were downplayed.

I Am Spartacus · Post by **I Am Spartacus** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:00 am

Right, but Star Trek seems to emphasize family values even more than we do today, when in the West the inexorable trend has been away from family values.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:39 am

Has Star Trek ever shown homosexual males in any way? My room mate and I were joking that they 'cured' it in the 21st century (I know its not a disease) and then we realized hey they've actually never shown homosexuals! They've shown bisexual women in the mirror universe but that's the mirror universe, totally different.

The Wormhole · Post by **The Wormhole** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:21 pm

Monroe wrote:Has Star Trek ever shown homosexual males in any way? My room mate and I were joking that they 'cured' it in the 21st century (I know its not a disease) and then we realized hey they've actually never shown homosexuals! They've shown bisexual women in the mirror universe but that's the mirror universe, totally different.

Confirmed homosexuals? No. Though I've often thought Malcolm Reed was gay. In fact, in season 3 it seemed to me as though him and Major Hayes had something going on.

Post by **Teaos** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:05 pm

I think they have avoided it since the majority of Trek fans are male and most guys dont enjoy being confronted with that.

Post by **Graham Kennedy** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:57 pm

This remainds me of the money issue, actually. In most cases where people talk about how we of the future are ultra-liberal, I think the "we" that they are referring to is either the Federation, Humans, or Earthlings specifically.

And I took the comment to be a sort of "well everybody SAYS looks aren't important and it's the person that counts, and that's an ideal... but hey, I for one am not gonna complain if I look better naked!"

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 7:45 pm

The Wormhole wrote:
Monroe wrote:Has Star Trek ever shown homosexual males in any way? My room mate and I were joking that they 'cured' it in the 21st century (I know its not a disease) and then we realized hey they've actually never shown homosexuals! They've shown bisexual women in the mirror universe but that's the mirror universe, totally different.
Confirmed homosexuals? No. Though I've often thought Malcolm Reed was gay. In fact, in season 3 it seemed to me as though him and Major Hayes had something going on.

lol Major Hayes was my favorite character in the series

Teaos you're probably right there. Still though, Trek has a history of pushing the limit far as that kind of stuff goes. You'd think they would have implied things. Honestly I wouldn't like to see it but an implied relationship between characters I'm surprised hasn't been done.

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:49 pm

Lt. Hawk from First Contact was gay in the early drafts, but the reference was removed in later drafts.

RK_Striker_JK_5 · Post by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:51 am

I know they're not canon, but a lot of the novels have gay characters. Bart Faulwell from the SCE series comes to mind, as well as a Vulcan security officer from the Vanguard series.