Set phasers to stun: Star Trek’s Sulu is out and proud in new movie

[DonViejo]

During Star Trek’s original run, helmsman Hikaru Sulu was played by George Takei, now one of America’s best known LGBT activists after he came out in 2005. In the new movie, Star Trek Beyond, producers give a nod to Takei by making the character a proud gay man.

John Cho, who plays Sulu in the movie, spilled the beans to Australia‘s Daily Sun. In a quiet way, the film will reveal that Sulu has a partner and daughter.

“I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one’s personal orientations,” Cho told the newspaper.

Star Trek notably showed the first interracial kiss on television back in the 60s, but there’s always been one notable missing piece from the show’s utopian view of a future society: LGBT people simply haven’t existed in the universe. While the show has made a few slight insinuations that some minor characters were gay or transgender, this is the first time any characters – major or minor – have been explicitly non-heterosexual.

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http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/07/set-phasers-stun-star-treks-sulu-proud-new-movie/

[Gabi Hayes]

1. oh.....

[Skinner]

2. Cool.

[Hekate]

3. Who can forget Sulu fencing, calling Uhuru "Fair maid," and her quick reply, "Sorry, neither."

A moment that came and went in a flash, and had me

The original Star Trek was a truly great series, groundbreaking television on so many levels.

I am very glad to see Young Sulu is going to be out and proud. I really look forward to seeing this new movie.

[hunter]

4. I don't like the "reboot," illogical Spock, too much "action movie" bullshit. Still excellent news.

The Original Star Trek pushed some social boundaries. It wasn't Lost in Space.

Imagine the Lost in Space Major Don West character played by a black woman... and Judy Robinson has a crush on her... Nope. Lost in Space was nothing like that. It was 'fifties Father Knows Best in a flying saucer.

Star Trek's Uhura kicks ass. My first TV crush.

This acknowledgement of Sulu's character may be late, but it's still a positive thing.

Deep Space Nine suffered similar handicaps. You could tell much of the creative staff wanted to go full in-your-face on major social issues but the prissy men signing the checks were reluctant.

[Humanist_Activist]

5. One thing Star Trek lacked was, outside of a few episodes touching on it, but dealing...

with LGBT issues and characters. I blame Rick Berman for much of this, apparently I've heard he's a homophobe. Gene Roddenberry was apparently interested in putting in episodes with LGBT characters and story arcs in TNG, but he died before anything really came of it. A couple of other writers also were interested but were shot down in the process, this kinda makes Star Trek behind on social issues when it used to be much more progressive in the past.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

6. Finally

As a queer Asian dude and a huge (YUUUGE) Star Trek fan, this is fantastic news.

For the record, Hawke in the TNG First Contact movie was supposed to be gay, but the backlash from the fan base caused the studio to nix it and Hawke got the redshirt treatment instead. He still appears as a gay man in the Trek tie-in novels.