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Bryan Fuller Says Gay Characters Were Considered for Star Trek Voyager

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By GustavoLeao / 03:16, 10 April 2008 / Voyager

AfterElton.com posted an exclusive interview with former Star Trek Voyager writer/producer Bryan Fuller, in which he talks about gay characters in his TV Shows. Here is an excerpt of the article.

According to the article, Fuller wasn't so excited about a "gay" script that was rattling around for Voyager when he was part of the show.

"There was a pregnant ensign - Ensign Wildman - and she was going to have gay godparents to her child," said Fuller, explaining the show's potential plotline - that never got made. But Fuller found the characters so two-dimensional that he wasn't disappointed it didn't air: "It sounds weird to say - but I was kind of glad they didn't do it the way it was written. Because it became really cliché."

The Star Trek Hidden Frontier fan series is known for its huge take on homosexuality in Star Trek, by featuring two openly gay main characters - Lt. Commander Corey Aster, and Lieutenant Commander Ro Nevin. HF, while not focusing solely on the gay aspect of these characters, integrated them into the various plots and situations, to see how they would deal in 24th century society. Lieutenant Commander Ro Nevin (photo), now acting captain of the starship Odyssey in the fan series Star Trek Odyssey is the first (non-canon) gay starfleet captain.

Plus, the fan series Star Trek Phase II will introduce gay characters in Kirk's Enterprise, for their next episode titled "Blood and Fire", written by David Gerrold, from an aborted TNG script.

‘Blood and Fire" features a Gay couple, but it is not about being gay." Phase II actor/producer James Cawley said at TrekMovie message board "They just happen to be gay and caught up in the unusual circumstances that are happening on the ship. To everyone else on the Enterprise, they are just a normal couple who are in love with one another. Their have been many openly gay folks who have contributed to Star Trek's creation over the last 40 or so years. It is time that they are included in Trek's optimistic vision of the future, That is my prime reason in doing this episode, that and keeping Gene's promise that gay people would be included in Trek."

The full interview with Fuller can be found here.

A TrekWeb interview with actor Brandon McConnell, who plays the gay character Lieutenant Commander Ro Nevin in Odyssey, can be found here.



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RE: Roddenberry Was Right | Report this post to moderator
By: msspurlock (Odo's file, contact) @ 17:00:42 on Apr 12, 2008

It's the whole "adding crew members based on demographics" idea I have the problem with. Roddenberry's best stories didn't require having members of a group on the crew every week in order to "legitimize" them and the point being made in the story. Bele and Lokai weren't on the crew, yet a powerful parable, well, at least a memorable one, was told.

What's wrong with this dea: Instead of holding back the human race by dwelling on the past, rather than learning from it and moving on, people could start writing science fiction set in a future where people aren't defined as "gay people" at all, just people. Unless their orientation is absolutely essential to the storyline and not a Torchwood-like weekly sledgehammer (you can tell I've been reading the other thread on here) what does it add?

I say little or nothing. Frankly how Terence and Philip respond to an alien society means nothing more to me than the way Terence and Felicia would respond, unless it's a good story. Sure, throw them in there. Who cares? But damn it, don't pollute the future with the hangups of the past. Write beyond that, for Pete's sake. "I just saved the planet and by the way, I'm gay" is getting to be teeth-grindingly cliched.

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RE: Roddenberry Was Right by IamKirok!!! @ 05:59:34 on Apr 13
    RE: Roddenberry Was Right by msspurlock @ 09:30:37 on Apr 13
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