Gay Character's in Sci fi

[Geekyfanboy]

Gay Characters In Star Trek Never A Priority

By MICHAEL HINMAN
Oct-10-2008

http://syfyportal.com/pagetogether.php?id=5454&page=1

Forget the excuses on why Star Trek was devoid of gay characters throughout its 45-year run. It just was never much of a must-do for writers.

"We've just failed at it," said Ronald D. Moore, a former executive producer in the Star Trek universe who really made his name as the developer of SciFi Channel's signature series "Battlestar Galactica."

"At Star Trek, we used to have all these stock answers for why we didn't do it. The truth is that it was not really a priority for any of us on the staff, so it wasn't really something that was strong on anybody's radar," Moore told AfterElton. "And then I think there's a certain inertia that you're not used to writing those characters into these dramas and then you just don't.

Science-fiction has been behind the curve in including gay characters, something Moore admits to. That's partially why "Battlestar" has included both defined gay characters, like Michelle Forbes' Adm. Cain in the telemovie "Razor," and more ambiguous gay and bisexual characters, like Number Three and Number Six, played by Lucy Lawless and Tricia Helfer respectively, in their relationship with James Callis' Dr. Baltar.

Moore, however, is working on the pilot of what he hopes will be a new science-fiction series for Fox called "Virtuality," and both he and Michael Taylor made sure there were not only gay characters on the show, but a married gay couple.

"They were all sorts of symbols for specific reasons for this particular mission, and for almost [public relations] reasons, they were put on the ship and the [gay couple] sort of struggle with that role of, 'Is that the only reason we are here?' kind of thing," Moore said. "But they're professionals in their own right. They have a complicated sort of storyline of what they're willing to show."

As revealed last August by SciFi Wire, the gay couple is portrayed by Jose Pablo Cantillo and Valentin Orlovsky. They play mathematician Manny Rodriguez and geologist Valentin Orlovsky.

"Virtuality" is set on a starship that is making a 10-year voyage to a nearby star, and the crew entertains itself by using a virtual reality program similar to a holodeck, that at some point, goes haywire.

Fox has not announced when it will show the telemovie, but it is possible it could lead to a 2009 series on the network.

[celestialteapot]

It's alway been one of my little gripes about Star Trek, they never had to do anything overt just have someone mention their husband or wife (and being of the same gender). I'm intrigued by 'Virtuality' :)

[metron07]

Well, Kenny there is now Captian Jack in Torchwood. Yes I know, not an Amercian show but it is out there.

Also I don't remember the name of the TNG episode. There was a friend of Deanna's that came aboard the Enterprise looking to mind link up with a alien called I think "Sandman"? And when they beam over he ends up staying with "him". I don't know if the character was gay or the actor, but I always thought the way that he was portrayed was a node to the best of what a gay person could be. Sensitive, and willing to reach out toward a deep commitment. Do you know of the episode of which I speak? Tam and I always loved that one becase because it "hinted" that as much as they could get away with it at that time.

Rob