Abrams on Sulu: 'It's About Time' "Star Trek" Introduced a Gay Character

[CBR News]

Abrams praises director Justin Lin and the writers of "Star Trek Beyond" for introducing an LGBT character to the "Star Trek" universe.


Full article here.

[Professor Moriarty]

I agree but i think they went about the wrong way of doing it.

They should have created a new character that was gay instead of just making sulu gay.

[Doctor Know]

Abrams praises the current director and writing staff for something he himself said he would "consider" doing for STID and TFA sequel.

[simbob4000]

Abrams praises the current director and writing staff for something he himself said he would "consider" doing for STID and TFA sequel.

He is a producer on Beyond.

[Deadxman]

I agree but i think they went about the wrong way of doing it.

They should have created a new character that was gay instead of just making sulu gay.

Exactly or have the Nacelles to finally make Spock and Kirk a couple

[Doctor Know]

He is a producer on Beyond.

Doesn't mean he gets credit for the new team's decisions and directions. Abrams jumped ship from Star Trek to join Star Wars (as a director and producer). Being a producer could mean anything from him helping fund the movie, to going over scripts and rewriting things, to other producers and directors coming to him with ideas and Abrams giving his opinion on them, or just having his name attached to the project. Either way, Beyond isn't Abrams' vision for the franchise anymore. The same way EP VIII won't be Abrams' vision either going forward.

[simbob4000]

Doesn't mean he gets credit for the new team's decisions and directions. Abrams jumped ship from Star Trek to join Star Wars (as a director and producer). Being a producer could mean anything from him helping fund the movie, to going over scripts and rewriting things, to other producers and directors coming to him with ideas and Abrams giving his opinion on them, or just having his name attached to the project. Either way, Beyond isn't Abrams' vision for the franchise anymore. The same way EP VIII won't be Abrams' vision either going forward.

I'm not saying it does. But you brought up the TFA sequel, which isn't a movie he's directing either. Beyond, like one of the movie you also mentioned, is also a movie Abrams is a producer on. Your whole, this Abrams producted movie did something before that Abrams producted movie thing seems like a weird angle to come at when trying to chastise him over a thing.

[Doctor Know]

I'm not saying it does. But you brought up the TFA sequel, which isn't a movie he's directing either. Beyond, like one of the movie you also mentioned, is also a movie Abrams is a producer on. Your whole, this Abrams producted movie did something before that Abrams producted movie thing seems like a weird angle to come at when trying to chastise him over a thing.

Abrams chiming in on LGBT characters being added to IP he's previously worked, when at the time he was working on Trek he said he would consider adding LGBT characters, and yet STID did not have one. And Abrams jumped ship after he finished promoting his recent Trek movie, for Star Wars. Thereby removing the main force for Trek going forward, and his "considerations" for LGBT representation in the 50 year old franchise.

I brought up TFA sequel, because Abrams is a producer for that film and also said that EP VIII could introduce a gay character as well. Abrams being keenly aware of the StormPilot hashtag and shippers. BUT Abrams isn't directing EP VIII. He declined to do it before the script was even finished and before TFA debuted in theaters. So once again, his considerations will likely fall flat.

My intention was to point out that Abrams doesn't care about LGBT representation, so why ask him about it?

[Drz]

#TeamTakei

[caramon]

I'm sorry I don't mean to offend anyone but for me these characters were asexual - it doesn't matter, there is no relevance to it. This is being forced onto too many books, movies etc. If this is what the character is - fine - but just putting it in because that's what we do these days, sorry no.

[Holt]

#TeamTakei

Then I'm sure you'll be glad to read this.

http://www.eonline.com/news/779972/g...een-misleading

This is being forced onto too many books, movies etc.

Yes we're definitely at a point where there's just way too many LGBT characters in movies and TV shows. Far too many. Straight people are becoming a minority now! Or something.

[Tofali]

It sounds like Sulu wasn't a character until he was announced to be gay.

[titanfan]

My intention was to point out that Abrams doesn't care about LGBT representation, so why ask him about it?

Yeah I don't think he's ever had a main character that was LGBT in any of his stuff ever. He's certainly had oportunities. (LOST, Alias, etc)

[Drz]

Then I'm sure you'll be glad to read this.

http://www.eonline.com/news/779972/g...een-misleading

That literally changed nothing what he originally said.

[Cyke]

I'm sorry I don't mean to offend anyone but for me these characters were asexual - it doesn't matter, there is no relevance to it. This is being forced onto too many books, movies etc. If this is what the character is - fine - but just putting it in because that's what we do these days, sorry no.

Whether people like or want it in Star Trek is one thing -- that's preference, and I'm not going to tell people what they should/shouldn't like. You don't like Sulu being gay? I don't have a real problem with that. It's the least of my concerns.

But if it seems like it's being forced into too many things, keep in mind that writers write from what they know, and for a lot of heterosexual people, they only find out that the person right next to them (offspring, sibling, best friend, colleague, teammate, etc) comes out as gay after years and years of being considered "straight." So if it seems forced in media, it's because when someone comes out to a trusted straight person, oftentimes it's a shock. And part of it is the social pressure to be straight at all times. Call it cynicism on the part of studios or producers or something, but that approach in media still comes from a place of their personal experiences, especially from writers who may be ordered to do so, but are trying to handle such a revelation respectfully (to mixed results, but respect nonetheless).

Even without sexuality, if our lives were fiction, each and every one of us would have at least one event that would seem forced or contrived or something like that. We can make sense of fiction, but not a lot of sense out of life. Fiction is often an interpretation of how we deal with and interpret life, and so as fiction changes, it adapts to reflect the society of its time, even if it's set in the future.