Lesbian Flower 🌺

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY - S2E2 New Eden

Wow

CAPTAIN Michael Burnham

Space opera characters love to go "real name, real name, fake name". It's a technique loved by TV writers like Gene Roddenberry, J. Michael Straczynski, and Zebarra of Proxima Centauri

The last big example of this was when season 1 of Disco did it & unfortunately made one of the real names Elon Musk & I hope that doesn't scare away space opera writers from doing Real Name Real Name Fake Name. Just. Try to make sure the Real Names are dead or retired first

to be so annoying: sevencoded

It kind of irritates me that there is a broad expectation in Star Trek spaces that everyone should automatically agree that Discovery is a messy show that wasn’t made very well. Even a lot of people who like the show will preface their statements with “I know it has a lot of problems” or something similar. Personally, I think Discovery is great and one of the least messy Trek shows writing-wise. I have no problem with people who disagree with that sentiment and don’t like Discovery (as long as it’s for non-bigoted reasons), I just wish there wasn’t this base assumption that no one actually completely likes Discovery or thinks it’s genuinely good.

Well, I like Discovery, and I think it’s genuinely good.

Party at the Disco

Ain't no party like Disco party cause a Disco party don't staaahp!! 🙌🏿

some of my favourite gays in space🥰

New Years Kiss 🎆

“you’re alive”

“so are you”

This transition narrative where Gray (played by a trans man) gets a new body that he gets to have how he wants is Very Good actually. As an analogy it’s hardly even an analogy at all, it’s just there.

While they specifically say that this technology isn’t commonly used, it’s very encouraging to see a positive depiction of a future where not only does trans people exist, they are respected and loved and they get to make choices about their own bodies.

A post that lives rent free in my head is that one that goes something like (I’m paraphrasing) “In this future the CMO can just whip me up a pussy frappucino during my lunch hour” and that speaks to me. At this point in Star Trek history there’s no reason to think trans people or anyone else can’t get the bodies they want without any hassle or prejudice.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Disco canonising the Trill metaphor was something incredibly powerful. Forget me Not is one of the most trans coded episodes in television history and then in season 4 having Gray be canonically trans and just casually mention it with no one blinking is incredibly affirming of a trans inclusive future. Trans people get to make it into the 32nd century and that’s a message needed right now. Having Adira come out as non-binary was important in explaining that it’s not just a Trill thing, it’s a human thing. Adira’s coming out explanation then allowed Gray to not have to come out from a narrative stand point. He’s just trans and everyone accepts that as has no problem with it. Gray also gets to play with his gender presentation with his outfits being far more androgynous in 4.06 especially (if I’m remembering correctly). Gray doesn’t have to conform to “typically masculine” presentation to be accepted as a man, he just is. 

The season 3 finale when Gray is upset about not being seen and connected resonated with a lot of trans and generally queer people. The only person who could normally see Gray was Adira, his non-binary partner. It is only in a holo when appearances are changed anyway that Gray gets to be seen by others for the first time. It is significant that Hugh is the one to promise Gray they will find a way to make sure he is “seen, truly seen”. Between Wilson Cruz’s Advocacy for queer visibility , Culber’s storyline in s2 with not feeling seen, and the fact that trans kids (and adults) are often forced to hide their identities and are rarely depicted on screen, that felt like a very deliberate choice of words. The first thing Hugh does both in the holo and then when Gray has an actual body, is hug Gray and show him that he is loved and accepted and welcome. 

(And we cannot forget how trans Dr. Culber is. Yes he is cis in text but the writers and Wilson Cruz have spoken before about how trans coded some of Hugh’s season 2 onward arc is. His discomfort in his own body, his guilt for being alive when so many like him have died, his being rebuilt into a new body are all very trans coded themes.)

I know we don’t talk about ds9′s “Profit and Lace” but weirdly, it connects to this transition moment with Gray. Both episodes confirm that gender affirming healthcare is readily available in the Star Trek universe and accepted. (Hugh Culber would totally do gender affirming surgeries. Fight me, you will lose). @captaincrusher‘s excellent point above captured it far more succinctly and humorously. 

Anyway, sorry for hijacking this post… oops…  

seasons greetings from the uss discovery annual holiday party! detmer carried mistletoe around for the entire night and held it up whenever she wanted a kiss from owo. she is a big fan of this one specific ancient earth tradition

Cellist Adira from Star Trek Timelines, 2021.

[Image description: a post by cetacean_ops @.GoodBye that says, "one of the best things that's happening in star trek is when they toss a canonical elon musk fanboy into the reactor core." Followed by a screencap from Star Trek: Discovery showing Lorca falling into the fiery depths of a reactor core. /end image description]