Star Trek has a pretty good record when it comes to inclusivity but an openly gay main character is new for a Star Trek film and the news was met with a generally positive reaction especially from LGBT groups. George Takei, the 79 year old Star Trek actor best known for playing Sulu in the original series and movies, wasn't so happy.
Ironically the decision was meant as a tribute to Takei who came out as being a homosexual in 2005 and in 2008 married his partner, Brad Altman. Takei has spoken many times about his need to hide his sexuality for so long so as to not destroy his television career, you would therefore perhaps expect Takei to be thrilled at the decision rather than be disappointed about it.
Whilst Takei has said he is "delighted that there's a gay character" his objection is because Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was exhaustive in conceiving his Star Trek characters, and he had always envisioned Sulu as heterosexual, despite there not being any real signs of his sexual orientation on screen. Takei therefore feels that this is "a twisting of Gene's creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it's really unfortunate".
Takei claims he had discussed the idea of exploring sexual orientation in Star Trek and that Roddenberry was "a strong supporter of LGBT equality, but he said he had been pushing the envelope and walking a very tight rope - and if he pushed too hard, the show would not be on the air"
Takei first learned of what he perceived to be a change in Sulu's sexuality last year when he was contacted by John Cho, the 44 year old actor who plays Sulu in the reboot movies. Takei immediately petitioned the writers of Star Trek: Beyond to keep Sulu as he was and to introduce a new homosexual character instead.
"I told him, 'Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted'."
Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin later contacted Takei to discuss the subject and Takei again stated his case, Takei believes that following this writer Simon Pegg, who also plays Scotty in the reboot movies and originally came up with the idea of having Sulu be married to a male as a tribute to Takei, had changed his mind. Sometime after though Cho once more got in contact with Takei asking for his advice as to what he should say on the subject during the Star Trek Beyond press tour, Takei was not impressed.
Takei and Pegg have clashed over Sulu's sexual orientation."After that conversation with Justin... I interpreted that as my words having been heard." Takei told the Hollywood Reporter, "I really tried to work with these people when at long last the issue of gay equality was going to be addressed."In a statement released to The Guardian, Simon Pegg, responded to Takei's views "I must respectfully disagree with him" said Pegg. "He's right, it is unfortunate - it's unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn't featured an LGBT character until now." "We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the 'gay character', rather than simply for who they are, and isn't that tokenism?" "Justin Lin, Doug Jung and I loved the idea of it being someone we already knew because the audience have a pre-existing opinion of that character as a human being, unaffected by any prejudice. Their sexual orientation is just one of many personal aspects, not the defining characteristic." "Also, the audience would infer that there has been an LGBT presence in the Trek Universe from the beginning (at least in the Kelvin timeline), that a gay hero isn't something new or strange." "It's also important to note that at no point do we suggest that our Sulu was ever closeted, why would he need to be? It's just hasn't come up before."
Over the past year an increasing number of fictional characters have been re-envisioned in the name of inclusivity, Takei brings up a good point about whether the original creator's wishes for a character should be respected or if traditional characters should be re-imagined to better reflect the make up of society today. Equally Pegg makes a good point that Sulu's sexuality has never been discussed before so this doesn't necessarily represent a change to the character.
What do you think about the decision to make the character of Sulu gay? Should fictional creations stay as originally created or is it important to celebrate diversity and inclusivity with established characters? Are you team Takei or team Pegg?
