After CBS’ announcement that a new Star Trek series is planned for 2017, a new petition from The Queer Frontier is asking the network to put an LGBT character in the captain’s chair.
“Star Trek has an incredible, indelible, history spanning 50 years on television and in cinema. It’s a history that includes five captains, six TV series spanning 726 episodes, 12 movies and more than 40 starring characters. Yet not once have we seen an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) character in a starring role,” the petition reads.
While LGBT characters have gotten the nod and wink treatment from the venerated sci-fi show, queer fans have had to read inbetween the lines to see themselves – and their issues – in the storylines. The show broke new ground by showing the first inter-racial kiss on network television and have historically put female and black cast members in leading roles, but activists say the show’s lack of LGBT characters has put it at odds with its history of civil rights leadership.
By Bil Browning – Full Story at LGBTQ Nation