No gay character in new Star Trek movie. Perhaps the sequel however.

At yesterday's TCA one of the shows being presented was the new J.J. Abrams show Fringe. Alas, so far nothing gay about that show, but I did use the opportunity to find out if the new Star Trek movie might finally go where Star Trek has never gone -- namely introducing an actual gay character that isn't some lame metaphor for homosexuality.

  Alexander Kurtzman and Roberto Orci

Two of Star Trek's executive producers, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (both also work on Fringe) chatted with me after the Fringe panel. Here was our discussion:

AfterElton.com: Gay fans of Star Trek have waited a long time for Star Trek to finally include an actual gay character. Any chance that will finally happen with the new movie?
Alex Kurtzman: It was discussed.
Roberto Oric: I won’t give anything away and hopefully the franchise will last more than one movie and that can be addressed.

AE: So I shouldn’t be wildly optimistic that this is something that will happen?
RO: True. Nothing in the movie precludes that from being the case. Not every one sounds off as to their preferences in the movie.
AK: But also Star Trek as a universe is about diverse communities. At the core of it since it’s inception was always about that.

AE: That’s what so ironic, the fact that that’s never happened.
AK: I know it is interesting.
RO: That idea is potentially alive. We didn’t kill it.

AE: So, sequel? I’m sure you guys must know there’s a huge gay community out there who [love Star Trek and sci fi] ... it’s just something that has always rankled gay folks all these years. There’s all this diversity [in Star Trek], yet that’s the one thing that’s missing.
RO: Absolutely.
AK: Yes, I think it does need to be addressed.
RO: We’re aware of it, we’d like to see it and your support will be noted because it allows us to go back to the powers that be and go - when we finally hit this directly, you better support it.

There you have it, gay Trekkies. Two of those directly involved with the new franchise say they are aware of this issue. However, the proof is in the pudding and with the new movie coming out in 2009, we're pretty much guaranteed that the Trek franchise will be almost fifty years old before the show finally fully lives up to it's boast of diversity.

And let me just add, giving us a minor ensign who kisses his partner in a scene only to beam down to an alien planet where he is promptly killed, does not count. Given the franchise's ridiculous exclusion of gay characters for five decades, they owe us big time.