Please, No Gay Sulu

“Star Trek” has long been one of the most popular and reliable brands for science fiction fans around the world. The series has thrived through six television shows and 12 films, with No. 13, “Star Trek Beyond,”  set to hit theaters July 22. There’s also a new TV series set in the world going into production at CBS.

On top of its longstanding popularity (it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year), “Star Trek” has also long been a socially progressive show, tackling topics that don’t always sit well with producers and some viewers. The original series famously featured television’s first interracial kiss in an episode some affiliates refused to air.

“I think it’s really unfortunate.” — George Takei

The series is keeping up its socially progressive track record by revealing one of its most popular characters, Hikaru Sulu, to be gay in the upcoming feature, “Star Trek Beyond.”

Actor John Cho, who portrays the character in the new incarnation of the franchise, revealed the news in an interview with the Australian Herald Sun. The news of the character’s sexual orientation has spurred controversy — although not in the way many would expect.

George Takei, who came out of the closet in 2005 and is an advocate for the LGBT community, played the role of Sulu for over two decades. And Takei doesn’t like the new plot point. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said the decision to make Sulu a gay man in the new film was “unfortunate.”

“I’m delighted that there’s a gay character,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene [Roddenberry]’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate.”

Takei revealed he had mapped out a detailed history of his character with “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, and that the character of Sulu was no doubt a heterosexual who had fathered a daughter from a one-night stand with a woman.

But Roddenberry was “a strong supporter of LGBT equality,” said Takei, adding that the two had considered doing an episode involving homosexuality before the original series’ cancellation. Takei said he’d spoken with actor John Cho about the decision when it was first made in production and made his feelings known then — feelings that were ultimately ignored.

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“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.'”

He added, “I urged them. He left me feeling that that was going to happen.” Takei found out later in emails from Cho and co-writer/actor Simon Pegg that they’d gone through with their Sulu decision anyway.

Now the makers of the new “Star Trek” franchise have been left in the awkward position of defending a decision that was meant to honor the very man criticizing the whole endeavor.

“As a member of the LGBT community myself, I was disappointed by the fact that George was disappointed,” said Zachary Quinto, who portrays Spock in the franchise.

Pegg, who masterminded Sulu’s new sexual orientation with director Justin Lin, put out a statement in response to Takei explaining his decision while also disagreeing with the original Sulu. “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?”

It’s unfortunate Pegg and others don’t see the point of Takei’s comments. It’s also unfortunate creators like Pegg feel it’s impossible to introduce a gay character without it being his or her defining characteristic.

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What Pegg and company have done is part of a new trend with artists everywhere. There’s a desire to be socially progressive and represent different groups long shunned by Hollywood in the media. However, many artists seem to not be doing so in any sort of organic way.

Instead of creating new stories and characters, many want to change characters and worlds already established — and not for story reasons, but for inorganic political ones. It’s unfortunate and feels wrong even to someone like Takei — a man who once dreamed of making an episode with Roddenberry highlighting a homosexual character.

There have been other pushes to change the sexuality of popular fictional characters. There’s been a trending push to make the onscreen Captain America, portrayed by Chris Evans, gay. And there’s James Bond, long a womanizing spy created by writer Ian Fleming and most recently portrayed in film by Daniel Craig. Some fans want the character’s heterosexuality nixed, while others want his gender changed as well.

Good storytelling is not motivated by a desire to do something for an agenda’s sake, but to do something because it feels real and honest. Takei is an artist that recognizes this, and it’s unfortunate his arguments have not been given more weight by fans and fellow artists.

The jovial Takei revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he hopes to take the Sulu character back in some way, by possibly portraying him again in some form on the upcoming CBS series.