So, I'm not here to talk about the plot. The plot is interesting to me, but that's not what has me so moved and amazed by STD
.
I believe that this series embodies the spirit of Gene Roddenberry's vision like Star Trek has not in a very, very long time.
Two of the main characters of the show are gay, and in a relationship. No one makes a big deal out of it, because it is normal. No one views it as bad, unnatural, or a threat. It simply is. People bond. People fall in love. People bicker over tiny things that can get annoying in a long-term relationship. People reach out unconsciously for comfort from one another, and communicate in many ways. The humanity of Star Trek doesn't even think about the fact that they are gay. They have done the work. They have confronted harmful cultural programming long ago, and left it behind.
The latest episode included a character who was a young transman. His being trans is never mentioned. It is not the reason he is in the episode. It simply is. It isn't hidden, and it isn't trotted out. No speeches or sermons need to be made, because it is normal. Humanity has done the work. They have come to understand that everyone's journey is their own, and even if we cannot understand it based on our own personal experience, their experience is not a threat to us. Who they discover that they are is not a threat to us. It is simply the person they are. His pronouns are used naturally. His existence is natural and normal, a part of reality. There is nothing to fight.
Humans are gregarious creatures, and, especially in times of stress, being touch-starved can be devastating for most of us. In Discovery, the grew often express platonic physical affection. A reassuring touch. A hand-squeeze. A moment of contact. Not just glances and smiles, but physical connection. This isn't weird. Humanity has done the work. It is healthy. It is shown as something that has developed over time, with consent, but a normal part of a group of people working together, depending on one another.
There is a scene where a character who is accustomed to being in a position of authority seeks understanding and de-escalation, rather than coercion, in a combative situation. She says, "I need you to understand- I am not fighting you. You are fighting me." She works to forge a connection, a moment of understanding, with the person who is attacking her, recognizing that he is in a state of fight or flight, being controlled by fear, and that the solution is to soothe the fear and no longer be the threat of the unknown. If she has the power to beat him down, she knows that she also has the power not do so. No one has to die. No one has to be humiliated, or have their spirit broken. It is much harder to hate a person when you understand them, and see them as a person. The people of Starfleet know this. They have done the work.
Humanity in the universe of Discovery, flawed as it is, has cultivated an optimistic spirit of curiosity, embracing diversity, respecting differences whilst seeking commonality. Seeking understanding instead of reverting to xenophobia.
Though it may feel as though we are looking out from the dark mirror universe, what we truly see here is a vision of one potential future: this is humanity as it could be. This is the humanity we could be if we chose empathy over fear, compassion over apathy, love over anger. This is the humanity we could be if we accepted that we can be flawed and make bad decisions, but commit to being honest with ourselves about our personal responsibility when we do so, and to learning from them so we can overcome and do better. This is the humanity we could be if we balanced our rational minds with our passionate hearts. To truly grow as a species, as sentient beings, we must accept and embrace the whole of what we are. We must do our best to understand, to learn, to apply critical thinking to the way we view the world, but we also must have empathy, caring, love, and compassion, to guide us towards choices that benefit us all, and make our world a better place. This is humanity approaching the world with, if I might paraphrase Carl Sagan for a moment, equal parts of skepticism and wonder.
And perhaps, some day, other worlds as well.
