Silence of the Lambs star Ted Levine says he regrets film’s trans depictions: “Having gotten aware and worked with trans folks, and understanding a bit more about the culture & the meaning of gender… It’s unfortunate that the film vilified that, and it’s fucking wrong. And you can quote me on that.”
On the bright side, at least TOS was trying to push other social norms the right way, and they did some good. They didn’t get everything right but they got the ball rolling.
And on Trek: TNG started out with some pretty questionable episodes (especially the borderline racist planet), but it also gave us Measure of a Man, that reverse-sex planet with Riker, and introduced species like the Binars and that androgynous race which I tried to push some more boundaries. Then DS9 went ahead and gave us DAX, who I think in the early seasons did a good job kind of introducing some of the issues with identity that pertain to gender transitioning (I loved the Klingon approach: Dax, my old friend!).
i think that was a “agender planet people” ENterprise had the xindi insectoids, as genderless species too, and a putative 3rd sex in vissian race, which dint affect thier relationship/trade apparently since they gave starfleet photonic torpedo tech.
Yeah it’s a gradual progression but it’s still shocking to see by today’s standards. Like, a totally normal scene will be playing out and then the camera will focus on Kirk and some male crewmate so they can belittle one of the women for like no fucking reason.
I’m trying to get through the show because I started with TNG and never went backwards, but I know my late dad loved the show and I want that connection to him… it’s hard to get through sometimes. I just watched the episode where they find Apollo and the whole thing centers around how the one female crewmate just instantly fawns over him. He like forcibly changes her outfit to “barely there” and she’s like “oh my god it’s so pretty thank you” where any real person would not react that way.
The Klingon thing is indeed one of my favorites. I’m glad ST got its shit together on this haha.
I still think it’s an absolutely hilarious, and likely unintended, stroke of genius with the Binars.
They take the Hat to the extreme, where every single aspect of their very being involves binary in some way, to the point of always working in pairs.
Except their gender.