Kevin Spacey got accused of being a creepy/rapey sexual assaulter by someone who claimed Spacey pressured him for sex when he was 14 (to put it extremely simply and bluntly). When Kevin Spacey got accused of this he used the moment to announce that he was gay, successfully pissing off the entire gay community as it seemed to conflate being gay with a creep/pedophile.
I am gay. The character Stamets is also gay. Now that’s where the irony would end, you’d think, except one thing. That guy who accused Kevin of that behavior? His name is Anthony Rapp. The actor who plays Lt Cmdr Stamets.
I always liked Stamets. As a gay dude, seeing a gay guy on screen in Star Trek as a main character who was treated just like everyone else meant an enormous amount. When I later found out that one of my favorite characters also happened to be played by the same guy who shot my former favorite actors career in the head? Could not have been more proud. Fucking floored, but proud. Cannot imagine it was easy for Rapp. Wasn’t exactly about to be something I brought up with him in conversation either.
Precisely. The fact he was on screen for one or two episodes before his husband was introduced and before there was any hint of him being gay was huge. At least for me. It was also a long time coming so finally seeing it was just super exciting.
Trek being a window to humanity looking beyond it’s own bigotry and selfishness is it’s biggest appeal to me. The build up has been incremental and a reflection of our own progress over the decades. Quite a ways to go, of course, but at least for a while things have been looking up.
Another reason I loved the show Schitt’s Creek. David (pansexual) just was, and everyone just accepted it. Again, no explanation or apology. It was charming as hell.
I really do have to watch that show. I had a bad personal experience with Eugene Levy so I’ve been put off of the show. Which is insane considering I met Dan Levy a few times and he was amazing.
Anthony Rapp is a goddamn hero. Even just coming forward, being visible, thriving, are all heroic acts in my opinion. Although, it’s not necessarily something you’d want to be known as a hero for.
Also, RE: Spacey’s coming out. I think it goes a few layers deeper. It felt like he was trying to garner the support of the LGBT community in a very “Look they’re accusing me of being a pedophile. But, I’m gay! And we all know that’s the reason they’re saying I did this, right friends?”. When that happened, I looked up his accuser and found Anthony Rapp, an openly gay man. I immediately wrote Spacey off then and there.
I am genuinely and deeply embarrassed that I had not even thought to connect that before. I saw the stories, and I’ve watched discovery and I know the actors, but I just never put two and two together, I guess.
I was aware of the story of Spacey … I didn’t know the person he had assaulted was Anthony Rapp and I didn’t know Rapp now plays a starring role in Star Trek: Discovery
Now I have to watch Star Trek: Discovery
I also have a new found appreciation for @Stamets … thanks for sharing your story and who you are here … in an age of anonymity, that is a big thing to do … Personally I’m proud of you and everything you’ve done and continue to do for this community. I’m a big fan and I’m sure there are lots more here who would say the same.
Wow what a day to be on Risa … I love all you guys on here … keep doing what you’re all doing … It’s a beautiful light in a darkening internet.
Serious time: this is one of the reasons I really enjoy this community. We shitpost, but we also give a shit. We try to be good to each other, and we try to be constructive.
Makes sense, I suppose; after all, the only really meaningful currencies in the UFoP are reputation and character.
You always had to watch Star Trek: Discovery! I’m in it!
Oh thanks <3 That being said I’ve been pretty open about being gay here before. I mean look at the constant amount of thirst I throw Captain Pikes way. Holy shit. Same with being Canadian and a few other tidbits like being stabbed lol
I just watched my first episode last night and I feel like a teenager again when I first saw TNG … I was waiting to see it all later but after all this, and Risa and the memes and you and the memes … I feel excited again. Love you too!
It only gets better. First season is a little rough but second season hits the ground running and doesn’t really stop. It’s a very different show than most other trek iterations but that doesn’t make it any less Trek.
The last 2 seasons is where it really got good for me. The complex stuff they had to do to interact with aliens so staggeringly different from humans… know discovery gets a lot of hate, but first time I watched it, it was what I always wished star trek would be. More believable, realistic, hazy grey areas, way better special effects, cinematography.
Exactly how I feel, although I really enjoyed Season 2 as well. Season 3 definitely jumped up further in quality though. What bothers me is when people say it “isn’t real Trek” or “it doesn’t get what Trek is about”. Trek is about showing different angles of everything. To find and explore new things. That includes storylines and perspectives. TOS is campy and light in tone. TNG is philosophical and friendly in tone. DS9 is friendly but tense and then later outright depressing with the war. Voyager is pretty similar to TNG honestly. Enterprise is… well it’s Enterprise and it’s own distinct thing. Just like Discovery is. You can not like Discovery, that’s totally fine. It saddens me a little but not everything will be for everyone. But saying it “isn’t real Trek” or “doesn’t understand Trek” ironically just demonstrates that the person saying it doesn’t understand what Trek is about.
Jesus … I just reread the entire thread here and I can’t believe what happened … it’s amazing, funny, revealing and unbelievable … I half expect you to also announce that you are going to have @ummthatguy 's baby
This feels like a Spanish soap opera and I feel like the housekeeper that just witnessed it all
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