#adira tal

Imagine, if Paul’s and Hugh’s stories had been about their fear of coming out to their fellow crew. That is how Adira’s story is handled.

Not the most ideal, hopeful, or exemplary premise for the state of humanity in a show set 200-1000 years in the future.

Age, yes, is a difference, and discovery of self an endless work in progress. But, for a representation of supposedly ‘better’ future humanity altogether, the story sets a miserable example about assumed expectations and gender norms. The idea we see play on screen is that folks in Trekkian future still assume/assign gender (by binary), and needlessly call people by such specifications (strangers even). Thus, placing the burden of 'coming out’ still on those of humanity who do not match those certain prevailing gender(binary)standards(or on those not identifying by gender at all, it would follow).

(Ah. I hope I can stop writing about this soon. It’s a real drag. But as of now, the show compels.)

I would be okay with this being just a Stamets thing, even! Seems an apt character trait for one quite removed from social decorum, anyway (As I’ve previously ruminated, too). But, that the whole of the present crew/humanity is shown to be just as set with assuming gender on stranger(s), and then make the 'telling them’ to be a thing of distress, too…

What about the option of dropping the gendering, and defaulting to non-gendered approach? Was that ever even considered? Or was the ‘nonbinary anguish’ so good plot material it was worth imposing these old standards onto future humanity?

Just as we don’t assume sexuality (or constantly call others out for it, in fact), so we should not assume gender (or unnecessarily call people out for it). That’s how I always imagined the Trekkian future to be. Now it feels Disco’s proposed Trek humanity is less ideal, than it has ever seemed before.

I must admit having felt hopelessly lost (and quite cast out from the initially most welcoming of Treks) by this presented idea for a Trekkian future, where kids (and adults alike) still are urged to affirm/correct their assumed gender (or sexuality) to random people confronting them (intentionally, or by presumptions). People, who are inexplicably (still) set on assuming by certain standards.

Which is disappointing for the one Trek, which finally shows interest and attempt in wider representation, and which continues to market itself as the inclusive one (yet while fulfilling that, also enforces implications that these certain perceivable contemporary expectations still exist).

This particular plot line read like an experience portrayed very much from a binary assumptive POV (likely matching many, who themselves come from binary assumptive and/or enforcing environments); giving a dreary image of future where being outside certain gender expectations is shown to (still)be a thing of anxiety for a ‘poor’ individual coerced to ‘come out’ for their gender (because of the gendered language forced upon them). While the one who originally and repeatedly assigns gender on them gets celebrated and patted on back for ultimately being so accepting in the resulting scenario they themselves created and forced upon the ‘poor gender nonconformant’; now a newly revealed ‘exception to the accustomed gender rules’.

So sweet, sweet, and beautifully tender as these scenes were, and as well intentioned, the cost of them was the implication of this being a thing still; ‘coming out’, the fear of it, and the fact of ‘assuming’ in the first place. The whole (adorably sweet intentioned) ‘adoptive fathers’ thing registers very manipulative in a sense of imposing a binary assumptive environment and forcing Adira to confide to their hapless ‘assailant’ in it.

The power dynamic in this scenario should be completely opposite, imho: where Stamets would be confronted for the gendered assumptions, not Adira for not fitting those gendered assumptions.

Starfleet itself, as portrayed by Disco, gender codes their officers by binary (whether human or not… which is a whole extended mess in supposed implications, really). Which nary a Trek has done so uniformly since TOS in the 60′s.

Disco’s presentation of Adira’s story (as it is) amplifies a ‘bright future’, where you conform to binary gender standards, or be forced to ‘come out’ and exist as an ‘other’ in it.

…

What if gender-neutral language had been assumed here in Adira’s case from the get go? This whole contemporarily resonant storyline unfortunately one-to-one recreation of ‘most popular’ contemporary experience of misassigned identity and forced ‘coming out’ would’ve been nonexistent. And imagine what an example it would’ve set! The one example you’d wantexpect needTrek to set: the example of not assuming gender! By default - not because someone is cornered into telling you not to do it.

They could’ve been allowed to divulge the nature of their self and gender at their own terms, at their own time, in individual detail, to whom ever they chose (not necessarily the one most adamantly bugging them for it). Or not let such details bother them at all, if they so chose. Because language wouldn’t have forced them to.

…

As someone who’s lived whole of their live with a language without gender I can only say, that it is an empowering, liberating (and dang unifying) experience not to have the nature of your self be constantly challenged by the whims of others’ regard of your presentation. (One does not fully appreciate it, until someone comes at you saying, that from now on you must regard people primarily by their gender - and good luck assigning one for yourself, too, just so people can point at it). What neutral speech does, is allow one the freedom to be who they are, by their own standards, wholly equal with others, regardless of anyone’s gender or none… regardless of anything.

I fear, that those who will now through Trek learn to regard ‘they’ solely as a ‘nonbinary’ nomer, aside ‘he’ and ‘she’, might not realize the use of ‘they’ for its vital purpose of plain neutral. An important default in approaching the subject of unfamiliar individuals; an all encompassing neutral. Not something only separate from binary, but including any person, no matter where or how on the spectrum of gender (binary included). Its very purpose not to touch anyone’s gender (what or none ever such may be).

Like it is widely used today, in English too. Apparently without many even noticing; non-gendered language exists on current day Earth, in various forms, and English is (still)among the lucky languages to have a capability for it, too. Not all are so lucky. To think that these humans we see on screen - with their apparently indiscriminately gender assigning mindsets - would represent the future best of all of humanity, seems disheartening. A step or few back for those of us, who already see (regardless our language) past this particular obstacle.

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While I obviously continue to be happy that Disco has taken on its mission statement to expand the long overdue wider representation in Trek, I am sorry that it doesn’t seem able or willing to find a way to present their 'inclusive’ statements in a way that wouldn’t imply modern day shortcomings on the supposed future humanity; in a way that wouldn’t 'other’ those who are often othered today.

And it is obviously amazingto see the character resonate with and acknowledge people with similar experiences today; where unnecessary gendering is still a thing build in societies’ consciousness and/or in the very languages they use. Or know to use.

…

I must admit feeling somewhat dry in creativity lately (’promoting’ those dang uniforms is getting increasingly off-putting with this latest stunt of ‘non-binary exception to enforce the rules’), and depleted of inspiration now that these newly set, limited standards rather overshadow the Trek realm I’ve always envisioned; where the humanity would’ve already had the norm of gender variance, and universal awareness of gender-neutral approach, too.

…

Or maybe… maybe it’s just Stamets? (And others after example?) I’d be more than happy to put the blame for this whole gender debacle solely on the dear, unsociable, stubbornly opinionated astromycologist, to 'save’ the implied standards of the wider humanity of 2250 *ha* …*sigh*

(In which case I’d also not be opposed to hear someone call Paul out for it in passing; to clear the ‘fact’ that this sort of thing is not what ‘we the future humanity’ do in general, but an individual whim. Not Adira, though; not their fucking job! Not in the future they exist in. Hugh, actually. Perhaps have Hugh school Paul on some basic etiquette the next time Mushroom daddy does it again. Or if not Hugh, idk, just any 2250 (or beyond) rando who surely knows better).

Perhaps Surely the gender spectrum does still exist there among the Fleet crew(s), like one always imagined. And the occasionally endearingly obnoxious figure like Stamets was just a rare unattuned individual. Not completely his fault, though (within the frames of the on screen presentation, anyway); in Disco’s unfortunate case they would all be clothed in them male/female coded uniforms. But you know, they’d be there at least; some off-screen, dressed in them skants perhaps(**; anything but just a single confused and harassed 'anomaly’ from 1000 more years in the future being the supposed ‘first’ these folks encounter outside their he/she paradigm. I think we can and would do better in just 200+ years, already.

If we’d keep on presenting good examples.

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In case you can’t see, I am trying my hardest to keep faith with the show. Which, btw, has indeed been increasingly amazing otherwise from season to season - as far as I’m concerned. Those ‘otherwisely’ focused surely have varying opinions and nitpicks of other nature, but this happened to be a topic close for me.

Oh, and in closing, because other than the aforementioned, there were things most awesome in this episode, too: the inspiring new factoid of someone playing the piano - whaaat? (At least for couple notes). Keyla’s arc has been so awesome this season! And Hugh’s newly enhanced involvement (that mental health aspect has been dearly awaited since season one). Love seeing them so visibly, independently active. And Ryn, actually, getting scenes with Tilly was so… kismet *heh*

And, of course, that closing scene with our space boos! Maximum sweet <3 I could watch that over and over. (And there was the kiss we missed before!)

Also: Paul wearing a long sleeved shirt under the jacket; right away taking the whole benefit of having gotten rid of them augmentations *ha* Love. It.

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(Disclaimer: while currently the prevailing terminology, I am not in fact a fan of the term 'non-binary’ for myself; it too defines itself on the assumption of binary; which I’ve personally never experienced gender to be, nor myself a 'non’ in support of a supposed standard).

(** skant; the one unifier, which Disco has yet to show on anyone but 'woman’ coded crew: get on it). Hoping for Looking forward to a gender-neutralized uniform update somewhere in the future: those future uniforms on screen now, which look ‘Bajoran’ influenced, might just as well serve as the spark for them shoulder designs seen on ENT jumpsuits, were Discovery ever to make it back, eh?

…hmm, do I feel an art sparkle igniting.

….

(I’m actually yet to watch this arc/episode with local subtitles; interested to see how a nongendered language reverse engineers itself to accommodate dialogue/plot resolving around the complications of gendered speech - likely for the first time in Trek history. Stamets will in most likelihood literally have to say “this/that girl” in reference(s) to Adira, to force the gendered point in there, not so gracefully).

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Art on top of the post, inspired by these thoughts: “Bedeck Them in Your Standards”.

SO MUCH I could say about the latest episode of disco, so many feelings felt, thoughts had. However when the credits started rolling only one was left, very loud

T4T WORMSFORREAL?????

Like, he actually mentioned transitioning. I mean, I knew they didn’t pick a trans actor just for funsies but holy shit. They really did that. t4t worms for real.