Oh please...

I'm racking my brains here... Who is supposedly Gay on other incarnations of Stargate?

Good btw, tolerance and acceptance for others is something that many SciFi shows/movies have endeavored to portary in their shows. Good on STU!

I am reasonably sure that Dr. Janet Fraiser was gay.

If nothing else sells your show, then bring in the lesbians.

I wonder when the Stargate Universe will introduce the first openly retarded character? Part of the Stargate initiative for the better integration of the mentally challenged into the work force, this openly dumb person will be in charge major decision throughout the entirety of the series.

Executive producer Brad Wright pointed out: "We no longer only depict villains, played by black actors in alien rubber costumes, as mentally deficient, we want to raise awareness for general stupidity anywhere. Our team of highly skilled writers is looking forward to the groundbreaking shift of paradigms a retard will bring to the show."

My guess is Dr. Carson Becket - Paul McGillion and his "Partner" have been guests at several large conventions I attend.

Gay for the sake of being gay, in my opinion. It just seems that they're trying too hard.

Lost interest in the franchise a long time ago.

Oh goodie, some hot girl-on-girl action for the fanboys!
I'd much rather see one of the guys portray a gay character, to me that would seem like they were trying for social commentary rather than tittilation.
Although if you read fanfiction, you'd believe all the guys on SG1 and SGA were gay!

I won't be watching any more. Scifi jest isn't the channel it use to be.

TORCHWOOD USA version lol
omg i want action and comedy not people making out for rating
am prety sure there gonna go torchwood with this stuff

I would love to see these characters taken the Torchwood route, where it's just a part of the show. I really don't want to see this be another example of American TV tolerance. We don't need tolerance, toleration is for things which are bad and need to be tolerated. We want this to be accepted behavior, or better yet assumed, and best of all unimportant.

Come on, Sci-fi (or whatever you're calling yourselves these days you rebellious teens you), try something new and be responsible.

I wonder if that woman from ER is going to be a bitchy and cold lesibian, cause she was bitchy and cold in ER. Anyways you just know one episode is going to be about her having an attraction to a female alien, might as well dedicate that episode to Capatain Kirk, let the lesibian get all the green women.

This is Stargate - not a Chorus Line! 1 Viewer down - 3.5 million more to go.

Why does every show have to have a token gay? What purpose does this server -- none. This has been done to death and, quite frankly, I'm sick of the token gays.

Yet another show with potential shot in the foot for no good reason.

Nice bigotry being shown by the SF fans, who are usually known for their forward thinking.

If having a gay character makes you not want to watch a show before it is even broadcast then the problem is with YOU, not the show.

That's hot!!! This news is almost better than Christmas and my last 8 birthday's combined. Ming Na, a lipstick lesbian? Yes!!! What could be better than this??? But I do hope room will be left for bi-sexuality, here? We guys do have our fantasies too. I mean, don't go casting Ming Na, a fan boy's dream, and then completely take her away from us. I say this respectfully, although it may not sound that way...but I am serious.

Okay, let's see if I can cover all this without missing anything...

I don't think it's a 'token' gay. Gay people exist. Get over it. What's wrong with more realism on the show?

SGU appears to be very character-driven and therefore relationship heavy. I'm not particularly happy about that in the first place, so adding gay people is irrelevant.

Just as there are people whining about the presence of gay characters on the show, there would be people whining about the LACK of gay characters on the show.

'Tolerance' is a sham. Those who are opposed to homosexuality for moral or even scientific reasons are never 'tolerated'.

Ultimately, who cares? If I decide to stop watching the show, it will be because of the quality, not the presence of gay people.

That should cover it for now...

LOL all you people that are complaining and moaning that they are putting gays in to the show grow up! Or better still.... come out of the closet yourself cause you obviously have issues closer to home.

Oh SNAP, they're trying to show up Star Trek!

Or at least they would be, if they weren't so blatantly promoting it like it's a big shocking thing to have a token lesbian character who safely doesn't get laid because her partner is light-years away.

This is Stargate - not a Chorus Line! 1 Viewer down - 3.5 million more to go.

Two.

I dont know whats your problem SOURCE and ZHANEENDRICK, so far all the guys are likeing the idea of having hot lesibians in space, yea give Ming Na some alien lovin, I think the issue is sexism, the guys have no probs with lesbians, you dont exactly hear them cheering for the gay guy. If there is a gay, im sure he'll be the comic relief.....heh heh theres no bigotry just a bunch of guys taking something "REALISTIC" I guess if thats what you want and turning it into something softcore ratings ha ha ha

well i guess we know the changes Sci Fi wanted to make by changing the name to "SyFy"

The potential problem is being able to write her equally like other characters and not randomly whore her out. However, I think they are smart enough to get past it and will probably integrate her into the show well, even if they do give her a love story or not. I don't think Ming Na would have agreed to this if her character was being gay like it was something new to try or for the sake of looking deviant. Hopefully she isn't cold either, because I've experienced enough of Lena Headey's Sarah Connor for awhile already.

Btw, she's my favourite as Chun Li! "Bison, Sagat. All your weapons of death about to be blown sky-high." Classic quote.

An openly gay female character, wow, only every other show on tv has one. Why not try something actually risky and have an openly gay male lead. Not a "trisexual" like on Torchwood, or bisexual, but just a gay male. And not a show that's about being gay. That'd be interesting.

I am a writer, a starving artist, as I haven't managed to get my work placed, but for years, well before it was some kind of ratings grabbing trend, I have wanted to place gay and lesbian...and even bi-sexual characters, in science fiction series. Why? Because it is a part of real life, and science fiction has always been far in advance of controversial themes on TV, but they have largely been afraid to address lesbians and gays until Xena and Buffy...and someone always has to die as a result, as my Mother likes to say, "Because America can't have those kinds of relationships unless someone in such a relationship is punished, by being shown as paying for it...with their very life," she has said.

Why do we fear showing life as it is? Are we afraid that toy sales will be hurt in terms of science fiction series and franchises??? Perhaps the reason why Star Wars can have gay stereotypes in the form of C-3PO, but there can never be obvious and serious gay characters-- is that very fear, toy sales and other family friendly product tie-ins and licensing agreements, ala endorsements with fast food restaurants will be hurt? That said, I saw Fast And The Furious last Friday, and it was over brimming with too many lesbian kissing scenes, to the point where what should have played as erotic and rebellious, seemed immature and over the top...laughable? So yes, placing gay and lesbian characters in entertainment properties, can now seem a gimmick, but it comes down to how you write it...and play it.

The only way to get around this issue with regard to Stargate: Universe is to give Ming-Na's character a recurring lover who is a member of the crew of Destiny...and I would even suggest performing a lesbian (gay) marriage between said couple. If you want to make a statement, and get rid of the "one gay person" per show token claims, well, this is the way to do it...by opening things-up story wise. Maybe we'll even be introduced to a 3rd gay character too, a man, etc.?

Wow when was there a prominant gay character on a TV series in the US in the past 10 years?

Was it not in Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Other than that show I cannot think of another that I am aware of.

Honestly I am a huge fan of Torchwood, the Jack and Yentil relationship is one of the best subplots of last season. How it is written it works makes sense and you really do not think of them as gay. It was more like ABOUT TIME!

So Ming-Na is playing a gay woman. If they write it well then it will work. If not a gimmick.

And yeah she will be playing a bitch, IOA represenative are they not always a pain in the ass?

Correction: wife reminded me of Will & Grace, I forgot it because I never watched it.

PS: A nice story arc could even evolve into the lesbian couple having a baby or adopting. There are all kinds of interesting possibilities, including dealing with a male donor, perhaps a straight, or gay male?

Uber Critic has good things to say - although his extreme overuse of commas might add to his starving. Why is this even an issue? That might be a better question. Does anyone who *doesn't* think everyone but them are going to hell for deviance have an answer to that?

seems some people here arent aware of a show called brothers and sisters. that ne has not only an openly gay character but an openly gay character and his husband...

I'm shocked by the comments on this. I can't believe Sci-fi fans, people who get caught up in daily arguments about fictional realities and fictional cultures could be this hateful. I hope this is all just juvenile behavior, maybe a consequence of being ridiculed for being fanboys. It's sad.

It's about time they had some gay characters. It just makes sense that there would be some. I don't know what everyone is making such a fuss about.

Woot! Hot lesbo action FTW! Let's see them make out. Make it happen guys.

the name change said it all...

I think it all comes down to the way they're revealing it, like it is some sort of big draw: "Oh! Look at us! We have a *gasp* LESBIAN character! We are SO different and forward thinking!"

The big reveal that there will be a gay/lesbian/bi/trans character just screams of this mindet that it's risque' (or deviant, or insert apropriate adolescent rebellious adjective here).

You can't mainstream, or even pretend that you think something is normal when you make such a big deal out of it. You want to portray a realistic glbt (sorry if I havethe acronym wrong) relationship? Start by not even mentioning it, until it comes up in a way that's relevant. Then reveal it. Then move on. In real life, no one tells you in the job interview that "Oh, by the way, we have gay people working for us. We're so progressive".

@Snowkestrel
Yours is the most intelligent post in this entire discussion. I agree with you. It shouldn't be a big deal either way. This announcement just makes it more of an issue than it should be.

And by the way, as a straight guy, I have no interest in 'hot lesbians in space'. If I thought for a moment that it was going to be portrayed that way, I would not watch it.

Umm.... If they were wanting to portray realisitc, they wouldn't be having "openly gay" characters. In real life, isn't it 'Dont ask, don't tell"? Also, having maybe 2 or 3 out of a cast of what 5 - 7? Is that realistic? I can't believe that 3 out of every 5 people are gay . . .

I like Stargate SG1 and even Atlantis. I had my doubts about Universe. So now I'm sure: Not interested.
When is someone going to get the message: Most people don't want to see it.

Not watching it then.

This might kill the show (ratings-wise).

I'll still watch, but there will always be that hesitation, the same that I feel when I watch "Torchwood".

The best I can hope is that they at least won't dwell on it. You know, not give it a spotlight.

The fact that they're announcing that there's a gay character, though, unfortunately lessens that chance, since it seems they're already giving it a spotlight even before the series has even aired.

I wonder why shows never announce characters who are "openly black" or "openly hispanic" or "openly heterosexual?"

And, we're off.....

The important thing about any show is the quality of the show as a whole. If it is not well written then it will not succeed.
This is why Stargate, in all of its forms, has been a success. People should hope for a well-made show with well-rounded characters and plots.

Please restrict your comments to Stargate Universe. We're deleting any comments about religion or gays in general.

If we wanted to see "real life" stuff, we would not be watching SCIFI stuff!!?? I dont need all the BS in relationships here on these type shows. The whole purposs of these shows is to get OUT of you head and imagine what could be. If I wanted real life , I'll watch my wife and 3 kids, friends, work, ect.....WTF???!!!! Just give us some hard action and some good storylines that make you think! We dont need all this charactor drivin BS....

Yes, god save us from character-driven stories. Lets just watch endless loop repetitions of cool special effects. Jeez.

How they will have soap on a rope on the new baseships :)

rkf, NOT WHAT I SAID, PLEASE READ!!

I want stories that make us THINK! I dont want "ALL character drivin stuff" I'll watch soaps or DRAMAS if I want that BS. In my opinion, SCIFI is mostly about action drivin, good thinking stories. Not endless loops of Special Effects!!??. All I am saying is, I hope this show is not TOTALLY charachtor drivin, and mosly what the other SG series were about. Good thinkers and lots of action. Get it??!! :-))

It appears that Star Gate Universe will be requiring its viewers to support GAY lifestyles so I will not be viewing this series. I have faithfully watched and supported every evey episode of every series in the Stargate franchise, but the being forced to view deviate sexualy orianated programs will not be supported.in this series or anyother series . GoodBUY SYFY

"GoodBUY?" "sexualy orienated" lol So much for the stereotype of scifi geeks being open-minded and better educated than the general population.

@TheDoc: Apologies. I stand corrected.

I'm pretty sure the Dr. Jackson character on Stargate was gay so this won't be the first.

@alexthecylon

I don't think so. Dr. Jackson fell in love and married a woman on the first planet that was visited through the Stargate in the original movie. It was a prime motivating factor for the character to come back to Earth in the pilot that she was taken to be a Goa'uld host. I think the reference made earlier to a gay character that was not openly known was Paul McGillion's Dr. Beckett on Stargate Atlantis.

I'm sorry ... why again do I care how they like it?
Political correctness soils everything it touches. Why should SG:U be any different?

Be advised. You have so much as one guy kiss another or give ANY indication that they're in bed together and that will be the end if my viewership.

Good thing ther're not doing it for the ratings. I don't see any reason to watch just because they are gay, and every reason not to. They want deversity... were is the fat smart girl in charge....the ugly gay person...hollywood gays always look pretty, not very realiestic. I don't see everyone in Stargate jumping into bed anyway. Why do we need to know who they like. Jack and Sam (haha) weren't OPENLY together.

Thank you for making the point.

I have nothing against lesbians, but jeez.....does this really do anything for the show? Dunno if I am gonna watch it. Still really peeved they cancelled Atlantis...way before its time.

I agree with you about Atlantis, but I have to say that is is important to the show.

I bet none of the people upset about a lesbian on the show were upset about them flaunting Jack, Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c flaunting their sexuality. They has wives and girlfriends and boyfriends, all of which played into the story.

This is not about sex, it is about relationships.

i personally dont wants gays in my shows but i dont want straight people either
i want peopel doign there job saving the world killing aliens helping people
cmon in 10 years of sg-1 there was barely any love stuff
they implied it and it was enought

I'm pretty sure that one of the extras who we saw for 3 seconds walk down one of the corridors of ODYSSEY was gay. Law of averages & all.

That's it, I won't be watching. Having a gay character just to please the .02% of gay people out there is just plain wrong. Immorality will not endear a show to me. Goodbye Stargate........

What's the big deal. DS9 already did this more or less like over 10 years ago with the Jadzia Dax character.

Um, duh, it was Walter. The glasses guy who does the "Unscheduled offworld activation" bit every time the gate dialed in unscheduled. There was an episode in which he acted so incredibly gay that if you didn't notice it, I wonder if you ever actually watched the show, rather than just viewed it.

Sorry folks. You just lost a long-time viewer. SG1 was a great show. SGA was at times. Why introduce stupid things? Why not just rely on good writing? Gasp! Good writing??? That's unheard of!

that's fine to show that.but what about people with disabilies where are they.

This is all good fun in my opinion, people so worked up over this. Im sure the show will take it seriously and do it tastefully, but come on, theres going to be jokes regardless, my jokes are not hateful more like juvinile, im sure the studios will do the best they can to make it normal, but they got to spice it up a tad for ratings, so bring on the lesibians in space im sure theres plenty of aliens that want to get it on with that chick. And bring on the gay comic releif whos so modest if he has a relationship its off camera heh heh, these jokes will always be here, like I said let a woman get all the alien babes instead of Captain Kirk. ha ha ha ha

Previous gay character on a Stargate show:

Osiris.

@aer: okay, okay, you won't watch! We get it; we get it. We just don't care.

Good. We need more GLBT characters on American science fiction shows, which to date have seemed to exist in a fantasy land where everyone is heterosexual.

For the people whining about not wanting it shoved in their face, isn't that exactly what shows do when their characters are so aggressively heterosexual?

Some of the people here need to grow up and stop whining like big babies because *gasp* there are GLBT characters on television.

This is rediculous! I'm already starting to see the desperation in the writers to try to make this show "standout". To make this announcement to bring viewers is wach!! They should of just let it happen within the story such as they did with Gaieta in BSG. Nothing will ever beat SG1 in this franchise. They are just making it cheap and water down.

Well, this seems like tokenism to me. Why? Because, here we have a show, that long before an episode even airs, trots out the news that they have a gay character in the story. Wow....How innovative. This is becoming tiresome, that now in order to be a "realistic" show, whe have to have a "gay" character. So would it be a good thing to have a handicapped character because its more realistic or because perhaps this person who happens to be handicapped adds something to the program and their disability is just a fact of life. Why do we have to telegraph it. Couldn't we just discover it, or is that not real enough. Felix Gaeta from Battlestar didn't reveal his sexual preference almost until the end of Battlestar. Very few homosexuals (or hetros) throw out their sexual preference verbally upon meeting them for the first time (obvious signals aside). This to me seems like they are saying "Look at us being all trendy with a gay character in our show. Were so progressive. Love us!" I dunno, I will probably watch just because I like Stargate and am starved for some scifi stuff but I hate it when producers do this. I would have liked for them to have made that a discovery that we the viewers get to uncover in a cleverly written episode. They may as well just refer to her as "Gay Camille Wray" as if its some title or something.

BTW, someone commented on not knowing gay characters in shows for the past ten years or something. Well, we had "Will and Grace" and now there is "Brothers and Sisters" and back in th mid 80's there was the cable sitcom "Brothers" which was all about how two straight brothers deal with the fact that their younger brother is gay. Back in the 70's Billy Crystal played a gay character in the sitcom "Soap".

Boy, this news is getting beaten to death. I'd much prefer to read an article/press release that the show has hired new writers! Doesn't matter if the characters are gay or green or have eight appendages; we need fresh blood in the writing.

You know, the idea of a gay character (male or female) doesn't bother me one way or the other, as long as they add something to the story overall (apart from merely being gay, just as I want the others to add something to the narrative beside their particular orientation).

What I find both amusing and incredibly stupid is this idea that the network / producers / morons (oops, I mean marketing) needs to put a bright neon sign (which says 'GAY') over this character, and broadcasting it to the world (BREAKING NEWS! GAY CHARACTER ON THE SYPHILIS CHANNEL!!! OMGWTFBBQ!!1).

It's like, 'Lets fish for some gay viewers, because we know that they would never watch a good (maybe) scifi program unless we suck up to them'.

News flash for the suits:

I don't give a rat's ass about the sexual orientation of the characters on a television program, unless that orientation is specifically relevant, at that point in time.

By broadcasting it like this, you're actually doing more harm to their cause than if you'd just let it become part of the story, as needed. You're basically saying that 'we have to pre-announce the gay character, because otherwise you might simply believe that they're just a human being, like all of the other characters'.

Oh geez...here we go. They have to shove it down our throats, so to speak. Why can't a character on a show just be a character instead of making them gay, straight, black or white?

I'm thinking this decision was probably made by the same people who chose to rename Sci Fi SyFy.

It is irritating because it is a stunt for ratings! If they were doing it because it was "natural" or more "realistic" they wouldn't feel as though it needed to be announced ahead of time. It has already been stated that SyFy is attempting to bring in more and different viewers, this is just another lame attempt at doing so. This just tells me that they have no original ideas for the show, and I won't bother tuning in!

It has never bothered me what the sexual orientation of a person or character is. What DOES bother me is the blatant gimmicky nature of this. This was never about having a more realistic character in the show, this is purely a publicity stunt for the show to more viewers. What killed SGA was the terrible writing in season 5. I loved that show, but it really got stupid near the end and especially that finale?! jeez. SG1 also lost the plot near the end with its bed-pan shaped spaceships and stupid aliens. Its good writing that will keep the show running, not the pre-publicised gay character.

I know this is thread is about SGU but I want to draw on Torchwood and ramble a bit for reasons of which will make (or may not make) sense later.

The problem with introducing ANY kind of sexuality into any show be it sci-fi or whatever is the complete lack of naturalism and the awkwardness it creates. Each episode becomes "that Special Episode") with sexuality wearing its heart on its sleeve.

I love Russell T. Davis (G) and Stephen Moffat (S) but both of them often ruined a perfectly good Torchwood episode by injecting Jack and Ianto's partnership during the most inappropriate moments. (Jack and any partnership really!)

One of the best episodes of season two IMHO was "Adrift". This is a very poignant and touching story of a young man who disappears into a rift while crossing a bridge and returns as a disfigured and incurably disturbed adult. The whole episode revolved around the affects of his disappearance on his family etc. The whole rhythm of the episode was marred because Jack was "having it off" and "acting the rabbit" with Ianto at every opportunity and added nothing to the rhythm of the storyline, In fact it reduced his character to little more than a complete selfish bastard (which is his character, I suppose) and detracted completely from the what is essentially one of the best Torchwood episodes. (Could someone fan-edit this for me, please?)

Indeed, all of the Torchwood characters visited various sexual intrigues in one fashion or another during the course of the series and those storylines that were driven by sex rather than science were weak by comparison. "The Sarah Jane Chronicles", while childlike, at times has more substance and better written stories. In writing for families you have to be more creative and sensitive. Torchwood in series one was at times little more than a PSA for unsafe-sex, saying F**K on TV a lot more than usual and intolerance for everything deemed "normal". (Carry On Queer As Folk In Space)

Season Two had a better stride and tackled science rather than sexuality all the time. But when "Captain Jack" starts flirting there are times I want to run screaming for mercy from my TV - "I GET IT, I GET IT, HE'S FROM THE FUTURE, HE'S OMNI-SEXUALLED, I GET IT. PLEASE DON"T HIT ME AGAIN. PLEASE, PLEASE, CAN WE GET ON WITH THE STORY, PLEASE?" Don't get me wrong, I love John Barrowman but even he appears stilted and embarrassed at times by his scripts. Some of his better moments as a character are within the family constraints of Doctor Who.

However, I forgive much because of Stephen Moffat's excellent "JEKYLL" and his casting of an "openly Irish" character who was portrayed as both sensitive and intelligent and given to only occasional drunkenness. Please remember that gays, Latinos and Afro-centric’s are not the only groups who suffer from typecasting.

Now to SGU. I can't help feeling the gay characterizations being more than a contrivance by someone who feels a compelling need to do this for shock ratings. ET in HD will nod their little mannequin heads approvingly and GLAD will congratulate and say "this is a step forward but more needs to be done" etc. etc... It is all a bit ho-hum really. At the end of the day the SGU Universe has always been about wonder, magnificence and awe, not "As the World Turns" in Space. BSG on the other hand was at liberty to make extraordinary "soap" and social commentary with its characters (Caprica too, it seems) but SG is anchored to a different Canon altogether and to deviate from the fun and joy of that "verse" and to make it all "grown-up" is a terrible, terrible, terrible mistake.

That's why SG Atlantis and Enterprise became so unwatchable for me while Amanda Tapping’s Sanctuary is wonderful fun because of her ability to tell a great story.I'll watch and reserve judgment but for now it appears to be writing by committee with little or nothing to anchor it. Thanks for your ear.

I really wish they had just wrote and produced the show and allowed us to determine what we could watch and enjoy and if a character has to be gay to make a story work then just do the story. This announcement tells us to choose to watch this show KNOWING the gay lifestyle will be promoted by the show. If you live today, it is likely someone gay will be around or part of your life. I had a great-nephew that I changed his diapers when he was a baby die of aids a few years ago. His death was a loss to my family. But to have showrunners and writers require you to endorse the lifestyle by watching and supporting a show that promotes the lifestyle makes it difficult if you are of a Faith that does not desire to be part of that lifestyle.

Maybe a person of genuine faith should be added as a character to this story to attract millions of viewers that would be able to identify with the FEELINGS this new minority might have to the uncertain life that this new program is very likely to have to deal with, I have read a few articles that indicate survival will be the primary challenge of the characters in the beginning of the series.

Dear Uber Critic,
I’m sorry you cannot seem to make a breakthrough with your writing in a media industry that is populated by creative post-moderns of all flavors. Peer rejection can be so tough. Respectfully, I must disagree with your dear mother (Say “Hi” to your mother for me) regarding relationships, death and punishment in TV and movies. Death comes to everyone regardless of person, status, right and wrong doing in TV and Movie Land. Why, just the other night on “Fringe” a woman was compelled to throw herself of the roof of a tall building on to a parked car by a man with strange powers. I don’t rightly know what she did to deserve such a horrific death except for bad taste in winter overcoats or maybe atrocious hair-coloring. But died she did, without nary a mention of a significant other!!
It’s been a while since I watched it but I believe the deaths in “Buffy” can be attributed to heroic sacrifice on the part of the willing and not because someone screamed, “You must die because you are a Vampire Killing Sapphic Whore in a consenting adult relationship”. I can’t speak for Xena as I never much cared for that show myself.
C3PO is a protocol droid and I never ever once thought of him as gay until you brought the subject up. A bit, prissy, sissy and over-anxious, but what earthbound or intergalactic diplomat isn’t? It most certainly does not make one gay. I’ll leave the sexuality of robots to the brilliant mind of Ron Moore and to a lesser extent, Stephen Spielberg.
My son (sorry to inject my orientation into this) has an over preponderance towards light-sabers, Star Wars costumes and all things Jedi. Now there’s a group that a proper psychological study should be made mandatory at your local community college: Repressed sexuality, celibacy, strange rituals and clothing with S&M undertones. Their product is still flying of the shelves as I write. Perhaps it should come with a rating and not even be sold to minors for that very reason. I really believe the Jedi are somewhat gay. I’m sorry but Jar-Jar is very, very, very, very gay, in addition to being a racial stereotype.
But “it comes down to how you write it...and play it.” I agree with you on this. I am compelled by someone’s brilliance, their writing, their acting, their ability to sing, inform or entertain me. I adore Camille Paglia’s writing. I have been moved to tears by Truman Capote’s writing more than once. I enjoy Ellen DeGeneres once she stopped wearing her heart on her sleeve and got on with the business of “being” and “living”. And there lies the essence of the thing.
Gay characters once they are introduced as gay, then what? You would like to see a gay marriage and a re-occurring lover and then what? A third gay character and then what? Your dream will come true? You want gay for the sake of being gay? Most gay performances are merely PSA’s about hetero-intolerance, beyond that I have yet to see that development of a gay character who actually forgets they are gay and gets on with the act and art of “being”. Instead we get unrelenting “victimhood” to the point of stale cliché. Every gay episode is the “special” episode, the pleading for tolerance, blah, blah, blah… What about some tolerance of things hetero for a change? Challenge the stereotypes gays have about heterosexuals.
To be honest I have but a two gay friends whose orientation is way down on their personal list of things. Holding each other up and keeping their jobs, their homes and their paychecks is priority one right now in this recession. I love them because they love me too. They care about me and check up on me and my family and see how we are doing. We do the same for them. This is a real friendship going back many years. #1 on my list right now is my faith in God, my wife and family, # 2 my job, # 3 building a new house in a time of recession, #4 my kids grades. Coming in at #27 is my sexuality whose currency usually rises to #1 on anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, twice a month and occasional extras for good behavior.
One final word! I feel sorry for Ming-Na who will portray this character. She should have turned it down because it is in fact a calculatedly racist and demographically created role serving no further purpose than ratings. She is now the hot Pan-Asian-Lesbo chick who gets it on in Episode 9. It detracts from some of the brilliant actors who signed up for their roles. Though I disagree with the SGU direction I was willing to give it a chance because of the brilliant Robert Carlyle. Not it appears to be a dud written by committee. Get out Robert while you can! You too Ming-Na!
And Uber-Critic! Go out and live your life.

I am disappointed by this news. I like Ming Na from other shows she's been in.

This rings to me as bringing an attractive woman in as a gay character so they do girl-on-girl action to help the show get attention (good and bad). This is also a blatant attempt to appeal to horny young boys who want to see "hot girl-on-girl" action.

demote your program director Sci Fi channel. Stargate Universe looks like BG with a stargate... trying to find a younger audience is going to leave you with no audience...

You made a mistake running Atlantis same time as SG-1 THEN when Atlantis was finally on its own and people were really starting to get into it--- you dolts cancel it in lew of SGU with Lou Diamond Phillips--- are you serious... now the gay crap-- whaaaat sexual orientation should not be involved...period

also--- wrestling...really should leave that junk to USA network or FX--- put the Science Fiction back in the Sci Fi channel-- what's next soap operas? idiots

just to clarify on previous post-- i don't care to see anyone get it on.... gay or straight on the SCI FI Channel... leave that crap to Oxygen or lifetime... give me science fiction

@scifi wire
Look at the "man" trying to bring us down, by repressing our 1st amendment rights!!!
Ok, now that that's out of my system I'm going to say this, Stargate started out with religion in the movie & continued in SG-1 & Atlantis.
And as for gays & lesbians in the show I don't care one way or the other, but... I don' t want to see them in any of my favorite syfy Now here is one thing I would like to see made. I would like to see the 3 Stargate movies Dean Devlin promised us, at ComicCon. And (this is cool) I would also like to see Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin make a rival Stargate show, creating their own mythology of Stargate.

@not liking it
Actually Scifi did put on "Passions" (NBC soap opera) sometime last year, or the year before (I can't remember).

This is not about tolerance or acceptance. This is a blatant stunt to get ratings.

If Sci Fi ACTUALLY gave a frak about tolerance & acceptance, then Gaeta from Battlestar Galactica would have been revealed as gay a lot earlier on as opposed to midway through the final season... and on TV rather than just a few-minutes-long webisode. If Sci Fi cared about diversity & inclusivity, then they actually WOULD HAVE REVEALED that there previously were gay characters in the Stargate franchise while the previous 2 shows were being aired. How easy it must be to backpedal.

Face it; Sci Fi is just trying to entice the ECW viewers over into watching other programs like Stargate: Universe with the hope that maybe, just maybe, they'll see attractive women kissing each other.

I won't be watching your gay show.

Ugh. Huge SG1/SGA fan.

The best relationships on shows are the ones like Jack & Samantha whose interests always fall out of step with each other, or they're so committed to what they're doing, they know they can't have a relationship, but their feelings don't go away. I know openly gay people - have one in my family. This feels and sounds forced & contrived.

Wanna do something different? When Gray's Anatomy started out, one of the characters was an openly devout Christian. Imagine putting someone who'se beliefs are strong, well-meaning, self-sacrificng and loving (maybe even Christ-like) in a place where they have to come to terms with the "fact" that the universe is densely popluated. How would Sci-fi treat the "perfect" Christian? How would this person treat their peer characters? How would they change over time? How would they change others?

It seems like a lot of shows have been trying to cross the spiritual threshhold lately, some really well.

One other comment - I'm a huge Star Trek fan. I've watched every series and only ever lost interest in one. Deep Space Nine. It wasn't because of Jadzia Dax...it was because being stuck in space with a bunch of cranky people is boring...like a dreary job.

Please, please, don't make a new & improved DS9.

Great. The L Word in Space. I'll give it a few episodes. The minute it gets preachy I'm out.

What I can't believe is the comment about them aiming for a "younger audience", as it is perfectly obvious by these comments that they already have a young audience. I find it hard to accept that someone could get to my age and be as bigoted as some of you lot are....hence my decision to decide the majority of you are nothing but kids. That's right....kids....starved of the years you need to realise that people are people...whoever they cuddle up to at night.

And here was I thinking Science Fiction was a draw for rational, intelligent people that think outside of the box...a step up from the sheep that watch reality TV shows by the dozen. I guess I was wrong.

That is so disappointing. I was looking forward to this show. My kids liked to watch the others series with me, but now it looks like it won't be coming on in my home. Shame on you SciFi.

I too am heartbroken to hear this coming from my favorite series on television. We also watch Stargate SG1 & Atlantis as a family. Yes, we have to fast forward through some of the Wraith or Go'aould scenes; but other that we loved the characters and the storylines. We have watched each one many, many times.

The very thought that they are going to ruin the "Stargate" name for a lifestyle choice is unthinkable. I sincerely hope along with many others, that they will change their plans and let the other lifestlye shows exploit this lifestlye. Keep it away from an established series that stands on its own merit.

Both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were very successful each in their own right, for very good reasons. We as fans, have been looking forward to Universe as a continuation of the story and to seeing our favorite characters. Both shows would be very successful if allowed to come back. So what, if it costs a little more money. They have proved they are worth it.

I 'm not watching !!!

The reason I got into this show to begin with, was the lighthearted fun and action of it. Too many shows now are shoving the homosexual agenda down our throats, and that is why we no longer watch anything but DVDs in my home. Stargate was my FAVORITE show ever, and it makes me sad that they are alienating people with moral values.
So really- you guys just went from setting yourselves apart with a quality show.... to being just like every other immoral program out there. Very sad.

These comments are more unbelievable than the idea of a Stargate. The ignorance and bigotry and religion-fueled stupidity that I have read amongst these so-called science fiction fans is a billion light years more shocking than the idea of (horrors!) a gay character on a television series.

You ridiculous parents who want to shield your children from "immoral lifestyles" are going to be highly dissapointed when many of those kids you want to shelter the world from turn out to be GAY. You are the same parents that cause gay youth to hate themselves because of what they are, and in many cases to commit suicide over not fitting in with your ignorant expectations.

Thank God that we are finally starting to provide young people with positive role models, and to convey to society that in every genre, science fiction or drama or anything else, there are gay people who have gay relationships and are allowed to participate in the fun of protecting the world from aliens. What we really need protecting from is the misguided and dangerous attitude that so many of these viewers have that gay people have no right to be a part of "their" entertainment.

Get over it. Sy-Fy should be tremendously applauded for its decision to base its characters on real life, and not on two dimensional, "family friendly" stick figures. Go to church if you want fairy tales for your children that pretend gay people don't exist. But if you want good science fiction based on real science, you finally have options available.

I cant believe this! Thier are less black in scifi that make up 13% of the population and 14% latino and you dont see use in SCi FI in those number and what 4% gay or bi-sexual, Yeah token and wrong! I had my daughter DDR it but, guest where not going to watch it. make that one less viewer.

So this is what it has come to. We have one group who, under the guise of "equality, tolerance, and acceptance", is going to extreme lengths to promote all this 'diversity' in race and sexual preference by intentionally writing storylines or hiring actors simply because of their minority status as black, brown, gay, or bi.

And then we have the other group who prefers that we treat all people as equals, ignore race and sexual preferences as if they didn't exist and actually hire people or write storylines BASED ON THEIR QUALIFICATIONS/QUALITY ADDED TO THE STORY.

Now you tell me, which of these groups is really furthering equality? Is it the group who insists on segregating people at every turn in order to push their twisted and forced view of "diversity" on everyone else, or is it the group who would ignore all of that and look at the skills of hte individual instead of judging every book by its cover? Until we stop placing minorities on special pedastuls, they will never fit into society and will never be seen as equals in everyone's eyes. They will simply be seen as the tokens they are being used for by the so called 'tolerant left'.

Oh please! This use to be a family friendly show and now they are just turning into nothing but porn. I don't want to see sexually explicit stuff gay or otherwise. I use to be able to watch Stargate on Friday night with the whole family. Now I will be afraid to even turn it on. The writers here have just gotten plain lazy and ruined something good. They use the word "REAL" but there is nothing real about it. And frankly it's SCI FI ...I don't want real! I want my old Stargate BACK! With witty dialogue and entertaining dialogue. This world reallt needs to spend a whole lot less time thinking about sex hedro or otherwise. Writers are just clearly trying to appeal to men's sexual fantasies. I think we ALL should be offended by this no matter what our preferences.