LGBT Stuff... Stahma/Kenya, Ulysses/Skevur.

[Bakku]

So at first I was thinking "Well hey, there's two gay couples in the show. That's nice." And then I was like "Oh wait... This happened in SW:TOR too-..."

What I'm talking about, is the fact that Bioware had promised same-gender romance options with companion characters, then launched without them, adding them in with the Rise of the Hutt Cartel Expansion Pack, making a lot of LGBT fans feel like their version of romance was being lumped in with the slimy, depraved Hutts. (Admittedly, I haven't played SW:TOR since the expansion went live, or seen how these romances turned out, so maybe this is irrelevant...)

But onto Defiance... Skipping over Stahma/Kenya for now and hitting the nail hardest with Ulysses/Skevur.

Ulysses is a bioman, Datak's bioman, and in the episode "A Well Respected Man" (spoilers) you find out that he's involved in the nasty process of capturing people, scaring the hell out of them and pumping the adrenaline out of their bodies to make a drug called adreno. Not a very nice bioman, no-... And Skevur, who Ulysses has had sexual relations with, isn't any better. Despite the whole "Castithans are beautiful" business, Skevur is quite frankly gross, and on top of being gross he's depicted as incredibly weak and pathetic, even described by Datak as disgusting (and I thought Castithans had few reservations about sex)... And THEN you find out that apparently he's a sick psychopathic torturer of some kind, as Datak mentions sending him and his skinning knives to pay Kenya Rosewater a visit. Not a single redeemable quality about the guy. So apparently, this is how Syfy sees gay men and wants to portray them...?

Oh-... But women. The women must be beautiful, of course. Even if they are more into each other, that's just icing on the cake, right guys? Hasn't that been the stance on L/BF (lesbian/bi female) romances in games, T.V., movies, etc.? "Gay is only okay when it's two hot girls and I get to watch or join", like Camile Wray and her girlfriend in Stargate Universe, or Callie and Arizona from Gray's Anatomy, or the implied affection between Mulan and Aurora in Once Upon a Time (to name a few). So yeah, of course Stahma/Kenya happened, and of course one of them had to be a lovable prostitute, with an abusive ex-husband, who's biggest flaw would have to be the fact that she doesn't always get along with her sister. And the other one, well she's one of the more powerful characters in the show when you think about it, with Datak wrapped around her finger, unrivaled beauty and a silver tongue... Except, despite how "great" these two characters may be, you'll notice that both seem to have some questionable morals.

Maybe I'm just in a mood and this is getting to me more than it should. I'll admit that I'm sometimes too sensitive about the fact that LGBT people don't seem to get a lot of heroes or role models in entertainment, and maybe I am "just looking for a fight"... But if anyone else sees what I'm seeing and feels like something needs to change, I'd like to hear it. One of the things we struggle with, sometimes, is remembering that we're not alone and that there's nothing wrong with us. To run into something like Ulysses/Skevur after "handling" the "Rise of the Hutts and H***s" is just disappointing, because I was a fan of scifi long before I realized I was more a fan of Han Solo than Leia, and I don't really like being "demonized" by something I love.

[Mess7739]

You might be in a mood and this is getting to you more than it should but its ok because its kind of true.

"Gay is only okay when it's two hot girls and I get to watch or join", like Camile Wray and her girlfriend in Stargate Universe, or Callie and Arizona from Gray's Anatomy, or the implied affection between Mulan and Aurora in Once Upon a Time (to name a few).

I strongly feel that woman on woman play in TV shows are there to give men more incentive to watch the shows and thats all. I don't think that it was done purposely to play down the appeal of homosexuality between men or play up the appeal of homosexuality between women but done to increase ratings since a majority of men are heterosexual and a large group of them enjoy watching that kind of thing.

My favorite fictional gay couple has to be Aaron and Eric from the the Walking Dead's comic series, their relationship is better portrayed and more realistic than Ulysses/Skevur. I know of a few badass/interesting gay characters from some novels I have and there are probably other gay male couples in other science fiction shows that don't follow the theme they use in TV, its just ****ty that the more popular ones do. I feel bad that you feel like you're being demonized by something you love, no one deserves that.

[Bane_Of_Legends]

Bioware has been a supporter of LGBT for awhile with the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series having same-sex relationship options. Yeah, they said they expected to have LGBT content with the release of SWTOR. There was unexpected issues. After the release of Rise of the Hutt Cartel EP, a statement was made as to why SWTOR didn't release with LGBT content, and why it's only confined to one world. Lead for Bioware said in the statement somewhere that the companions in SWTOR couldn't be made to work like the companions in their other games. Also said in the statement was that Bioware was currently working on moving SWTOR to f2p, as the primary goal, and that more LGBT content would be added afterwards. In an industry where LGBT relationships aren't really supported, Bioware is really cool about giving players the option, and I frown at anyone that gives them shtako about it. Yes, you can have your cake, but don't stuff your face with it.

The SyFy shows that I can think of off the top of my head that feature LGBT characters are Face Off, Ghost Hunters, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Warehouse 13, Lost Girl, and Defiance. I wouldn't necessarily say their views on the LGBT community are bad. They've made some very small decisions in some shows that caused major uproars by gay advocacy EXTREMISTS (there is a difference between saying your rights are important, and saying your rights are more important than others). Most of the LGBT community has no problems with their shows though, and actually quite enjoys them. You can see that just by looking at the comments their shows get from LGBT watchers. I don't think there is a single article anywhere that states complaints about the portrayal of LGBT in Defiance.

Allow me to amend your statement "Gay is only okay when it's two hot girls and I get to watch or join". It should actually be "Gay is only ok when it's expressed in the same manner is straight would be". I'm fine with walking through Walmart and seeing either a straight or a gay couple holding hands. I'm not fine with walking through Walmart and seeing either a straight or a gay couple eating each others face. As long as gays present themselves with the same sophistication as straights are expected to, I see absolutely nothing wrong with LGBT relationships.

You're correct, LGBT do not get a lot of heroes or role models in entertainment. Which baffles me as to why they complain about the ones they do get, instead of asking for more. No television show is made specifically with the thought "Hey, we don't like LGBT people, so let's make the ones in our show the most detestable, vile, low-life scum our viewers have ever seen". The Ulysses/Skevur romance could have been made as a spur-of-the-moment thing, a way to represent gay man in a show that represents lesbian women, or vice versa. Or it could simply be that one of the characters playing as Ulysses/Skevur is actually gay, and wanted to be able to express that in the show, so the producer had to figure a way to do that. I quite frankly don't see any issue with it.

I'm not trying to demonize you for what you love, and I doubt anyone on these forums or on the SyFy channel will try to either. I'll even give you a hug if you want one.

Btw, Luke Skywalker is the best.

[Umfafa]

I can't believe this is actually a conversation.

[Bonehead]

I really liked Perry from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.A lot.

[Nefarious]

The Bioman didn't have sex with anyone on the show. I seen ever episode twice thus far and never saw this.

[3rdpig]

Percentage of LBGT in America (and I'm assuming it's similar around the world) is 3.8%. From what I can tell from watching TV and movies LBGT has a far, far bigger representation than 3.8%. There's hardly a single movie or TV show that doesn't have representation in some form.

On the other hand, 10% of people in the USA are legally blind. What kind of representation do you see in the movies for the blind? How about the deaf? How about other types of handicaps?

Personally, from the standpoint of a straight male, LGBT seems way, way over represented in the American media.

For the record, I'm a hardcore libertarian and I don't give a rat's backside what anyone does with their sexual organs assuming they're doing it with another consenting adult.

[ironcladtrash]

Percentage of LBGT in America (and I'm assuming it's similar around the world) is 3.8%. From what I can tell from watching TV and movies LBGT has a far, far bigger representation than 3.8%. There's hardly a single movie or TV show that doesn't have representation in some form.

On the other hand, 10% of people in the USA are legally blind. What kind of representation do you see in the movies for the blind? How about the deaf? How about other types of handicaps?

Personally, from the standpoint of a straight male, LGBT seems way, way over represented in the American media.

For the record, I'm a hardcore libertarian and I don't give a rat's backside what anyone does with their sexual organs assuming they're doing it with another consenting adult.

This is my sentiment too. As far as it's only OK if to hot women are gay, there are no ugly women or even men on TV unless that is the purpose of their character.

I really don't see why any of this is an issue at all. It really should be a big collective "Who gives a ****?" If they were promoting discrimination then I would make a big deal about it. They're not so why does every TV show have to have some message to it? Can't I just watch a sci-fi show and not worry about what group they did or did not include?

[Umfafa]

Yeah, I don't give a squat what people like in their various orifices.

Just rather not hear about it. It's okay to be proud AND quiet.

[DanteYoda]

I can't believe this is actually a conversation.

That is why the conversation came up, because people still can't believe these things, like its not 2013 etc.. I'm not LBGT but i have friends that are and yeah they feel demonized too, just look at the media to see why.

Yeah, I don't give a squat what people like in their various orifices.

Just rather not hear about it. It's okay to be proud AND quiet.

That there is the problem and what pisses them off..honestly if you didn't care, you wouldn't give a damn about loud or quiet.