Gay Sulu in Star Trek Beyond is ‘really unfortunate’, says George Takei

Star Trek Beyond’s decision to make Sulu gay seemed less of a nuanced character choice than a desperate attempt to shoehorn in an LGBT character, and George Takei certainly felt it.

Sulu, played by John Cho, will be pictured with a male spouse raising their infant child in the new sequel, something Simon Pegg worked into the script as an homage to Takei, who previously played Sulu and is a well-known LGBT activist.

Pegg and Lin probably presumed Takei would be honoured, but he is anything but.

"I’m delighted that there’s a gay character," he told The Hollywood Reporter, “[but] unfortunately, it’s a twisting of Gene’s [Roddenberry] creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate."

The actor went on to explain how fastidious Roddenberry was in his character creation, Sulu being named after the Sulu Sea off the coast of the Philippines, and that the Star Trek creator always saw Sulu as heterosexual.

John Cho as Hikaru Sulu

When he learned of Sulu's sexuality change, he implored the producers to: "Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted."

‘But surely it’s fine if they take the character in a different direction?’, I hear you cry, sure - except that the new trilogy is set before the original TV series (in which Sulu presumably goes back into the closet?!)

"I really tried to work with these people when at long last the issue of gay equality was going to be addressed," Takei said. "I thought after that conversation with Justin that was going to happen. Months later, when I got that email from Simon Pegg, I was kind of confused. He thinks I’m a great guy? Wonderful. But what was the point of that letter? I interpreted that as my words having been heard."

Simon Pegg has since responded to the Guardian, saying: “I have huge love and respect for George Takei, his heart, courage and humour are an inspiration,” he wrote. “However, with regards to his thoughts on our Sulu, I must respectfully disagree with him.”

“He’s right, it is unfortunate, it’s unfortunate that the screen version of the most inclusive, tolerant universe in science fiction hasn’t featured an LGBT character until now. We could have introduced a new gay character, but he or she would have been primarily defined by their sexuality, seen as the ‘gay character’, rather than simply for who they are, and isn’t that tokenism?”

It's a fair point, but implies that it's impossible to introduce a gay character without their sexuality being their defining characteristic.

Comment from discussion Simon Pegg: I respectfully disagree with George Takei over gay Sulu.