The final frontier: imagining queer futurity in Star Trek

Abstract

This paper offers a critical queer analysis of Star Trek as a history of the future. Juxtaposing two episodes of queerness from Star Trek’s canon with the show’s depiction of gay characters in its latest drama series, the paper unpacks the multiple levels of queerness that are at once facilitated and restricted by the show’s visions of the future. Drawing on discussions of queer futurity, it argues for the usefulness of a queer reparative reading strategy in intervening in heteronormative models of the future and opening up potentialities for queer world-making. Abbreviations: ST: TOS: Star Trek: The Original Series; ST: TNG: Star Trek: The Next Generation; ST: DS9: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; ST: VOY: Star Trek: Voyager; ST: ENT: Star Trek: Enterprise; ST: DIS: Star Trek: Discovery.