‘Star Trek’ Defends Gay Sulu: ‘We Are All LGBT’

The Enterprise is about to get a little gayer this July, and Star Trek Beyond writer Simon Pegg believes that it's a positive step forward for the long-running film series. In Beyond, it's revealed that Sulu has a same-sex partner with whom he has a daughter.

Despite the fact the helmsman's sexuality was never explicitly addressed in the original series, George Takei said Sulu was intended to be heterosexual. Takei, the gay actor who originated the character, has referred to the decision as "really unfortunate," arguing that it goes against the vision of the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Pegg told The Guardian that "must respectfully disagree" with Takei.

"He's right," Pegg, who also plays Scotty in the most recent trilogy, said in a press release. "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."

Pegg stressed that because the reboots have altered the original timeline of the series, it gives the writers an opportunity to do something different with the characters.

"Our Trek is an alternate timeline with alternate details," he wrote. "Whatever magic ingredient determines our sexuality was different for Sulu in our timeline. I like this idea because it suggests that in a hypothetical multiverse, across an infinite matrix of alternate realities, we are all LGBT somewhere."

The 46-year-old writer-actor, also known for his roles in films like Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, said a series that has pushed for inclusion and diversity throughout its history should continue to do so.

"Trek rightly gets a lot of love for featuring the first interracial kiss on US television, but 'Plato's Stepchildren' was the lowest rated episode ever," Pegg said. "The viewing audience weren't open minded enough at the time and it must have forced Roddenberry to modulate his innovation."

John Cho, who plays Sulu, has supported rebooting the character's sexuality.

"I liked the approach," he told Australia's Herald Sun, "which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicize one's personal orientations."

The decision also received a thumbs-up from out actor Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the Star Trek reboot. In an interview with Australia's Pedestrian.TV, Quinto said that he was "disappointed by the fact that George [Takei] was disappointed."

"My hope is that eventually George can be strengthened by the enormously positive response from especially young people who are heartened by and inspired by this really tasteful and beautiful portrayal of something that I think is gaining acceptance and inclusion in our societies across the world, and should be," Quinto said.

Takei, who came out in 2005 after then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation would have established marriage equality in the state, said that he's "delighted" there's a gay character in the film, he just would prefer it isn't Sulu.