The Outcast -- Stardate 45614.6

I have always been infinitely disappointed that Star Trek never really addressed the question of gays in the 24th century. Granted, the episode titled "The Outcast" was a left-handed attempt at demonstrating a social conscience, but it failed miserably.

The episode essentially concludes with the ordered "treatment" of the Soren character's "perversion". Afterward, she/he/it claims to be much happier as a "normal" J'naii. This, of course, echos the sentiments of so-called "ex-gays" and supports the misconceptions held by those who consider homosexuality a disease that can be cured. I could probably rant on, but Tim Lynch's review sums it up fairly well:

In any other context, I could probably dismiss the absence of references to gay people with "oh, well, it just wasn't all that important at the time". But not here; not when the very point of "gays are forced to be invisible in this society", made so crystal clear by analogy, is turned on its head by having gay people STILL being invisible and not discussed in the society we are *supposed* to be seeing as better than the J'naii. And my experience has shown me that if you leave intolerance the slightest hole to slither through, it'll do so and laugh at you on the way out.

Another example of that last, BTW, would be Riker's lack of answer to Noor's point about "those we cure are much happier than they were before." Of course they are; because society isn't TELLING them they're sick and evil and bad any more. That's the obvious answer, and the one Riker should have been able to immediately shoot back with. As it is, people who support "curing" homosexuals by brainwashing--and they do exist--will jump on that. Too many holes.