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Why we need to say goodbye

> In order to grow, you need to say bye to old friends and family

Elliot Chan
Opinions Editor

 

’m reaching a transitional point
in my life where my time with
friends and family is diminishing
and therefore, growing ever more
precious. Yet, the times that I do
have with them are spent idle,
spawning zero growth. We're
old friends—we're family—we
know what our personalities are
like, we know what our opinions
are, and we’ve reach a comfort
zone where we no longer feel the
need to push each other. My old
friends and family have become
content with the way | am, and
therefore, I must say goodbye.
My mother did not want
me to move out. Her plan was
to have me live with her and
take care of her. Additionally,
she wanted me to progress, get
married, get employed, and
succeed. There was no way |
could have done those things
without first finding my own
independence. She wanted me
to stay the same caring little
boy she thought I was. Selfishly,

Where no studio has gone before

> Why letting one of the sci-fi favourites join the ranks of the LGBTQ+ community matters

Rebecca Peterson
Staff Writer

 

read the article three times,

my jaw somewhere in the
vicinity of the floor. An iconic
sci-fi character was getting
an LGBTQ+ makeover in the
new Star Trek movie, Star Trek
Beyond. Sulu, a non-white,
established character in the Star
Trek universe, was going to have
a husband. It felt like I was being
given a gift.

Unfortunately, the next
article to crop up was one
regarding the original actor for
Sulu, George Takei, a sci-fi icon
and outspoken member of the
LGBTQ+ community. In the
article, Takei heavily criticized
the move, saying it was “twisting
Gene Roddenberry’s creation,”
though he did say he was glad
there was an LGBTQ+ character
at all. I was honestly confused
and heartbroken to hear this, as
I’ve always admired George Takei
and deeply valued his opinions.
This is not an article criticizing
his response, however. Words

she wanted to keep me.

The same goes with
workplaces. A quality worker
is hard to find and quality
employers know this and will do
what they can to retain them.
However, many workforces don’t
offer good employees room to
grow. Look at the diligent server
or the hardworking barista; it
doesn’t matter how many hours
they put in, eventually, they will
hit the ceiling. There are no more
rungs on the ladder to climb.

With friends, it can get a
little more complicated. There are
no resignation letters, although
you can write a Facebook message
explaining why you don’t have
time for their birthday parties
or why you can’t go see that
concert with them. Life is full of
resistances and some come in the
form of comfort. Friends are like
a comfy bed; they don’t care if
you get anything done during the
day or if you lie there dreaming.
Friends want you with them, but
in doing so you revert to idleness,
and that would bea great shame.

There will be a time when

can be taken out of context,
after all, and I'd rather not
cast a negative light over what
is phenomenal news for the
LGBTQ+ community.

Instead, I'd like to take a
moment to acknowledge why
this matters.

For one thing, of all the big
blockbusters hitting the theatres
this year, Star Trek Beyond is
the only one I can think of to
have an explicitly established
LGBTQ+ character as part of the
main cast. Ghostbusters almost
went there with the character
Holtzman, portrayed by Kate
McKinnon, but the studio
decided against explicitly stating
her sexuality. Instead, it was
heavily implied in winks and
one-liners, which is what many
queer characters are reduced
to once the script reaches the
screen. A big movie like Star
Trek Beyond sets a precedent for
other big movies when making
a decision like this. In fact,
breaking ground like this is
entirely in the tradition of Star
Trek, which featured one of the

you have to make the decision to
say goodbye to all the comfortable
relationships you've created.
Those moments weren't wasted.
Those moments lead you to
where you are now. But you,
like me, will one day reach this
transition point, where you
need to be realistic with the
time you spend and ask: “Do |
want to sacrifice my personal
growth and potential success
just so I can make this person,
organization, or team happy?”
It’s not abandonment. It’s
merely a departure. They can
join you if they want, but they’ll
have to understand the journey
you are going on will be long and
arduous. It can be an academic
pursuit or it can bea business
opportunity; either way, they
need to buy in 100 per cent. If
they don't follow, no worries.
There are many more people
along the way, heading in your
direction, waiting to say, “Hello.”
So, think about all the
friends within your circle and ask
yourself: “Are they joining me?
Or is it time to say farewell?”

first multicultural casts and the
first interracial kiss on television.

Even more important,
however, is how they did this.
Instead of creating a character
to join the cast specifically for
the purpose of being gay, they
took a character that already
existed and gave him a story
that many who are largely
underrepresented in media can
relate to. Showing that you can
be an established character,
well-known and loved by many,
and a member of the LGBTQ+
community is such a gift. It
breaks down many barriers and
expectations of what a badass
character can be.

I haven't seen the film yet,
but ’'m far more excited for it
now than I was before. In a world
where LGBTQ+ people are still
actively discriminated against
and left out of big stories, it’s
incredibly gratifying to see
someone like me on the deck of
the Enterprise. It’s important,
and a good sign of things to
come.

  
  

Image via thinkstock

Image via http://trekcore.com