Robert Picardo to Florida's gay The Weekly News, Feb. 4. 1998:
"I don't necessarily feel that I personally have a particularly large following in the gay community. But I believe there is a very, very strong following for Star Trek and Voyager. ... I found the trill episode of Deep Space Nine where Dax falls in love with another trill that happens to be in a female body ... I thought that was a beautifully written show and really rendered the whole argument of gay versus straight completely null. It was really just about love. It was very thought-provoking, interesting and ultimately had a very humanistic point of view rather than just titillating."
Robert Duncan McNeill responding to a fan question whether there would be gay characters or a gay episode on Voyager (July 22, 1999) source:
"Robert [Beltran] and I have really fought for a gay episode...
"I don't know. I don't know! I'm not producing or writing. I directed an episode and hired Scott Thompson who is an openly gay actor and was wonderful and I'm glad he was able to be on the show. I think in our own ways we deal with all sorts of experiences and I don't know if ST is a political forum to make statements, but I think sexuality has been dealt with many times on ST and would like to see more. "
The following is an excerpt from the February 2002 MetroSource article on gay Star Trek.
In a very candid interview, Kate Mulgrew, who portrayed Captain Janeway on Voyager, spoke openly about her own feelings on the subject and the resistance she encountered. It's because of its both political and potentially incendiary substance, Mulgrew explains. I'm in a minority as well, as a woman. It took a lot of courage on their part to hire a woman. I think that right up until the end they were very dubious about it. It's one thing to cast a subordinate Black, Asian or woman, but to put them in leading role means the solid endorsement of one of the largest studios in the world. And that goes for a gay character as well. It requires a terrific social conscience on their part and the pledge of some solidarity and unanimity, which I think is probably at the source of most of this problem to get every one of those executives on board regarding this decision, she continues. The culture will force them into this decision very, very soon. I have no question about that in my mind. It can be pushed, it should be pushed and it has been pushed by every actor I know of. And, god knows, I've promoted it. At some point there will be a charge from the community if not the culture itself insisting that such a character be portrayed and be portrayed with great integrity. And I believe that that time is upon us.
Mulgrew measures her words carefully, You should know, very directly from me, that this has always been a very passionate personal conviction of mine and I have been anything but quiet about it with Mr. Berman and everybody else whose ear I could possibly grab.
In a August 2002 Interview with Out In America, Mulgrew was even more specific. Asked by Andy Scahill, Out in America's editor, why the producers of a "progressive, forward-thinking show" would not be more open minded, she said
" Well, one would think that Hollywood would be more open-minded at this point, since essentially the whole town is run by the gay community. It makes very little sense if you think about it. No, Star Trek is very strangely by the book in this regard. Rick Berman, who is a very sagacious man, has been very firm about certain things. I've approached him many, many times over the years about getting a gay character on the show--one whom we could really love, not just a guest star. Y'know, we had blacks, Asians, we even had a handicapped character-- and so I thought, this is now beginning to look a bit absurd. And he said, "In due time." And so, I'm suspecting that on Enterprise they will do something to this effect. I couldn't get it done on mine. And I am sorry for that.