Star Trek actor hits back at Shatner fans

By Michelle Martin | Posted 12 hours ago

William Shatner: This is Captain James T. Kirk, he is irreplaceable and he has a penchant for bickering with his Star Trek colleagues. He seemed to have come close to the same kind of conflict during San Diego Comic-Con last weekend. Among other things, Shatner was asked if any of the new Trek series rivaled Star Trek: The Original Series. Unsurprisingly, the actor said, “none of them.” Invoking the Trek creator, Shatner continued, “I got to know Gene Roddenberry pretty well in three years. He would be turning in his grave from some of that stuff. The statement apparently encouraged some abusive Shatner fans to sue Strange new worlds star Melissa Navia, and she’s not here to listen.

Wednesday, Melissa Navia retweeted one fan who wrote “This ultra reactionary energy that Shatner Stans exudes is so shocking.” Navia responded by commenting on their attacks on her, including apparently calling her “a man, a cow and no one.” None of them are an insult. You can see the Star Trek actress’ response below.

Melissa Navia plays Lt. Erica Ortegas on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the crafty helmsman of the Enterprise. There has been much speculation about the character’s sexual and gender identity, including speculation that her character is non-binary or lesbian. These rumbles in the fandom have helped make Navia a target of the kind of fans who apparently agree with Shatner on the new Trek series, feeling that they are going too far to satisfy progressive agendas or, more simply, “too much”. woke up”. Hence the attacks Navia references in her tweet, with fans insulting her looks and gender identity.

Star Trek is certainly not what it was when William Shatner first commanded the Enterprise or even when patrick stuart took over. From season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery, the titular ship was commanded by a black woman. Same-sex relationships were depicted on both Discovery and picardwith Discovery featuring trans characters played by trans actors, as well as the non-binary Adira played by Blu del Barrio. In fact, by DiscoveryIn the third season of, there was not a single cisgender heterosexual white human male character played by the series’ regular cast. That’s presumably what Shatner fans — and possibly Shatner himself, though he apparently didn’t specify what sent Roddenberry “turning in his grave” — think is part of. some sort of forced wake-up program.

But the most interesting thing about the situation is what the backlash against Melissa Navia’s character reveals about this corner of Star Trek fandom. So far, from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ ten episodes, there has been absolutely no indication that Erica Ortegas is non-binary or lesbian. She did not refer to her love life. She didn’t flirt with other women. She didn’t correct anyone on the use of pronouns. She cracked jokes, pulled pranks and proved herself to be a top rider like previous Trek helmsmen like George Takei’s Sulu and Robert Duncan McNeill’s Tom Paris. And from there, fans detect an “awake” agenda? Why? Because she has short hair? Was Denise Crosby’s Lt. Yar part of a woke agenda? What would you say Nana Visitoris Major Kira?

So if you find Erica Ortegas on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reprehensible… why? It can’t be because you think she’s part of a “woke agenda” to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community because she doesn’t reference that part of her life at all. This means that what you are left with is that you find her character objectionable because she presents herself as a character who does not exist to fulfill your fantasy. She is not there to be the poster on your wall or another deposit in your spanking bank. What if that’s what you find offensive? You may just be awful. Maybe work on that.