
Shatner frequently references the concept of “presentism” when discussing pop culture topics, including new additions and changes to the Star Trek canon. If & decide to make Kirk bisexual to align with cancel culture presentism then it’s OK 👍🏻 by me. I suppose some of you want my reaction to the article from the “never heard of them before & clickbait rules” site on their scoop on bisexual Kirk?

In the tweet, Shatner insisted that this proved Kirk was not gay. In response, Shatner included a quote from Roddenberry’s book about Star Trek: The Motion Picture in which Roddenberry had Kirk clarify that he was straight. They suggested that though the character couldn’t have been written as queer in the 60s, Kirk might be queer anyway. One fan tried to explain to Shatner that people were suggesting that as a man in the 23rd century, Kirk might not be bound by the old ideas of sexuality that Gene Roddenberry was bound by when the character was created. He made it clear in multiple tweets that the character he played in TOS was not bisexual regardless of how the character may be portrayed in the future. However, he said that he refused to go along with the idea just to please people who wanted the current standards of the world to apply to his character. In another tweet, Shatner reiterated that if the showrunners for Strange New Worlds want to make their version of Kirk bisexual he was okay with that. At the time, AIDS was considered a disease that only queer people got, so Hudson knew that admitting he had AIDS would confirm the rumors about his sexuality that had been circulating in Hollywood for years. Hudson never publically came out, but according to, his announcement that he was dying of AIDS in 1985 was his coming out. He asserted that a character from the 60s couldn’t be gay, pointing out that Rock Hudson, one of the most popular actors of the time, couldn’t be open about his sexuality because of the prejudices of the day. Shatner continued the debate with several follow-up tweets. They cannot comprehend that the fact they have the freedom to judge is because of what brave people did in the past. I am so tired of presentism & moronic people who continue to place today’s value systems on the past to judge. Shatner then followed up with a tweet calling people who believe that Kirk is bisexual “moronic.” He argued that the show never would have made it on the air if Kirk had been portrayed as queer. Shatner quote tweeted the tweet, adding a caption about how given the political climate of the 1960s, the time period when Star Trek: The Original Series aired, making Kirk bisexual wasn’t feasible or realistic.

They added a comment about how Shatner had been unwilling to acknowledge that Kirk might be bisexual, and praised Hamill’s “compassionate” comments. On Tuesday, a fan tagged Shatner in a tweet about Mark Hamill suggesting that Luke Skywalker could be gay. How is it you don’t understand the social constructs of the 60’s? Why did Stonewall happen in 69 if all was👌🏻?🙄🤷🏼♂️ It would not have influenced Star Wars & it would be a blip in the history of the Roddenberry family. If Kirk were bisexual Star Trek would have never have happened. When the debate arose again this week, Shatner had quite a bit to say. He said if the showrunners of Strange New Worlds decided to make Kirk gay, it was “OK by me.” However, he also added that if they did so it would be to “align with cancel culture presentism.”

Shortly after the rumor broke, Shatner chimed in on Twitter. Though the rumor has not been confirmed by anyone associated with the show, it’s been a frequent topic of discussion in the Star Trek fandom. The fan theory was revived over the summer when a Star Trek insider tweeted that producers were considering making Kirk bisexual in Strange New Worlds, the Captain Pike-centered Star Trek: Discovery spinoff. He responded to a tweet he was tagged in about his position on whether or not his Star Trek character could be bisexual, a popular fan theory that’s been circulating for quite some time. This week, William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, got into a spirited debate with some Trek fans on Twitter.
