Meet My Queer Characters
I’ve been a part of queer spaces since my 20s. I loosely identify as somewhere on the bisexual spectrum, and have close friends and family that fall in delightful non-binary, non-rigid definitions of existence. Their identities don’t change the fact that they are wonderful people, whom I love, who want to live good lives in safety.
I've long loved fiction centered around queer characters, and in the last few years I've been adoring the trend in science fiction and fantasy worlds that people create where queer people just unapologetically exist, being badasses, no pointed romance needed. (Though don't get me wrong, I do love me a good pointedly queer romance!) It's the continuation of the promise Star Trek made in the 1960s when Lt. Uhura appeared on the bridge: we can live in a better, less bigoted future. It's long, slow, thankless work, but I'm hopeful we're getting there.
A collage of science fiction characters. Stock photos from Canva Pro Lisence
Meet my Queer Characters
The Dementia is an ensemble story. No one is a savior and everyone is a savior, because in the face of disaster it's the collective effort that matters. So there are a lot of voices that the story follows, and among them, are queer people who exist is space being badasses.
Tevita: Artist and activist, Tevita has a chip on his shoulder the size of a deck and he's going to let everyone know it. He protests the unfair housing policy on the ship Destiny with murals and giant protest art painted in public spaces in the dead of night. He also gets arrested a lot. Deliberately provocative he wears his heart on his sleeve, along with his Polynesian heritage in extensive tattoos, whose geometric motifs inspire his art style. Never one to go half way, he's also determined to make a paint that fuses to the walls and can't be scraped away. He's going to make his point and make it stick.
Mario: Mario is a former soccer star whose rising career was cut short by a bad knee injury in his first Elite game. He ended up first coaching kids and then sliding into social work for the ship's government, working with troubled teenagers. He wasn't supposed to be Tevita's case worker after his most recent arrest, but the down to earth Mario ends up holding Tevita's electronic leash when disaster strikes before the hearing. Where Tevita is loud and volatile, Mario is steady. When Tevita is provocative, Mario falls back on professionalism — but he doesn't deny that looks both ways for a partner when he dances at Pride Fest.
Nayeli: In her early twenties, Nayeli has the biggest crush on her fellow radio operator, Jacks. Jacks is beautiful and confident, and she has a smile that makes Nayeli swoon. They talk every day, and during the slow periods on shift, they joke around. When Nayeli shyly asked her if Jacks wanted to play the future equivalent of Dungeons & Dragons (which very well might still be Dungeons & Dragons), Jacks was an enthusiastic yes, even though she'd never played before, and their characters were best fell in love. The catch? Jacks lives on a different generation ship, and the two have not and will never be able to meet in person. It doesn't stop Nayeli from dreaming.
Marigold: A minor transgender character, but nevertheless a lynchpin, because Marigold Gets Shit Done. She's from the same deck as Tevita, and whether it's kindergarten graduation, a transition party, or the worst environmental disaster that's ever struck their generation ship, she's the one in high heels, a full face of make-up, and with a clipboard taking a headcount, organizing volunteers, and making sure there are enough blankets, food, and water to keep everyone on their feet. She's a mother hen and a mama bear, and really, she should be the next Governor. After being efficiently bossed around by her, Governor Salamander is going to make sure of it.
