#i was insanely flamboyant when I was in the closet I just wasn't openly homosexual

[rainbowresurrection]

I get that a lot of ppl think that The ClosetTM wouldn't exist in the future and thus Spock would never be in one.

But it's implied, at least in TOS, that there are areas of Vulcan culture that are ironically more rigid than modern human cultures, most notably regarding sexuality and gender roles. It stands to reason that concepts of homosexuality could still be taboo on certain planets, the same way certain Future ProblemsTM in Star Trek are also taboo (and usually allegorical references to present-day issues).

Especially when factoring in shit like Amok Time and even the implications of Shore Leave, written by a queer dude who was frequently injecting *repressed* male sexuality into storylines (a defining characteristic of Spock in the original series).

I mean, it's legitimate to interpret him as an openly queer alien absolutely, but I feel like denying the opportunity to explore his struggles through a closeted lens limits the scope of queer topics that can be discussed by and through the character, especially given the fact that the climax of his character arc in The Motion Picture is Spock accepting himself and realizing that it is okay to love (everyone, but Captain Kirk in particular for some reason!). And I think it's okay to relate to the denial of his emotions in a very gay way.

I also think that there are misconceptions around closeted gay male behavior which adds to the funk of the issue. Anyway that's my gay guy ramble for the night