Why is sci-fi so binary?

I’m watching a science-fiction show called ‘The Expanse’ set about 300 years in our future when we’ve colonised Mars and expanded to life and work in various parts of the solar system. As you can imagine, a lot changes in 300 years. The outer colonies and Mars develop their own culture. Language evolves. Simple hand gestures change depending what level of gravity you grow up in. Music, art, ideas develop around life in 0 gravity or bio-domes. Technology advances so holograms are common place. Climate change forces costal cities to surround themselves with walls. LGBTQ people appear to be fully integrated in society. It’s a more realistic view of our future than Star Trek, which is a shame because Star Trek had a vision of the future that was quite unique. Men wore skirts.

Trans and non-binary people exist in ‘The Expanse’ universe. The creator explicitly said so, and also highlighted how the future is better able to deal with diversity.

We have a number of non-binary characters who use they/them, but none that are POV yet. Also, most people miss that they’re in the books, because we make zero deal about it. - James S.A. Corey

So if we exist, and we’re normal, where are the male bodied people in skirts?

It got me thinking about other sci-fi series. Babylon 5 is set a few decades before the Expanse and Star Trek: TNG. Fashion follows the gender binary but with slightly tweaked suits. Battlestar Galactica? Nope. Dresses for women and suits for men.

Science-fiction happily shows us worlds filled with aliens, transporters, time travel, interstellar travel and makes it seem normal. We the audience accept those ideas without question. We think nothing of a male humanoid person with a crinkly nose, to indicate they aren’t human, beaming down to a planet in a nice suit to then step through a gateway into the past. If he was in a skirt would it be too much for us to believe?

Science-fiction is often used as a way to discuss contemporary issues in a way that is easier to process and watch than the news. JMS, creator of Babylon 5 and one of the inspirations for this newsletter, said that he didn’t have the answers, only the questions. He put those questions out to us through his show and let us try to figure out the answers. So, were are the non-androgynous non-binary people? Were are the skirt wearing bearded people in sci-fi? It’s a discussion happening right now in modern times. Shouldn’t it be represented in science-fiction?

The closest we have in contemporary sci-fi is The Doctor in Doctor Who, which I know isn’t technically sci-fi more science-fantasy. They wore a kilt in a recent episode and looked incredible, and why shouldn’t they? They’re an alien over 2,000 years and not from this universe. Why would they be beholden to 21st century gender fashion constraints?

This was on my initial mood board, I had kilts on there and men in skirts. Russell sort of said, “It would be great for Ncuti to wear a skirt sometime.” But it was like, how do we introduce that? Do we wait a bit of time before we do that? Because it’s such a big jump from former Doctors. - Pam Downe, Costume Designer on Doctor Who.

The Doctor gives me hope. Maybe in a future episode they will be wearing a skirt and that will make other sci-fi writers take note that non-binary people aren’t always aiming for androgyny. If we can teleport we can wear a skirt.