Sexuality

Sexuality - In the Colonial Worlds, homosexuality, bisexuality and polygamy/polyamory are not stigmatized and never were. They are normal expressions of the spectrum of sexuality in this society. The sexual orientation phobias in our world would be a complete mystery to them. As with gender, the Colonial Worlds are sexuality-neutral.

Homosexuality

The Caprica mythos is primarily based on the societies of Ancient Greece and Rome in which Homosexuality was accepted.

Jane Espenson, Executive Producer and a writer on Caprica, is quoted as saying,

"Look at the Romans and the Greeks. Perfectly thriving, perfectly mature cultures with religion in it, and it didn't have a stigma against gay relationships. In fact, those were considered the true love relationships that were exalted. The relationship between a man and woman was more procreatory, but the true love that inspires you to write poetry was not that." ^[1]

Words describing sexual orientations do not exist in the Colonial lexicon.

Sasha Roiz, one of the series regulars, says in an interview with AfterElton,

". . . The word gay wouldn’t even be used on Caprica because it’s not an issue. It’s a completely normal way of life. You love who you love." ^[2]

Sam and Larry

Sasha Roiz portrays Sam Adama, a gay Ha'la'tha enforcer. Sam immigrated to Caprica City with his brother, Joseph, after they were orphaned on Tauron. ("Pilot") ("The Dirteaters")

While he was growing up on Caprica, he hung out in Little Tauron, an inner city neighborhood settled primarily by Taurons. Sam hopelessly flirted with the guys while his brother got dates with their sisters. ("Rebirth")

He married a man named Larry. They have a stable and happy home life. ("Rebirth") ("Reins of a Waterfall")

Roiz says about Sam and Larry's relationship,

"We’re a very healthy, monogamous couple, and ironically, in the show, I think I’m one of the only people who has a stable relationship, and has a very concrete sense of what family is and should be. Everyone else’s seems to be falling apart." ^[3]

Ronald D. Moore, Co-Creator and Executive Producer on Caprica, comments on Sam and Larry's first scene together in the commentary on the episode, Reins of a Waterfall:

"This was the first sort of scene of setting up really that Sam is married, married to another man. It was really important to me that they just be very matter-of-fact. That the universe that we create here was not only gender-neutral, but essentially sexuality-neutral. . . These people just don't give a shit who you sleep with and what you do with your junk. . . It's so besides the point of their lives. I just sort of thought that was. . . refreshing and let's just present it that way. This is not the first gay married couple. It's not the first mob gay married couple. They're just a married couple in the universe and I thought there was something freeing about simply presenting their life like that and just sort of doing it in a very off-handed way." ^[4]

Other Examples

Cerberus
Cerberus is a cross-dressing entertainer avatar at the Mysteries Burlesque Club in the Virtual World game, New Cap City. During his routine, he shamelessly flirts with a man in the audience. ("Ghosts in the Machine")

Bisexuality

Bisexuality is not explored in great detail in Caprica beyond the Willow group marriage. There is one scene in New Cap City which alludes to bisexuality:

Chiron is the avatar of a powerful gamer in New Cap City. He flirts with a handsome young man as well as with beautiful young women in his favorite club on the lower east side. ("There Is Another Sky")

Polygamy and Polyamory

Polygamy and Polyamory are legal in the colonies, and are accepted, at least in certain parts of society.

Clarice Willow's group marriage is introduced in the episode, Rebirth. She is married to at least three wives and four husbands: Mar-Beth, Desiree, Helena, Nestor, Tanner, Olaf and Rashawn. All members of the marriage adopted Desiree's last name, Willow. Clarice says she is not married to all of these people. Some of them are just friends. There are others, like Phoebe, who are part of the group marriage, although their spouses are not specified in the dialogue. ("Rebirth") ("False Labor")

In the episode Gravedancing, there is a scene of Clarice, Nestor, Olaf and Desiree in bed together. Jonas Pate comments on the podcast for this scene,

"So this is a group marriage scene that we're all talking about where we see. . . polygamy is not a big deal. . . in certain parts of Caprica." ^[5]

Jane Espenson, who wrote episode, explains in her commentary,

"I love that transition to. . . this two-couples-in-bed scene, which I was actually kind of shocked we got away with. . . I thought it was very important that if we're going to sell this group marriage, we've got to see it being a group marriage, not just looking like a bunch of people living in a student co-op together. . . I was very surprised we got away with that." ^[6]

References