KIRK/SPOCK

The unusually close bond between Captain Kirk and his Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock inspired a whole genre fan fiction (an explicit homoerotic genre called “slash,” as in Kirk/Spock), written mostly by women for women. These fevered imaginings didn’t arise out of thin air. They fed on the subtext of episodes such as “Amok Time,” when Mr. Spock goes into Vulcan heat, and “Shore Leave,” which features a rather suggestive backrub on the bridge. And who can forget that heart-rending scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture when the two are parted? Was there ever any doubt?

JANEWAY/SEVEN

When Captain Janeway rescues Seven of Nine by extracting her from the Borg Collective, a special relationship develops between the two women. Janeway treats Seven with obvious favoritism while acting as her therapist and mentor, prompting some viewers to read a lot more into Janeway’s Pygmalion act. No doubt, the makers of “Voyager” intended to titillate its male viewers by introducing the catsuit-wearing Seven, but the tension between the two strong-willed women also drew an estrogen-charged audience. Slash fiction soon followed.

GARAK/BASHIR

“Deep Space Nine,” the most socially progressive show in the “Star Trek” orbit, featured a Cardassian character that some viewers presumed was gay or bisexual. The proprietor of Garak’s Clothiers often dined with the gentle, soft-spoken Dr. Julian Bashir. During these man-dates, they leaned intimately toward each other, discussing Shakespeare while staring into each other’s eyes. Nothing overt, just enough to set off gaydars everywhere.

DAX/LENARA

The first lesbian kiss in the “Star Trek” universe occurred on a 1995 “Deep Space Nine” episode called “Rejoined,” when Jadzia Dax learns that the consciousness of her past male lover has been implanted into the body of a woman. The lovers share a passionate 15-second kiss before Lenara breaks things off for the rather retro fear of social taboos. Most of the girl-on-girl action on “DS9” would be relegated to “alternate universe” episodes where female characters openly explored lesbian and bisexual relationships. Despite the avowed liberalism of “Star Trek’s” creators, not one openly gay character has ever been introduced without smoke-and-mirror realities being invoked.

“HIDDEN FRONTIER”

Tired of waiting for “Star Trek” producers to introduce gay characters, a group of uber-Trekkies decided to take matters into their own hands. The unofficial Web series “Star Trek: Hidden Frontier,” which premiered in 2000, features a love triangle between three of its main characters, all male. The show takes places aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior—once commanded by Captain Hikaru Sulu himself. A nice little loop in the space-time continuum.