Anyone who has seen the original Alien knows that the film’s themes are tied to gender and sexuality. Between the facehugger forcefully impregnating Kane and H.R. Giger’s genitalia-inspired designs, the movie has a lot to say about private parts and the acts that involve them. So it should come as no surprise to learn that Alien actually made history by featuring the first transgender character in a major sci-fi movie.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t established until Aliens, and even then, just barely. Confused? Don’t worry, I can explain.
Joan Lambert’s Transition Is Briefly Mentioned
In the 1986 sequel, Ellen Ripley is forced to give a deposition to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation explaining how her crewmates on the Nostromo died. During the deposition, bios of the dead crew members are projected on the wall behind Ripley. It’s here where Aliens retroactively makes Alien a history-making, landmark film.
The bio for the Nostromo’s navigator, Joan Lambert, lists her as a “Despin Convert at birth (male to female),” with “no indication of suppressed traumas related to gender alteration.” In other words, Lambert was born a boy, and her parents presumably decided they wanted a girl instead. I sincerely doubt the newborn was vocal enough to lobby for its own gender reassignment.
Lambert Was Canonically Born Male
Ridley Scott never indicated that Lambert was meant to be transgender in Alien, but he’s never said anything specifically against it, either. And while it’s very likely someone added the detail during Aliens‘ production, the fact still stands that Lambert was canonically born male. It’s honestly not surprising if you know the Alien franchise’s history with gender.
A Post-Equality Future
Alien fans no doubt know how Dan O’Bannon intentionally wrote all of the characters in the movie without a set gender in mind. Reportedly, a note in the script explicitly stated: “The crew is unisex and all parts are interchangeable for men or women.” He and Scott’s vision of the future was essentially post-equality, with men and women treated no differently regarding work or social status.
It was such a non-issue that the ship’s captain, Dallas, was also transgender at one point. Promo materials for The Alien Legacy, a 1999 DVD collection of the (at that point) four Alien films apparently alluded to Dallas being born a female. With that reveal, Alien would have been the first movie in history to feature not one but two major trans characters.
A Progressive Premise Ahead Of Its Time
Sadly, there was a lot of backlash against Dallas’s trans identity, and his bio was changed before The Alien Legacy‘s release. Interestingly, his amended bio still hints that transitioning from one gender to another is common in the Alien universe. The final canon bio reads: “Sex: Male (Natural).”
In fact, everyone other than Lambert has the word “Natural” in parenthesis. This would logically indicate that being transgender is such an accepted part of society in the Alien universe that official documents actually specify when someone isn’t trans. It looks like at some point in Alien‘s alternate history, the world became a lot more progressive.
Breaking All The Barriers
Alien was already an essential piece of movie history for single-handedly creating the idea of a female action star. Having a trans character in Lambert just makes the movies that much cooler.
I just hope that we catch up with their then-progressive ideas at some point.
News
More Fraser Reunions & Deceased Characters’ Return Revealed In Outlander Season 7, Part 2 Images
New images from Outlander season 7, part 2 tease a Fraser reunion as well as the return of a previously deceased character. First premiering on Starz in 2014, this historical drama, which adapts Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novel series, centers on Jamie Fraser, a highland…
Outlander Season 8’s Surprising Ending Update Comes With A Silver Lining
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon has given a surprising update about the show’s season 8, but the reveal definitely comes with a silver lining for Claire Fraser’s (Caitríona Balfe) final outing. In a twist, the author confirmed Outlander season 8’s ending will change her books’…
Outlander Season 8’s Ending Will Change Book Ending, Confirms Series Author
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon has confirmed changes to the book ending will happen in season 8, revealing new details about how the TV adaptation is going to close out. Outlander season 8 will be the final season of the long-running historical fantasy drama, bringing…
Outlander Season 8’s New Characters Make Me More Worried About The Ending
The announcement that Outlander season 8 will introduce even more new characters makes me really worried about the show’s ending. Even though Outlander season 7 hasn’t finished airing yet, I’m already looking ahead to how Starz’s biggest series will wrap up its epic, time-hopping drama….
Daryl Dixon Still Has Feelings For Connie, Walking Dead Spinoff Line Confirms
The Walking Dead has never allowed Daryl (Norman Reedus) to have a genuine romantic relationship, but The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon spinoff highlighted that the character still has feelings for Connie (Lauren Ridloff). Known for being a lone wolf in the earlier seasons,…
Rick Grimes & Daryl Dixon’s Reunion Is Inevitable, And This Walking Dead Detail Proves It
A new teaser for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live includes a similar speech to one from The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, making a future crossover even more likely for the zombie apocalypse franchise. Not many details have been released regarding Rick…
End of content
No more pages to load