New Hailing Frequencies

Michelle Erica Green has added the latest of her 'Hailing Frequencies' column at Fandom. Containing the usual roundup of news and rumors, a book review and look at the doings of Trek people, Michelle again looks at the 'Drive' rumors of a Paris/Torres wedding and wonders exactly how complex marriage is in the 24th century.

"It`s possible there could be a quick elopement in "Drive" with a group reception to follow. Or the couple might perform an impromptu ceremony in the episode that binds them together, but isn`t official in the eyes of the Federation. I`d love to know how the institution of marriage has evolved by the 24th century, anyway. Does the Federation recognize weddings performed on planets with radically different traditions, since its members include genderless societies and any number of other variations on humanoid sexuality? For people in far-flung societies, is marriage about love, sex, family, children, tradition, shared housing, shared property or what?

…I`m also curious how much power Janeway might have to approve or veto couplings among her crew, which Chakotay seemed to suggest in "Elogium" that she might. Do Paris and Torres need her blessing or just her presence to make their marriage legitimate? When a Starfleet captain performs a wedding, is she bound by any restrictions about whom she can marry, based either on Starfleet tradition or on the cultures of the couple involved--i.e., if the Trill have an injunction against rejoining and are members of the Federation, is a starship captain obligated to perform a ceremony between two former spouses or to uphold Trill law by refusing?"

Of course, the full editorial can be found here at Fandom.

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