Sexuality in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

For sexuality depicted in the Original Series, see: Sexuality in Battlestar Galactica (TOS).

Sexuality in the Re-imagined Series mirrors sexuality in the real world, in terms of the presence of hetero-, homo- and bi-sexual relationships.

According to comments from Michael Taylor, the Colonials do not make an emphasis "of the distinction between hetero- and homosexual preferences. I tend to think that in this respect, at least, they’re a bit more enlightened than we are."

Heterosexuality

William Adama and Jaycie McGavin in coitus (Razor Flashbacks).

Relationships depicted in the series tend to be overwhelmingly heterosexual in nature. Amongst these relationships are:

• Relationships resulting in marriage
  • Saul Tigh and Ellen Tigh
  • Kara Thrace and Samuel Anders
  • William Adama and Carolanne Adama (Miniseries, "A Day in the Life")
  • Cally Tyrol neé Henderson and Galen Tyrol
  • Anastasia Dualla and Lee Adama
  • Romo Lampkin and Faye Lampkin ("The Son Also Rises", "Sine Qua Non")
  • Karl Agathon and Sharon Agathon
  • Sesha Abinell and Ray Abinell (Sacrifice)
  • Jurgen Belzen and Rika Belzen (Razor)

• Relationships between consensual, unmarried persons
  • Sharon Valerii and Galen Tyrol
  • Lee Adama and Kara Thrace ("Scar")
  • William Adama and Laura Roslin (A Disquiet Follows My Soul; implied in "A Day in the Life, "Unfinished Business")
  • William Adama and Jaycie McGavin (Razor Flashbacks)
  • Laura Roslin and Richard Adar (Epiphanies)
  • Tory Foster and Samuel Anders (Crossroads, Part II)
  • Billy Keikeya and Anastasia Dualla
  • Louanne Katraine and Enzo (The Passage)
  • Saul Tigh and Caprica-Six
  • Sharon Valerii and Cavil
  • Felix Gaeta and Number Eight

• Sexual relationship between consensual adults while engaged in other sexual relationships
  • Gaius Baltar and various female conquests such as Sherry Bennett, Caprica Six, Gina Inviere, Number Three, Kara Thrace, Tory Foster, Playa Palacios, and an unidentified woman in the Miniseries. Baltar's ongoing relations with Virtual Six are difficult to define, but certainly involve a sexual aspect.
  • Ellen Tigh and various men during her marriage to Saul Tigh (Miniseries, "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down", "Occupation", "Precipice")
  • Lee Adama and Kara Thrace cheat on their respective spouses before (Unfinished Business) after ("The Eye of Jupiter) getting married.

Homosexuality

Helena Cain dining with Gina Inviere.

Homosexuality in the series was formally introduced in "Razor", with the revelation that Helena Cain and Gina Inviere were engaged in a lesbian relationship.

The revelation of the Cain-Inviere relationship does not seem to surprise Pegasus personnel. Kendra Shaw is slightly shocked, but more due to the surprise that Cain is dependent on anyone. Jurgen Belzen and Jack Fisk do not seem to be at all fazed or uncomfortable with this relationship during the formal dinner after the Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards (Razor). Therefore, this is in keeping with writer Michael Taylor's comments that "the point about Cain’s and Gina’s relationship is that the fact that they had a same-sex relationship was no big deal".

Bisexuality

Caprica-Six, Three and Baltar sleeping (Hero).

Bisexuality has not been seen until "Hero", with the culmination of a ménage à trois between Caprica Six, Number Three, and Gaius Baltar. It is uncertain how this is viewed in Colonial society, but since it is apparent that the Cylons model their behavior after their human creators, it is more than likely that sexual acts involving multiple partners is derived from Colonials.

Also, Gina Inviere can be considered bisexual due to her involvement with both Helena Cain and Gaius Baltar (at different times), though her relationship with Baltar is marred by the psychological effects of Inviere having been gang-raped on Pegasus.

In the webisode series The Face of the Enemy Felix Gaeta is revealed to be in a relationship with Louis Hoshi. Flashbacks to New Caprica also show him being involved with a Number Eight. Gaeta's sexuality had been teased early on behind the scenes, notably with the Season 3 gag reel where Alessandro Juliani attempts to hit on a marine protecting James Callis's Gaius Baltar.

In an interview, Ronald D. Moore stated "We sort of always talked about the Cylons being basically bisexual in all formats. They didn’t really have gender roles within the twelve models kind of thing, but we never really played that idea out so I don’t know if we ever really established that as part of the mythos, but that was something we sort of talked about. We pretty much established that some of the Sixes, there was the Six that was in a relationship with Admiral Cain so we know that that’s part of some of the Sixes, whether that means that applies to all the Six models, we just never got into that depth, that kind of detailed stories of them."

Moore also said that "We’re in the process now of starting to think about what Caprica the series will be and what the storylines are and it is something that we’re talking about in our sort of nascent writers’ room where we have some people together and we’re just talking about what it could be and we are talking about it as an active thing, like okay, how can we work in gay, lesbian and bisexual storylines into this and that – it’s just not there yet, but it is part of the discussion."

Practices

Multiple real-world coitus positions have been depicted, including female superior (a.k.a. "cowgirl") and the so-called missionary position

Heterosexual felatio among Colonials is implied by Laura Roslin's statement to Tory Foster, "I don't really care if you have to spend the night on your knees praying, or just on your knees. I want a name." (Guess What's Coming to Dinner?)

Other notes

• The religious controversy surrounding Rya Kibby's abortion suggest that the Colonial faith (or the Gemenese interpretation thereof) contains doctrine pertaining to sexuality, possibly in a similar fashion to many real world religions (The Captain's Hand).

• The presence of child prostitution under Phelan's black market indicates the presence of pedophilia within Colonial society. The practice of child prostitution is viewed with loathing disdain by Colonials such as Lee Adama, who ultimately kills Phelan after discovering this practice aboard Prometheus (Black Market).

• Prostitution is legal in Colonial society, with consenting adult women such as Shevon offering their services to adult men such as Lee Adama (Black Market).

• In addition, the Colonials have pornographic material like Nymph (Scar), although it is uncertain whether or not pornography is viewed in the same controversial light as it is in America and some other cultures.

• The spines of some humanoid Cylons have been seen to emit a red glow during copulation. It is unclear whether or not this is visible to the human eye and could be used to detect Cylons. Nevertheless the real-world metaphorical use of the term "glowing" is used by Colonials to describe women sexually satisfied and/or in love.