As someone who likes her, I have to admit I accept the show as a product of its time. We’re about as far away from the 1995 debut of Voyager as it was from the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. Later, in 1975 US military Academies accepted women for the first time. While it’s true a 24th century officer of the Federation should have little to prove regarding gender, 1995 general audiences definitely needed it to be explained to them for the same reasons that 1960s audiences needed Uhura’s position explained to them. It was very much still up for debate at that time. Sure, it can be jarringly anachronistic, but fans of classic sci-fi are well used to that. Moreover, it can and should keep happening until equal rights are established and accepted. That won’t happen in my lifetime or that of the next generation. Until then, I’ll happily grin and bear the occasional sections of condescending writing, because there are, as there always have been, people who need to hear that message put simply and on display.