If you’ve ever wondered what it is about science fiction shows that lesbians love them so much, you’ve probably never watched one. It’s not just because of those cute little gadgets those shows come up with, or the sometimes fascinating special effects. It’s because they provide us with something that the “real” world and television shows that portray it could still use some more of: Strong, kick-ass women.

Be it Captain Kathryn Janeway, who leads her crew all the way back to earth from the Delta Quadrant on “Star Trek: Voyager”, or Laura Roslin, the president of the last human survivors on “Battlestar Galactica”, they’re powerful and self-confident women who take charge. And not to forget, of course, the other strong female characters in the afore mentioned shows, like Seven of Nine and B’Elanna Torres on “Voyager” and “Starbuck”, Sharon and Caprica Six on “BSG”.

Another show that has had great female characters from the very beginning is “Stargate SG-1″. The longest running science fiction TV series ever and its spinoff, “Stargate Atlantis”, brought us a whole bunch of self-confident, smart and sexy women that are worth taking a closer look at.

Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping)

Sam Carter is the “Stargate” veteran. Part of the famous SG-1, the first team to travel through the stargate to visit other planets, she saved her team members’ lives, the universe and everything more than once with her extraordinary brains. Smart, sexy and successful, she makes her way from Captain to eventually become the head of the Atlantis mission after Elizabeth Weir goes missing.

For a while, it seems that her job keeps her from having a private life, especially a love life, until it becomes clear that she has found love at work. Unfortunately, the strict rules of the military keep Sam and Jack O’Neill, the leader of SG-1, from ever acting on their undeniable affection for each other – with a few exceptions…

(This scene never made it into the show. Rumor has it that Amanda Tapping and Richard Dean Anderson just went for it after shooting a different scene. The characters actually did kiss in various episodes, though.)

Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson)

Elizabeth Weir is an acclaimed political negotiator who is put in charge of the Stargate Center in an attempt to deprive the military of its control over the Stargate. But she soon leaves the command to General O’Neill and instead decides to lead the expedition to Atlantis, the lost city far, far away in the Pegasus galaxy, where the members of the expedition have to face a broad variety of new and old enemies, like the Wraith and the Replicators. When she tries to help her team to steal a ZPM, an energy source, from the Replicators, she has to stay behind in order to save her team and is later assumed to be dead.

Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black)

Vala Mal Doran had to serve as a Goa’uld host before she was freed by the Tok’ra. She makes a living with stealing and deceiving when she first meets Daniel Jackson, another member of SG-1, during an attempt to steal earth’s spaceship Prometheus. She later joins the team to fight the Ori, an enemy from another galaxy who are led by Vala’s daughter Adria who is part human and part Ori.

Vala and Adria

Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell)

Teyla is the leader of the Athosians, a tribe of farmers and traders who have to take refuge at Atlantis when the Wraiths attack their planet. Even though her people are peaceful, Teyla is an excellent fighter. She joins Major John Sheppard’s expedition team as a mediator and advisor and stays at Atlantis even when her people decide to leave. When the Athosians disappear, she leaves nothing untried to find them, especially since one of them is the father of her child.

And coming up: Camille Wray (Ming-Na)

As AfterEllen reported recently, there’s a new Stargate spinoff in the works that will actually feature a lesbian character: political attaché Camille Wray . The show called “Stargate Universe” will start in the U.S. in October and hopefully be brought to Germany soon. Here’s a brief description, as quoted by AE:

SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth.

So, anyone I left out? And what’s your favourite science fiction show/science fiction character? Leave a comment and let me know.