Episodes occasionally touch on progressive-adjacent themes like prejudice and xenophobia, such as 'The Wounded' exploring lingering war hatred toward Cardassians through O'Brien's backstory, 'The Drumhead' critiquing witch hunts and paranoia via a McCarthyism allegory, and 'First Contact' showing alien hostility toward humans, but these are incidental subplots integrated into adventure-driven narratives rather than foundational drivers. 'The Host' briefly explores gender identity fluidity with a Trill symbiont switching to a female host, whom Crusher ultimately rejects, reinforcing traditional attractions without pushing normalization or activism. Other arcs focus on family, Klingon politics, Data's emotions, and sci-fi mysteries, prioritizing entertainment, exploration, and character growth over social justice messaging. No evidence of creator activist intent specific to modern DEI or identity politics, no race/gender-swapping of established characters, and no significant audience backlash labeling it 'woke'—instead, it's celebrated as peak classic Trek for its balanced storytelling free from heavy-handed ideology.