See, what I'm about to say may be controversial. Or it may make perfect sense.
I hope it's the latter.
So.
Isn't Jellico telling Troi to wear the uniform, just a case of mister white patriarchal privilege telling a woman (and one from another culture, at that), that she can't express her individuality?
Most people seem to look at it from the point of view of: catsuit = sexism, sexism = bad, so Troi in uniform = positive.
But...
As others say, maybe Troi has professional reasons for her casual-wear.
Or, maybe, for all Jellico knows, she might have a
cultural reason.
She changes into the leotards almost immediately after the Enterprise's first mission is complete, presumably wearing a uniform until she understood Picard was comfortable with her wearing casual clothing, but she keeps those types of clothes more or less all the way through to Season 6.
We know Betazoids have a culture of sexuality, and seem to have a matriarchal society to boot. My assumption has always been that her jumpsuits are Picard acknowledging and respecting that cultural background, allowing her to, as it were, be a
Betazoid, rather than a
Betazoid officer. It speaks to Picard's value system, his respect for her individuality and her cultural differences.
The only time we see her in a uniform between the pilot episode and season 6, is in Riker's illusionary "future" in the episode Future Imperfect. At all other times, we see her in varying types of casual dress.
When Jellico tells her to put on a uniform, he doesn't cite a regulation. He doesn't say that she
has to according to some Starfleet protocol. No, he says he "prefers a certain formality on the bridge". She's forced to wear a uniform because her male boss tells her that he doesn't respect her being able to express her individuality. It's framed that way, not Starfleet's rules, but
Jellico's rules. And, yes, we can see her choosing to subsequently continue variating the jumpsuits and uniform as her expressing some preference (or comfortability?) in wanting to wear it.
But at that moment, at that point in time, her freedoms as a Betazoid woman to wear whatever she feels comfortable wearing -- which no-one else has hithero ever questioned -- are being subjugated by a white, patriarchal figure who cares not a jot for respect, either culturally or to her as a woman, and basically telling her what to do. Not asking. Demanding.
I find that uncomfortable.
Maybe other's don't?
Am I wrong?
