Speaking only for my own experience, my exposure was with TNG as a kid before streaming and everything. It was always on in syndication daytime and late night and it was more interesting to me than other choices.

I didn’t know or understand anything about the message of the series. The more recent movies didn’t really highlight it for me at all either.

Now, however, we watched all of Strange New Worlds, we’re halfway through Discovery and just finished Picard and in retrospect it’s obvious that it’s always been a core part of the show.

Without the prior exposure and context? It might seem a little heavy handed but anybody who would consider it “woke” or too PC is likely a hard-right conservative, not a Trekkie.

My only thing is I disagree with the whole "complete dictatorial police state, but it's cool because at least they're a benevolent dictatorial police state" thing. Like yes every government other than the federation is worse, but just you try to have your own laws and customs contrary to Federation wishes. Better hope they can show up in time to save your ass from threats foreign or federation because no planets or people on them are allowed to have weapons, for instance.

The amount of "Trekkies" I've met who are aggressively for the death penalty

Voyager fans... Never 4get tuvix.

Damn I was hoping it was just the handful that I've met that are like that. I've been a fan along with my father since he introduced me to TNG when I was very young. Thankfully there have been relatively few like that around here.