Summary
Star Trekis the IP that was always seen as a progressive force in media, and its early subject matter reflected the contemporary Civil Rights movement. The franchise has shown how humans can get past the unnecessary squabbles that come from differences, be they race, gender, artificial intelligence, or sexual orientation.
While there was very little LGBTQ+ representation in the originalStar Trek, later series and films have introduced a plethora of LGBTQ+ characters. Many fans of the franchise have pointed to these characters as very important for the development ofStar Trek, their journeys, and overall LGBTQ+ acceptance.
Updated on June 8th, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose:It used to be that television shows of the 20th Century had to be PG and water down any hint of sexuality. It was considered risque for Fred and Wilma Flinstone to sleep in the same bed. Which is why the original Star Trek resonated so deeply with audiences, with daring scripts that included interracial kisses and women in positions of leadership. Now that the Star Trek franchise has evolved beyond the tiresome “family-friendly” tone that hampered the first few years of The Next Generation and the movies of the early 21st Century, it’s nice to see more LGBTQ+ representation in new shows from the IP. LGBTQ+ characters are nothing new to Trek, but to take note of their long history exploring the final frontier, this list has been updated to highlight a few more LGBTQ+ characters from Star Trek’s history.
12Jadzia Dax
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
InDeep Space Nine,Jadzia Daxis a Trill, a species that combines with non-binary symbionts with remarkably long lives. While Jadzia identifies as female, her symbiont has previously combined with male bodies as well. This leads to a tender moment when Jadzia’s symbiont recognizes a former lover, a symbiont who combinedwith Lenara Kahn.
This leads to the first same-sex kiss in theStar Trekfranchise. Unfortunately, the couple can’t re-ignite their romance due to other taboos in the Trill culture. Jadzia would also end up marrying Worf, and the show explored the possibilities of an inter-species relationship instead.
11Hikaru Sulu
Star Trek: 2009 - The Kelvin Timeline
TheEnterprisehelmsmaninThe Original Series,Sulu’ssexual orientation became the topic of discussion after actor George Takei publicly announced he was gay in 2005. In the Kelvin timeline films, John Cho’s version of the character is the first in the IP to be explicitly introduced as gay in a brief scene inStar Trek: Beyond.
Many criticized how brief the scene was, as it was not “really representative,” and even George Takei claimed it didn’t fit with Gene Roddenberry’s original vision for the character. However, many LGBTQ+Star Trekfans pointed to that moment as the first time they saw any form of representation in the franchise. Many also believed that it would lead to bigger roles for the LGBTQ+ community in the future, and it did.
10Paul Stamets
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discoverypushed the boundaries of LGBTQ+ representation and exploration. There were hints in other series, andDeep Space Nineused Trills to attempt representation.Star Trek: Discovery, though, introduced no fewer than five LGBTQ+ characters. The most prominent among them isChief Engineer Paul Stamets.
Played by openly gay actor Anthony Rapp, Stamets is integral in saving the crew several times throughout the series. In a committed relationship with the ship’s doctor, Hugh Culber, he represents one of the higher-ranking LGBTQ+ officers. Changes in society and the move to streaming services have allowed for more LGBTQ+ representation going forward.
9Captain Angel
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Almost all of the characters brought to life by Jesse James Keitel are non-binary, going back to the showBig Skyin 2020.Captain Angel, the antagonist of the episode named after their ship, “The Serene Squall”, usually concerns themself with piracy, but they gets involved in a kidnapping hostage-swap conspiracy engineered by Sybok, Spock’s estranged half-brother, who is trying to bust out of Vulcan custody.
Sybok is the main antagonist in the movieStar Trek V: The Final Frontier, which takes place several decades after this episode. He enlists Angel to impersonate a Starfleet doctor who’s been marooned in an attempt to infiltrate theEnterprise, grab Spock, and hold him hostage in exchange for freeing Sybok.The plan goes sourthanks to the quick thinking of Captain Pike, and Angel is taken into custody along with their crew to fight another day.
8Dr. Hugh Culber
The other half of the captivating couple onDiscovery,Dr. Culberis played another member of the LGBTQ+ community, Wilson Cruz. Culber was tragically killed by a Klingon but was inadvertently saved by Stamets, who somehow pulled Culber’s essence into the jahSepp, allowing his resurrection.
Culber, much like Stamets, provides an excellent representation of the LGBTQ+ community. While it could have been easy to introduce the first same-sex couple as lowly ensigns and still make it work, using such high-ranking officers as the Chief Engineer and ship’s Doctor for representation gives hope for a better future without discrimination.
7Jett Reno
Introduced in season two ofStar Trek:Discovery,Jett Renois an engineer who helps Commander Stamets. Reno is a widowed lesbian after her wife was killed in the Federation-Klingon War. She is played by Tig Notaro who is also openly lesbian, continuingDiscovery’stradition of casting actors from the LGBTQ+ community to play the LGBTQ+ characters.
Reno served as a counselor of sorts for Culber who was struggling after his resurrection. She was the first one to notice that Stamets was still in love with Culber, while Culber was rejecting Stamets following the events on the jahSepp. She was pragmatic and level-headed which allowed her to be the perfect antithesis to the more vocal and emotional Stamets in the Engineering Department.
6Adira Tal
Introduced in season three ofDiscovery,Adira Talis the very first truly non-binary character on aStar Trekseries. Using they/them pronouns, Adira is played byopenly non-binary actorBlu del Barrio. Much like Jadzia Dax, Adira is joined to a Trill symbiont, even though Adira themself is a human. As established inDeep Space Nine, Trill symbionts are non-binary, but Adira is the first non-binary host.
In a relationship with a Trill, Gray Tal, the pair demonstrated how struggles of life, love, and loss are no different for the LGBTQ+ community as they are from the heteronormative community.
5Soren
Star Trek: The Next Generation
The years ofTNGhad plenty of hetero-normative romantic stories, but the nature of television at the time discouraged the open portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. With some smart writing and determined actors, as in the spirit of the old show, the non-binary characterSorengot their own episode, and it was a brilliant moment of allegory.
Soren was J’naii, a member of an androgynous alien species who had a brief romantic encounter with William Riker. In the course of their time on theEnterprise, Soren decides to identify as female, but the leaders of her people, who mandate that everyone stay non-binary, are having none of it.
In one of the most tragic moments in all ofStar Trekhistory, Soren is taken into custody and returned to her home planet for “reeducation.” The flip side of this argument, that a society where binary identities are enforced in much the same way, is equally chilling and the true moral of the story.
4Gray Tal
Grayis a transgender male Trill who is also Adira’s boyfriend onDiscovery. Gray is played by Ian Alexander, who much like Gray, is openly transgender. Both Gray and Alexander are the first openly transgender characters and actors in aStar Trekseries.
Gray was joined by the Tal symbiont for a while but was killed in an attack on the ship. His symbiont was transferred to Adira until Gray could be resurrected by Dr. Culber. He eventually returns to the Trill homeworld to train as a Guardian.
3Seven Of Nine
Star Trek: Voyager
A fan-favorite character introduced onVoyager,Seven of Ninereturns onPicard,where her sexuality is explored further. OnVoyager, she had a relationship with Chakotay, a male member of the crew. OnPicard, she enters a relationship with Picard’s close friend and crewmate Raffi, a woman.
This depiction confirms Seven is, at the very least, a bisexual member of the LGBTQ+ community. Actress Jeri Ryan, who portrays Seven, has confirmed in interviews she believes the character to be pansexual.
