Star Trek's First Gay Klingon
Karim Diané has made history as Star Trek's first openly gay Klingon character, drawing support from George Takei and sparking fandom debate. Diané responded to criticism by calling out homophobia and bigotry within segments of the Star Trek community. The casting represents a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the long-running sci-fi franchise.
- The character, Jay-Den Kraag, is not only the franchise's first gay Klingon but also a pacifist studying medicine, a departure from the species' traditional warrior archetype. - Before his role on *Star Trek: Starfleet Academy*, actor Karim Diané was a contestant on the TV show "The X Factor" in 2013 and had recurring roles in the series *StartUp* and *One of Us Is Lying*. - George Takei's support stems from a long-held desire for LGBTQ+ representation; Takei revealed he had spoken with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry about including gay characters in the 1960s, but it was deemed too risky for the show at the time. - While there have been queer-coded characters and allegories in the franchise's history, the first openly gay characters in a Star Trek television series were Paul Stamets and Dr. Hugh Culber, who were introduced in *Star Trek: Discovery* in 2017. - To prepare for the role, which involves four to five hours of prosthetic makeup application, Diané sought advice from Michael Dorn, the actor who famously portrayed the Klingon Worf, and Doug Jones, who played Saru in *Star Trek: Discovery*. - The introduction of Jay-Den Kraag follows other recent LGBTQ+ characters in the franchise, including the non-binary Adira and the trans man Gray in *Star Trek: Discovery*, and the openly queer Beckett Mariner in the animated series *Star Trek: Lower Decks*.
