Here’s Star Trek’s new gay power couple

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The upcoming new Star Trek TV series will feature a same-sex couple as regular ongoing characters for the first time.

It was already announced in August last year that Star Trek: Discovery will include a gay cast member, but more details were announced on the weekend.

Speaking at Comic Con, openly gay actor Anthony Rapp said he would be playing the role of Lt. Paul Stamets, a science officer aboard the starship USS Discovery.

He went on to reveal: “Wilson Cruz will be playing my love interest, my partner ― my man love ― and we’re both officers on the ship,”” He added: “I’m very proud of that and that he’s [Rapp’s character] a scientist.”

Cruz, who is also gay, will play Dr. Hugh Culber, the Discovery’s Chief Medical Officer. The actor tweeted after the announcement that he is “so THRILLED to be a part of the epic American mythology that is #StarTrek!”

It’s not the first time the two men have worked together. They both starred in the stage and film versions of the musical Rent.

While there have been no ongoing gay characters in the previous Star Trek TV series, last year’s Star Trek Beyond movie re-imagined the iconic character of Sulu (John Cho) as a gay man raising a daughter with a male partner.

Star Trek: Discovery is set ten year before the original series that featured Capitan Kirk and Mr Spock. It was co-created and is executive produced by the openly gay Bryan Fuller. Sonequa Martin-Green plays the female lead, Discovery First Officer Michael Burnham.

The 15-episode show will debut on September 24 in the US. It is likely to be available in South Africa on Netflix. Watch the recently released trailer below.

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