Star Trek welcomes first non-binary and transgender characters

They'll be joining Star Trek Discovery

Blu del Barrio / Ian Alexander
Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 4th Sep 2020

Star Trek Discovery, a web television series created for CBS All Access, has announced they will be welcoming their first non-binary and first transgender characters to the show.

Taking to their official Twitter account, the show tweeted, 'Welcome Blu del Barrio and @ianaIexander to the #StarTrekFamily! They will be playing Adira, Star Trek's first non-binary character, and Gray, Star Trek's first transgender character in #StarTrekDiscovery Season 3. Learn more about Blu in this @glaad'.

The characters will be played by non-binary and transgender actors Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander.

Ian's acting debut was in Netflix's The OA, where he played Buck Vu, following that he went on to appear in the 2018 film Every Day and voice the part of Lev in the computer game, The Last of Us Part II.

Meanwhile, Blu del Barrio is a newcomer to acting and recently spoke to GLAAD about the role saying, "When I got the call that I'd been cast as Adira, I hadn't yet told the majority of my friends and family that I was non-binary.

"So when this happened, it felt like the universe saying 'go ahead'."

Speaking about the new roles, the show's co-runner and executive producer Michelle Paradise said, "It (the show) believes in showing people that a future without division on the basis of race, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation is entirely within our reach."

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