‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Stars On Franchise’s First Gay Kiss

Star Trek: Discovery stars Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz made TV history as the participants in the iconic franchise’s first-ever gay kiss.

“We were very much aware that there had never been a male-on-male kiss in Star Trek before,” Rapp told Attitude. “We had conversations with the producers, asking if this was going to happen. A few episodes in we asked again, and they replied ‘yes, absolutely.’”

Rapp, who plays science officer and fungal expert Lieutenant Stamets, said the first shown kiss between Stamets and his partner, medical officer Dr. Hugh Culber (Cruz), was “earned and had a meaningful impact, and it was satisfying.”

“If it had happened earlier, it probably wouldn’t have had the same meaning,” Rapp explained.

“I appreciated the relationship was revealed in subtle ways, it was part of the fabric of the ship. The trek community has a vibrant LGBT+ segment to it, and people were really gratified that it was presented in a direct, uncomplicated and human way.”

“I wanted to see a character on TV who reflected my life back to me,” Cruz said. “Growing up, I wanted to see two men love each other and share a life, and have the same ups and downs that their heterosexual counterparts had.”

“The fact that I got to be that change in the world was and is the greatest thrill to me.”

Rapp previously said the LGBT+ community has been “hungry” for that kind of representation in Star Trek. “Our culture is diverse, and so why shouldn’t our stories reflect that?” Cruz added.

The original 1966 Star Trek made history with a kiss shared by Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Kirk (William Shatner), the first-ever interracial kiss on television.

Stamets and Culber’s groundbreaking kiss comes after 2016’s Star Trek Beyond revealed the Kelvin timeline’s Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) shares a child with a male partner.

All episodes of Star Trek: Discovery are available for streaming on CBS All Access.