Star Trek: Discovery Introduces First Transgender and Non-Binary Characters

CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, today announced that season three of Star Trek: Discovery will introduce the Star Trek franchise’s first non-binary and transgender characters, furthering the “Star Trek” universe’s ongoing commitment to Gene Roddenberry’s original vision of celebrating diversity and inclusion.

The Star Trek universe’s first non-binary character is Adira, played by Blu del Barrio. Adira is highly intelligent with a confidence and self-assurance well beyond their years. They will find a new home on the U.S.S. Discovery and form an unexpected bond with Lt. Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz). The first transgender character is Gray, portrayed by Ian Alexander. Gray is empathetic, warm and eager to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a Trill host, but he will have to adapt when his life takes an unexpected turn.

“Star Trek has always made a mission of giving visibility to underrepresented communities because it 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,” said Michelle Paradise, co-showrunner and executive producer. “We take pride in working closely with Blu del Barrio, Ian Alexander, and Nick Adams at GLAAD to create the extraordinary characters of Adira and Gray, and bring their stories to life with empathy, understanding, empowerment and joy.”

Blu del Barrio is a non-binary actor who uses they/them pronouns. Del Barrio was in their final year of studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art when they auditioned for the role of Adira. Del Barrio has been acting in theater and short films since the age of 7, and they’re incredibly excited to make their television acting debut in season three of Discovery.

Ian Alexander is a 19-year-old actor who uses they/them and he/him pronouns. He is best known for their roles as Buck Vu on the Netflix series “The OA” and Lev in Naughty Dog’s video game “The Last of Us Part II.” They are the first out transgender Asian-American person to act on television. They are also an advocate for transgender equality, racial justice and mental health awareness for LGBTQ+ youth.

The third season of Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on Thursday, Oct. 15. New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery’s 13-episode third season will be available on demand weekly on Thursdays, exclusively for CBS All Access subscribers in the United States.

Star Trek: Discovery streams on Paramount+ in the United States, airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada, and on Netflix in 190 countries.