John Cho’s Sulu Will Be Star Trek’s First Major Gay Character In New Movie

Back in 2014, there was a bit of a furore over the fact that, despite being held up since its 1968 inception as a beacon of progressive values on things like race, Star Trek had never had an on-screen openly LGBT character (although some had appeared in books). At the time, then director of the third rebooted Star Trek movie, Roberto Orci, said he was open to the idea of being more inclusive in the film, but after that we heard nothing.

Well, the director may have changed since them (to Justin Lin), but the film is indeed getting a gay character, and it’s one of the main crew members – John Cho’s Mr. Sulu. The actor revealed the news in a chat to Australia’s Herald Sun, telling them that it’s revealed in the movie that the Helmsman of the USS Enterprise, Hikaru Sulu, has a husband back home on earth, as well as a daughter they raise together.

Cho added, “I liked the approach, which was not to make a big thing out it, which is where I hope we are going as a species, to not politicise one’s personal orientations.”

Choosing Sulu to have a hubby is, of course, a nod to George Takei, who played the role in the original series and movies, and then came out as gay in 2005. He’s since become a one of the most high profile voices for LGBT rights. It’s certainly taken Star Trek a long time to have a gay character, but it’s finally happened and the nod to Takei is a nice touch too.