Actor Karim Diané has opened up about the wave of support — and backlash — he has received for playing Jay-Den Kraag, the first openly gay Klingon in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
The Paramount+ series marks the latest chapter in the enduring Star Trek franchise, which first launched in 1966. Set in the future, the show follows a new generation of cadets training to become Starfleet officers, blending fresh faces with the saga’s tradition of social commentary and diversity.
For Diané, stepping into the Trek universe meant breaking new ground. His character, Jay-Den, challenges traditional Klingon stereotypes. Rather than pursuing glory in battle, he is a pacifist studying medicine — and he is openly gay.
Creator Gene Roddenberry once felt LGBTQ+ representation was too risky to portray in the 1960s. Six decades later, Jay-Den represents a milestone many fans say was long overdue.
Facing Backlash — and Finding Support
Diané admitted he felt apprehensive taking on the role.
“I won’t pretend that I wasn’t scared to take on this role. Part of me still is,” he shared on Instagram. “Not because of the character himself, but because I knew the reaction that could come with it.”
He anticipated that some viewers would blur the lines between actor and character, with criticism rooted in “homophobia, racism, and bigotry”.
While some online commentators labelled the character “too woke”, Diané says the messages from LGBTQ+ fans have far outweighed the negativity.
“Over the past few weeks since this show premiered, I’ve received countless messages from LGBTQ+ people around the world — people who feel seen, validated, and inspired by Jay-Den,” he said. “Those messages outweigh every bit of negativity. Every single time.”
Queer Klingon cosplay groups and Pride attendees have flooded his social media with support, suggesting much of the Trek community was ready for a character like Jay-Den to boldly go where no Klingon has gone before.
“There’s More Work To Do”
Jay-Den’s own romantic storyline unfolds with Kyle Djokovic (Dale Whibley), a cadet from a rival War College campus, while his loyalty to pansexual friend Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) complicates matters.
Despite the show’s futuristic setting — one built on intergalactic cooperation and diversity — some viewers still objected to the inclusion of queer relationships.
“I genuinely cannot believe that a gay character on a TV show in 2026 can cause this much commotion,” Diané said in a recent video. Reflecting on life in New York City, he added that online outrage felt “jarring”, but conceded: “I guess it signals that there’s more work to do.”
A Conversation With George Takei
After meeting at a Broadway show, Diané and Takei exchanged emails discussing their shared place within the franchise’s evolving legacy. Takei revealed that he once spoke with Roddenberry in the 1960s about including LGBTQ+ representation, but at the time the risks were deemed too great and could have threatened the show’s survival.
“When George spoke with Gene in the 1960s about LGBTQ+ representation, the obstacles felt insurmountable,” Takei and his husband Brad Altman wrote to Diané. “The risks weren’t abstract — they were existential. To watch you inhabit a queer Klingon in Starfleet Academy in 2026 is to see that future finally arrive!”
Honouring Roddenberry’s Vision
Diané sees Jay-Den as a natural continuation of the franchise’s long-standing ethos.
“From its very first episode nearly 60 years ago, Gene Roddenberry’s vision was never about preserving the familiar,” he wrote. “He imagined a future that expanded who gets to be seen, heard, and valued. A future where diversity isn’t merely tolerated, but celebrated.
“Jay-Den doesn’t exist outside of that tradition. He exists because of it.”
As the first season approaches its finale on Paramount+, fans are watching closely to see how Jay-Den’s romantic storyline unfolds — and how this historic character continues to shape Trek’s ever-expanding universe.
