Star Trek's LGBTQIA+ heroes shine in an awesome new piece of official Pride art. June is Pride Month, and many entertainment franchises take the opportunity to spotlight their LGBTQIA+ characters, with Star Trek being no exception. The Star Trek franchise has many amazing LGBTQIA+ characters, and artist Paulina Ganucheau has crafted the perfect tribute to them.
Paulina Ganucheau (@PlinaGanucheau) unveiled the piece in a Tweet, prefacing it by saying “celebrate Pride boldly and with love.” Ganucheau called it an “honor” to create the piece, citing the major role Star Trek plays in her life. The piece shows the wide variety of LGBTQIA+ characters in the franchise. Among those depicted are the Kelvin-timeline version of Sulu, the first truly out LGBTQIA+ character in the franchise. Star Trek: Discovery was the true starting point for authentic LGBTQIA+ representation in the franchise, and it is only fitting that a number of characters from the show, such as Paul Stamets and his partner Doctor Hugh Culber, are featured. Other Discovery alumni include engineer Jett Reno (played by Tig Nataro) and Adira Tal. Also present are Nurse Chapel from Strange New Worlds, Raffi and Seven of Nine from Picard and Beckett Mariner and her Andorian girlfriend Jennifer from Lower Decks. Tying the piece together is a silhouette of the Enterprise, leaving a rainbow warp trail in its wake.
Star Trek's Queer Representation Was a Long Journey 
Since its premiere in 1966, the concepts of diversity, inclusion and tolerance have been integral to the Star Trek franchise, however it took baby steps in the arena of LGBTQIA+ representation. A fifth season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Outcast," was the franchise’s first attempt at tackling issues facing the gay and lesbian community. However, after that, representation was practically non-existent, and some characters such as Dax, the Cardassian tailor Garak and Seven of Nine were coded as queer rather than acknowledged as such. 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, set in the Kelvin timeline, confirmed Sulu was gay, making him the franchise’s first openly gay character.
