The upcoming Star Trek series, which is set to air next year on CBS, is set 10 years before the events of the original Star Trek series. The show’s creator Bryan Fuller, who worked on ’90s series Star Trek: Voyager, has spoken about his commitment to making sure the new show is LGBT-inclusive.

At Comic-Con, it was announced that Wilson Cruz is joining the show as ship medical officer Dr. Hugh Culber. Most significantly, it was confirmed that the character would have a romance with gay character Lieutenant Stamets, who is played by actor Anthony Rapp. Both actors are out in real life.

It is the first time an openly gay character has appeared as a main cast member on a Star Trek TV series, though our nerdier readers will note that Jadzia Dax’s sexuality was briefly explored on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

George Takei, a long-time proponent of LGBT characters in the Star Trek universe, said: “Thrilled to hear that #StarTrekDiscovery will feature an openly gay couple played by [Rapp] and [Cruz]. How far we’ve come.”

Recalling the strong opposition to including a gay character he faced on Voyager, Fuller said: “Absolutely we’re having a gay character. We’ve come a long way since [when Voyager was airing]. “I feel like actually gay rights have come a lot further in that time than race issues and women’s issues.” Read more via Pink News