FEBRUARY 9, 2022 - The latest issue of Out magazine is hitting the proverbial newsstand, bringing Star Trek: Discovery into the spotlight. The magazine conducted a series of intimate interviews with Discovery Executive producer Michelle Paradise, and  LGBTQ+ cast members Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander, Emily Coutts, and Tig Notaro. To add a little icing on the cake, the interviews are chock full of stunning photos of the cast.

It’s no secret that Star Trek: Discovery has been setting the bar for LGBTQ+ recognition, acceptance, and inclusion in the television industry. Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, Discovery’s “space dads”, broke the Star Trek mold as the first gay couple in the franchise as Paul Stametz and Dr. Hugh Culber. A little more than a year ago, Mary Wiseman proudly confirmed she is “queer and proud”. Add to them the franchise’s first trangender and non-binary actors in Ian Alexander and Blue del Barrio, along with Emily Coutts and comedian Tig Notaro. All of a sudden, Star Trek is redefining the way the LGBTQ+ community is seen in the television landscape.

In each interview, the actors emphasize the importance of making sure that LGBTQ+ people are represented on screen in a way that has meaning and builds on each character’s journey, imparting a very real impact on the fans of the series. Beyond that, it’s become a family.

For Emily Coutts, who plays Lt. Commander Keyla Detmer, the family she found in the cast and crew of Discovery helped her to open up about her own sexuality. In fact, Coutts credits the season two finale as being the final influence she needed to feel comfortable with coming out to others. After learning the crew of Discovery would launch more than 900 years into the future together, Coutts remembered thinking, “This is where I’m at in my life right now. I can stay where things are comfortable. Or I can go and grow into my full self, and really come out, and tell everyone, and celebrate that, and go to the future, whatever that holds.” She went on to say, “I was inspired to be brave enough to finally come out, and tell people that I was gay, and trust that my future would be a beautiful thing if I was living openly and freely. I’m really grateful for that experience and proud of myself for taking the leap.”

 The January/February issue of Out is available now in digital format, with print copies available February 22nd. Visit out.com to check out these incredible interviews and photos, and to subscribe. As always, you can catch the entire cast of Star Trek: Discovery, currently airing season 4 on Paramount+.