Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Hugh Culber

An out and proud trailblazer from day one of his work on-screen, Wilson Cruz has also been a tireless advocate and activist (or "actorvist," as he often puts it) for LGBTQIA+ issues off-screen. He has been on the Board of Directors of GLSEN since 1997, was a national spokesperson for GLAAD, worked as an executive producer on the Apple TV+ series Visible: Out on Television, and spoke out after he lost a loved one during the tragic shooting at the Orlando LGBT nightclub Pulse.

Cruz has received numerous awards for his activism over the years. In 2022, when accepting the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards, he began his speech by thanking "space boo, Anthony Rapp". The on-screen husbands had presented a GLAAD Media Award four years earlier, with joking nods to Klingons and toothbrushes. Star Trek: Discovery also won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2021.

In June 2023, the Outright International Annual Gala honoured queer members of the cast and crew of Discovery. Also there to celebrate with their Disco pals were Melissa Navia, Jess Bush, and Celia Rose Gooding of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Receiving the Outspoken Award were Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, and Blu Del Barrio who all took to the stage. Cruz passionately stated,

On Discovery, we are the heroes of our own stories. […] We save our own lives […], and we hope to inspire you to do the same […]. Let's take action together today, for better LGBTIQ lives tomorrow.

Through the strength and appeal of characters like Culber, Star Trek continues to inspire. Here's to you, Hugh!