Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Hugh Culber
9. Bury Your Gays, Unbury Your Gays
Star Trek doesn't have the best history when it comes to LGBTQIA+ representation, preferring until recently to (over-)rely on allegory or the mirror universe for the inclusion of vaguely queer themes. Even the series' first (nonetheless groundbreaking) same-sex kiss was presented through a heterosexual lens — the characters were man and wife in previous lives.There have been accusations of outright homophobia behind the scenes over the years. The simple fact is that there were no openly LGBTQIA+ characters in Star Trek before Culber and Stamets (aside from those nanoseconds in Star Trek: Beyond).
Given the uptick in representation in Discovery, lightyears ahead of previous incarnations, fans were understandably concerned and upset as Trek appeared to have fallen foul of the all-too-familiar 'Bury Your Gays' trope when Culber was killed by stealth Klingon neck-assassin Voq, alias Ash Tyler.
Sensitive to the nature of the trope and the outcry, although unable to give any details at the time, showrunners, and Wilson Cruz himself, were quick to reassure viewers that the doctor would be coming back from the grave. Of course, this is exactly what did happen in season two, with some interesting character development for Culber as a result, and Cruz was bumped up (not off) to series regular.