""Not gonna pretend like I wasn't afraid to take on this role. Part of me still kinda is. I knew that I was gonna, you know, receive a lot of negative comments that were rooted in homophobia and racism and bigotry. But what y'all have to understand, I have received 10 times more messages from LGBTQ people around the world telling me how much this character Jay-Den means to them. And that is all tha"
"Fans began speculating about the sexuality of Klingon character Jay-Den Kraag, played by 23-year-old actor Karim Diané, after the airing of episode 4 earlier this month. In it, Jay-Den is tasked with delivering an important speech. Fellow student Darem Reymi (played by George Hawkins) shows him a technique called "battle breathing" to help him tackle his anxiety about public speaking."
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduces Jay-Den Kraag as the franchise's first queer Klingon character. Fans speculated about Jay-Den's sexuality after episode 4, when cadet Darem Reymi taught him "battle breathing" and they chanted in close proximity, creating perceived romantic tension. Episode 7 included a cheek-kiss with cadet Kyle Djokovic, suggesting a situationship while emotional signals toward Darem set up a possible love triangle. Actor Karim Diané confirmed Jay-Den's queerness on social media, acknowledging fear of homophobic and racist backlash but reporting many supportive messages from LGBTQ people worldwide praising the character's impact.
Read at Queerty
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