The way that Adira is introduced . The age of Blu Del is nearly 24 years old. When we meet the xBs (ex-borg) in Star Trek: Picard, they are, according to Hugh, the most despised people in the galaxy. Paradise responds. They were like, OK, so we are not saying yes to you for Adira, but don't worry. While Star Trek: Discovery is del Barrio's first television role, they're no stranger to stage lights or working far from home. I know it can be confusing!, They laughed when they recounted how some folks cant get their minds around they and then feel stumped when presented with the alternate choice of he., Pick one and then stick with that one, Alexander said he tells those people. But especially for people who are trans, they are so happy to finally see our stories being reflected in mainstream media. The American-born non-binary actor, Del was born a female but they identify themselves as a non-binary who uses they/them pronouns. Del Barrio is a newcomer who made their television debut in the role of Adira, a human who came out last season as nonbinary, shortly before del Barrio did. There's also their costar from seasons 1 and 2, Mary Chieffo, who came out as queer in September 2021. Blu del Barrio Height Barrio stands at a height of 5 feet 2 inches tall. ", For del Barrio, the decision by Star Trek: Discovery's gay co-showrunner, Michelle Paradise, and the writers to make their characters' identity a part of Star Trek canon and not just a throwaway plotline of the week is something that makes them "really happy," they say. Casting Alexander and del Barrio is another triumph for LGBTQ representation in the 54-year-old franchise. Despite this, the queerest of the Treks was never quite went the extra step to explore its own latent gender non-conformity. I mean, we've always existed and we've always existed everywhere. This is vaguely shown in TNG's introduction to the Trill, The Host, through a handful of lines by Jadzia and Ezri on DS9 that they have been both men and women, and further referenced in Ezri's inability to tell where she ends and her eight past hosts begin; she is, essentially, nine people of different genders at once. Early and personal life Alexander was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, [7] to an American father and a Vietnamese mother. Del Barrio felt a resonance with the highly intelligent, introverted character with, what they consider to be, puppy-like emotions. (Photo by Fotos International/Courtesy of Getty Images), How High EQ Helps Build An Inclusive Workplace Culture, Say And Mean It: Dont Just Ask For Authenticity In The Workplace, Make Space For It To Show Up, 3 Tips For DEI Professionals Who Are Burnt Out & Wishing For A Clone, Neurodiverse Sports Fans Still Face Exclusion From Many Stadia, Study Shows, 4 Tips For Engaging With Disabled People On Social Media, Pro Surfer And Disability Advocate Liv Stone Talks Disability Inclusion, Social Media Study In Adobe Q&A, Black Futures Month: Unmasking As A Black Neurodivergent Employee, Actions Educational Leaders Must Take When Kids Do Racist Things At School. Required. She was born around 1996 in Southern California to parents who are Argentinians. Blu del Barrio Height and Weight Del Barrio maintains a low profile about them. Born September 15, 1997;[1][2][bettersourceneeded] del Barrio is a native of Southern California, growing up in Topanga. Discovery for a new life as the ship prepares for a trip beyond this galaxy. What are they like off the set? Casting Alexander and del Barrio is another triumph for LGBTQ representation in the 54-year-old franchise. I think it had kind of always been conflicting, and I have been questioning for a long time. When season 4 resumes in February, del Barrio says, Adira is "terrified" at the prospect that Gray could die again: "And if he goes this time, he's gone." lve been bouncing around because it's such a huge universe, they said. Although the 55-year-old science-fiction franchise has never before featured recurring characters who are trans, del Barrio believes Discovery is taking that concept to a queerer version of the final frontier. blatantly sexist for most of its first 30 years. Welcome Blu del Barrio and @ianaIexander to the #StarTrekFamily! [3][14] They are highly-skilled in the art of stage combat, dance and singing,[13] having acted in theater and short films since seven years of age. They have not gone public with her relationship and have rather remained private about their marital life, it is not publicly known whether they are married or in a relationship. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. And just last year, Discovery made history yet again by adding the Star Trek franchise's first-ever gender-diverse trans characters to the series: nonbinary character Adira (played by newcomer Blu . '", "If it's not for you, then you don't have to watch," adds Alexander, finishing their costar's sentence. They have not revealed any information about their height nor their body measurements. They are the first openly non-binary actor, playing the first non-binary role in Star Trek. Because I'm different! The difference is that in this case two women kiss without any queer stigma. Del Barrio has been acting in theater since the age of seven, and they're incredibly excited to make their television acting debut in season three of Star Trek: Discovery (2017) Del Barrio is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #bludelbarrio, #delbarrio, #barrio, #blurio, #losdelbarrio, # . This week, like last week, the series writers did not introduce either Adira or Gray as LGBTQ. That actor was Lachlan Watson. A role that for Del Barrio, who was studying acting in London when she passed the casting and is the daughter of Argentines, was the first step to make known to the world their true identity, merging in some way with the character, reflecting each other. Known for. Blu del Barrio is the child of Argentinian parents who have studied in the UK and have walked up to the acting stage. I originally had come out as trans male, identified fully as a trans boy, when I was 14 years old, they said. Blu del Barrio, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, auditioned for the role during their final year at LAMDA . They are outspoken in support of transgender visibility and inclusivity with accurate depiction in popular media. Those most recognizable as existing outside of societys norms are often linked with fear synthetics are banned, holograms who argue for autonomy are fanatics, clones work for the antagonists, and the Borg are, well, Borg. "They've had conversations with their parents about their gender identity because of our characters. CBS All Access' Star Trek: Discovery announced the addition of Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander to the cast of the series. With the exciting confirmation that Discovery is going to be home to new characters, the human, non-binary Adira (Blu Del Barrio), and the Trill trans man Gray (Ian Alexander), it's a good time to examine the legacy of gender non-conformity in Star Trek . Their bodies are envied, destroyed, and otherwise objectified. He's going to be Adiras partner in crime, said Alexander, who said he immediately and gladly accepted the role that was crafted just for him. "There have been moments where I felt like, Maybe they're on the spectrum of asexuality? Photo by: John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx 2019 4/10/19 Mae Jemison at the 10th Anniversary Women In The [+] World Summit at Lincoln Center in New York City. Today, Star Trek: Discovery announced that season three will introduce the first non-binary and transgender characters in the history of the Star Trek franchise. Today the producers of Star Trek: Discovery announced that next season they will be introducing . gender, gender identity or sexual orientation is entirely . An article was written as early as 1997 that recognized the transgender undertones of the Trill. When you see the world differently in one way, youll likely see it differently in many others too. Segundo Nombre / Middle Name. "Hopefully, in the future, every film and television set will be like this. On our zoom call, Alexander was introduced to the expression, Being transgender is the 6th most interesting thing about me. They were asked, what are the other five? Photo by Michael Gibson/CBS That's why it's so interesting to see Star Trek: Discovery attempt to bridge that gap between allegory and reality in its new season with the introduction of the non-binary human Adira (played by non-binary actor Blu del Barrio) and the trans Trill man Gray (played by trans actor Ian Alexander). The actors have artistic input, and it's sort of a shared artistic experience, with everyone who's working on the film. Required. Actors Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz play engineer Paul Stamets and Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: [+] Discovery, It feels incredible, Alexander gushed. Del Barrio has seen studying the episodes of past series, of which there are hundreds. "[4], They are bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English to a native standard, and are a skilled paddleboarder. Non-binary is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminineidentities that are outside the gender binary. They are the first openly non-binary actor, playing the first non-binary role in Star Trek. [8] Alexander, who uses he and they pronouns interchangeably, is introduced as an alien in the fourth episode of the third season, streaming Thursday. As Adira and Gray smile at one another and take each others hands, a voice-over states: We all want a future thats real. Blu del Barrio (left) and Ian Alexander CBS. Even though he's going off to do that at the end of episode 407, he's still part of our Discovery universe -- and part of Adira's life -- so we'll have to see where the stories take us moving forward. ", And for Alexander, it's not just their conversations with the media but the ones closeted fans and their families are having, all because of what they see on the screen. GLAADs Nick Adams published in September. (Image credit: CBS All Access/Left: Phil Sharp, Right: Jake Akita) The third. Raumschiff - Enterprise- Besatzung (v.l. Blu was in their final year of studies when they auditioned for the role of Adira on Star Trek: Discovery (2017). Adira (Blu del Barrio) arrived in last week's episode, joining the crew after a clash with Earth's trigger-happy new . Co-showrunner Paradise has the last word on that: "After getting a new body and settling into it over the course of the season, Gray is finally ready to restart his training so he can fulfill his dream of becoming a Guardian. Frakes has been vocal about wishing that Soren, the love-interest for Riker in that episode, had been played by a man, but many people have pointed out that Soren is put through conversion therapy because she identifies as a woman in a society that doesn't allow gender deviation. Star Trek: Discovery streams on Paramount+ in the United States, airs on Bell Medias CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada, and on Netflix in 190 countries. "We've had so many conversations within our crew and with our producers about ways that we can change the environment that we're in to be a more comfortable place for people to feel free, to express themselves, to be open, to share their pronouns," del Barrio says. In the real world the so-called threat that non-conformity represents is not only fictional, but puts non-conforming people in danger. I love videogames.. ", When asked about the show pushing an "LGBTQ agenda," del Barrio confesses that they typically would prefer to "not interact" with fans making that kind of criticism, namely because of their habit to not sugarcoat their responses. Blu del Barrio (left) wll portray the nonbinary Adira. The Discovery actors and Out cover subjects are blazing trails as Star Trek's first nonbinary and trans stars. Alexander will portray Star Trek' s first transgender character while del . As far as is known, all of them except for Wiseman and Coutts play queer characters. How can those of us who havent yet seen ourselves in humanitys future not only imagine that we survive, but that were a vital, thriving part of it? In fact, several characters on Star Trek already discussed in this article do the same thing for similar reasons. Del Barrio is the first actor who identifies as non-binary in Star Trek. The TNG episode The Outcast is arguably the first attempt to create a story about being gay (if we don't include fan-read subtext). Welcome Blu del Barrio and @ianaIexander to the #StarTrekFamily! I had not seen Star Trek: Discovery before being on the show, but I had seen little glimpses into the Star Trek universe here and there from my parents, who are huge fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he said, speaking of the TV series starring Patrick Stewart that ran in the 1980s for seven seasons, spawned four films and three spinoffs: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks. That led me to change everything about myself so I could survive, but it would have been so much better if my gender had been affirmed by those around me.". She is 25 years old as of 2022. [4][16] They told Nick Adams of GLAAD in 2020:[4]. During the final year at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the actor's audition for the role took place, as reported by Deadline. 24 years ago, on September 15th, 1997, actor Blu del Barrio was born. Adira's non-binary identity was discussed on both StarTrek.com and in a GLAAD interview stating that, like del Barrio, Adira is recognized as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. I only wore the color blue, and I refused to wear anything else, for like two years. But unlike Blue, the trans girl who made headlines four years ago this month when she fought the Pentagon, and won the right to use a girls bathroom at a military school, del Barrio decided to drop the e.. Heres a memory Alexander said he wont soon forget: they auditioned for the role of Adira, and didnt get the part. They have not revealed any information about their height nor their body measurements. Who is Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander? Information about their partner will be updated as soon as possible. Author, Author further develops this idea by hinting at a future holographic uprising of some kind, although explored more through synthetics on Picard. non-binary. Occupation. Adira will be non-binary and is to be played by non-binary actor Blu del Barrio, who got the role shortly after finishing drama school in the UK. Blu has Argentinean heritage and uses Singular they them pronouns. In this third episode, series star Sonequa Martin-Green (Michael Burnham) is reunited with her crewmates. I like being alone. You don't have to engage. "But I was absolutely terrified to tell dozens of total strangers when I started filming Star Trek in Canada," they said in the GLAAD interview; they agreed to play the nonbinary character of Adira before they were ready to make that leap in real life. They spoke with GLAAD about this breakthrough new Star Trek role. They were touted before the season's start as Star Trek's first non-binary character played by a non-binary actor, newcomer Blu del Barrio. Speaking of childhood, he said his gender identity has evolved over the five years since he came out, and now differs from the trans masculine character he plays. Writers across the science fiction genre could stand to take a leaf out of Avery Brooks book and write trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming identities in the same way that he was able to tackle being a Black man in the future: By acknowledging how important it is to see how far we might have come, as well as honoring the difficulties that we needed to overcome to get there. Raumschiff - Enterprise- Besatzung (v.l. "People who aren't trans can relate to, you know, coming into your identity and finding chosen family. Blu del Barrio, a non-binary actor who uses they/them pronouns and will be making their television debut on "Star Trek," will play Adira, a non-binary character. I really love just being able to evolve and continue my path of self discovery.. Apart from Lachlan [Watson], I'm watching Indya Moore, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Theo Germaine, Asia Kate Dillon, and Brigette Lundy-Paine, said del Barrio. In fact, there are seven in the current cast of Star Trek: Discovery: In addition to Alexander, del Barrio, Cruz, and Rapp, there are Tig Notaro, Mary Wiseman, and Emily Coutts, all featured in this issue. There will be signs and there will be, in the future, more explicit conversation. Because, why not? Alexander plays Gray, a member of the alien species Trill and a young trans man. "And it wasn't until I got into high school that I started seeing trans people on YouTube posting about their transition. 2 September 2020. language of work or name. Del Barrio is the first actor who identifies as non-binary in Star Trek. After all, as del Barrio notes, Discovery takes place far in the futurewhere gender "probably wouldn't have to be a big deal in any way."Still, del Barrio filmed their character's "coming out" episode just a couple of weeks after disclosing their identity to their familyso it was, to say the least, a surreal experience. They have both joined the cast aboard the USS Discovery for Season 3, which airs October 15 on CBS All Access. The information about her birth name will be updated as soon as the information is out. This is a BETA experience. [3][2] They came out as non-binary in 2019 and as of February2022[update] uses they/them/theirs pronouns. Blu is a non-binary actor who uses they/them pronouns. This is for everyone. The Doctor on Voyager tells Seven when she asks why he hasn't chosen a name in six years: Choosing the right name for myself is extremely difficult. 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