'Star Trek' actress says backlash pushes the show’s 'wokeness' to warp speed

Woke Culture

'Star Trek' actress says backlash pushes the show’s 'wokeness' to warp speed

Gina Yashere says backlash from 'fragile, angry White men' makes her want to lean further into 'wokeness'

Madison Colombo Fox News

Published

January 27, 2026 9:00pm EST

Video

Whoopi hits back at conservative critics, says 'Star Trek' has always been socially liberal, inclusive

"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg, a former actress in the Star Trek franchise herself, rebuffed conservative critics of the new series by noting that the franchise has always been on the cutting-edge of social liberalism.

NEW

You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A "Star Trek" actress says conservative backlash is pushing the franchise to lean harder into what she calls its "super woke" identity. Among the critics is White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who has accused the franchise of abandoning its core audience.

Gina Yashere, who plays Lura Thok in the new Paramount+ series "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," responded online after sharing a clip from comedian Bill Maher’s show that touched on the controversy.

"All of the hatred coming at us is from fragile, angry White men, talking about either our non-whiteness or our bodies," Yashere wrote Sunday in an Instagram post.

'HE-MAN' REBOOT TRAILER DIVIDES FANS AS ICONIC CHARACTER'S ALTER EGO DEPICTED AS OFFICE DRONE

Gina Yashere poses for photographs while standing at a red carpet premiere event.

Gina Yashere attends Paramount+’s "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" world premiere at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Jan. 6. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

"It's frankly ridiculous. And it makes me want to lean even more into our wokeness," she added.

ROB SCHNEIDER: GO WOKE, GO BROKE ISN'T A SLOGAN — IT'S BECOMING HOLLYWOOD’S REALITY

Maher’s segment focused on comments Miller made on X, calling the show "tragic" and suggesting creative control be handed to William Shatner.

Miller has been among critics online who have questioned the show’s emphasis on diversity, including varied body types, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

In the series, Yashere’s character is in a same-sex relationship with Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno. Yashere also addressed her sexuality in Sunday’s post.

Three characters from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

The series has faced fan backlash over alleged "woke" content, even as critics have issued strong reviews and audience scores have declined during ongoing debates. (Screenshot/Paramount+ Youtube)

"I was practically born wearing a tool belt," she said, adding, "But if you could choose your sexuality, why would we choose men?"

Later, she referred to herself on the show as a "space lesbian," adding: "We woke. Wokey wokey. Super woke. Wokest of the woke!"

'STRANGER THINGS' FANS REVIEW-BOMB 'WOKE' COMING-OUT SCENE IN SHOW'S FINAL SEASON

Yashere has repeatedly embraced the show’s "woke" label. She defended the franchise during a CNN appearance, saying "Star Trek" has been "woke from day one."

"Woke is a good word. It's been given negative connotations. But woke just means you're awake and aware of everything that's going on in the world around you," she said in a clip of the interview posted to her Instagram account.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Yashere also responded Sunday after Maher joked that the cast did not fit his idea of "space lesbians," writing: "@billmaher is nobody's fantasy either, so we're even my dude!"

Disney’s "Star Wars: The Acolyte" faced similar backlash from fans online after its creators described it as the ‘gayest’ installment in the franchise.

Bill Maher says he doesn't win awards because of 'woke' Hollywood

Video

Madison is a writer for Fox News Digital on the Flash team.

'Star Trek' actress says backlash pushes the show’s 'wokeness' to warp speed