Same sex relationships and on-screen kisses are not new to television, but they are new to Star Trek.
When the kiss finally happened, it was simple and more human, which Rapp feels the audience would appreciate.
While the original series was actually the first to ever show an interracial kiss on television, the series was seemingly a bit behind the times when it came to showing a same sex kiss.
From his perspective, the show allowed the relationship between his Lieutenant Stamets and partner Dr. Hugh Culber (played by Wilson Cruz) to grow in a way that made it feel real.