Trans activist Josie Totah will star in the Saved By the Bell reboot

The NBCUniversal Peacock reboot of Saved By the Bell has found its most popular girl at Bayside High. Trans activist Josie Totah will play Lexi, the “sharp-tongued cheerleader” who rules the school. The Hollywood Reporter describes Totah’s character as “both admired and feared by her fellow students,” and we can’t help but liken her to Regina George, Cheryl Blossom, Sharpay Evans, etc.

Totah, who previously starred in NBC’s Champions, will share the small screen with original Bell cast members Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano) and Mario Lopez (A.C. Slater). The follow-up series to the original show, which ran from 1989 to 1992 and starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar as the scheming heartthrob Zack Morris, will be one of the first original shows to premiere on NBC’s new streaming service, which will launch in April.

Having a transgender person cast in a lead role in a major revival is a huge step in the right direction for the LGBTQ+ community, and NBC’s doing so raises the bar for other networks in terms of diversity.

Mindy Kaling, who produced Champions, shared her praise for the casting choice on Twitter.

We can’t wait to see Totah play Lexi in the Saved By the Bell reboot. This is a big win for the LGBTQ+ community, and hopefully, the kick in the pants other networks need to work toward inclusivity and equality with their casting.