The Vampire Diaries to Get First Gay Character

The realm of the undead is about to get even more diverse when new episodes of The Vampire Diaries begin airing in 2014, reports E! Online.

The sexy supernatural series will soon have a new character named Luke who is described as handsome, sarcastic, and gay.

According to E! Online, "A new hottie is enrolling at Whitmore after winter break! And he'll be spending time with Caroline! Except he's so not into her in that way as Luke, handsome and sarcastic, is gay. And also happens to have a sister on campus, one that he will do (or sacrifice) anything to protect."

Though Luke will be the first reccurring gay character on The Vampire Diaries, he is not the first in the show's universe. The Vampire Diaries spin-off series, The Originals, currently features snarky gay vampire Josh, played by Steven Krueger, among its main cast of characters.

Supernatural television shows aimed at a young audience have become fertile ground for the introduction of LGBT characters in recent years. In addition to The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, MTV's Teen Wolf has included gay characters among its supporting cast since the show's earliest episodes and ramped up LGBT inclusion over the series' three seasons. Most recently, a romance between out teens Ethan (Charlie Carver) and Danny (Keahu Kahuanui) has begun to blossom, and Teen Wolf creator Jeff Davis revealed to The Advocate in a November interview that the relationship between the two young men would become "a very big plot point" when the show returns with new episodes beginning January 6.