J.J. Abrams Says Gay Characters Are Coming to Star Wars

[Something Amyss]

is the character going to be written well, directed well, acted well, and presented well, with character elements that are relevant to the plot?

This is Star Wars, so several of those are out right off the bat.

Though the rest of your post is point taken. Could you imagine if people were upset because Anakin was straight, rather than that the romance in the prequels was shit?

Not a fan of this, not out of some hatred towards gay people but 'cos a character should be gay 'cos the character is gay, not have a gay character 'cos we need a gay character.

Well, that's not what Abrams said, but how do we decide if a gay character is gay because they're gay? Especially when any gay--hell, any minority, or woman--is accused of the same thing?

Technically it's not unfeasible to believe that - even if you only take the 6 films into account - there have been many gay on-screen characters in Star Wars. They just didn't tell anybody about it... and why would they need to?

Well, you had me until this:

Based on the futuristic setting, compared to our own societal progress, it'd be easy to believe that homosexuality has been considered a relatively normal and acceptable thing for thousands of years in-universe.

Let's ignore for a moment that Star Wars isn't horribly progressive. Let's take this at face value.

If that was the case, I'd expect you'd see more gays onscreen. People wouldn't need to make a big deal about coming out, no. But if homosexuality as a societal issue has been licked, then I would expect to see people partnered up far more casually.

That is, you will see more gays on the street once it's no longer a big deal to be gay. You might see fewer flamboyant people who look like they came off a float in a pride parade, but you will see more gays. Doing gay things. Even small things. LGBT individuals tend towards discretion in most circumstances specifically because there's an element of fear and/or taboo, actual danger, and because there's social inertia. Me and my SO get treated differently than a hetero couple for doing the same things.

So now you've actually established a very different question: with no reason to hide it, why would they need to? The answer is they wouldn't, and therefore we should expect it to show. Queers of any stripe sneak around today because we're still frowned upon. I fear for my life. But clearly, in this futuristic society where gay is normal, we shouldn't have to.

And in the end, that leaves the real issue: heteronormativity on the part of the viewer leads to inertia.

 

[FFHAuthor]

Am I allowed to be pulling my hair out over this as a writer and ask what a character's sexual orientation brings to the story? Am I allowed to do that at any point?

I know I'm an evil homophobic white male for asking about the basic concepts of having something as a character's sexuality having a bearing in the universe that it exists in. Sexuality and relationships aren't an issue which is of paramount or even passing concern in the Star Wars universe. So making a character gay and going to the extent of pointing it out in the story and addressing it only makes sense if it changes the dynamic and situation of the story within the universe.

A character's sexuality in something set in say...90's America in a sit-com, is a big deal, in say 70's America in a political drama, is a big deal...a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, about space magic and civil wars, not exactly that big a deal, unless you've developed a society and culture where sexuality and relationships are the primary focus...not space battles and planetary death lasers, and the trials of good and evil.

If you decide to insert that issue into this film it's a statement to the audience about the audience, not a statement to audience about the story and characters. Where is the gay bashing scene in Star Wars? No where. Where is the scene of a character confronting his sexuality in a culture that condemns him and trying to come to grips with what is right and what is wrong according to society? No where!

It's that nauseating pandering and that demand that every aspect of our Art and cultural understanding conform to the norms and accepted positions of RIGHT NOW. It's like making a TV show set in medieval England and casting a black actress, but not actually using the fact that she's black, just treating her like any other character. Or casting an Asian actor in a movie about 1940's California and then NOT having that character treated like an Asian woman would be viewed in 40's California. This artistic censoring and quota creates works of film that are so divorced from reality in an attempt to be 'fair' and 'inclusive' that we lose the point of what is being created.

Film is a stage that demands it address stories that can be told about Race and Sexuality and Gender, it demands honesty to the story and the vision, and it demands that characters be crafted to enhance the story which they exist in. Should Star Wars be about more than simply a checklist for all the right affirmative action topics? Woman, check. Black, check. Gay, check.

Is that right? Does that create a character worth creating?

 

[Saltyk]

You mean to say that all this time, there hasn't been a single one in the galaxy?

Sure, man. Whatever you say.

Well, there's only like four black men in the whole galaxy. Lando, Mace Windu, Captain Panaka, and Finn.

 

[Barbas]

(Snip).

Fucking hell, does that include the comics and books as well?

 

[Saltyk]

(Snip).

Fucking hell, does that include the comics and books as well?

No. Just the movies. I haven't read any of the comics or books to know.
I was mostly posting that as a joke.

 

[JimB]

Am I allowed to be pulling my hair out over this as a writer and ask what a character's sexual orientation brings to the story? Am I allowed to do that at any point?

Please do not pretend anyone can stop you from having whatever reaction you want. You can pull your hair out and ask questions whenever you want, just as I "am allowed" at any point to pull my hair out and ask why people it is when people say "sexual orientation," they actually seem to mean "non-straightness," because for all the ranting about how sexual orientation doesn't make a difference and detracts from the story, no one ever seems to argue that the form of sexual orientation which is heterosexuality detracted from the previous two trilogies. I never hear the audience complaining, "Look at Luke being all straight! Look at Han being liking girls, it adds nothing to the plot! Look at Leia being into guys, that's such pandering! Look at Anakin and Padme cramming their heterosexual agenda down our throats! Look at Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, pandering to straights with their token straight relationship!"

It always comes off very disingenuous to me when people say the problem is introducing sexual orientation, and then act like heterosexuality is not a sexual orientation.

 

[EbonBehelit]

Let's ignore for a moment that Star Wars isn't horribly progressive. Let's take this at face value.

If that was the case, I'd expect you'd see more gays onscreen. People wouldn't need to make a big deal about coming out, no. But if homosexuality as a societal issue has been licked, then I would expect to see people partnered up far more casually.

*snippity snip*

So now you've actually established a very different question: with no reason to hide it, why would they need to? The answer is they wouldn't, and therefore we should expect it to show. Queers of any stripe sneak around today because we're still frowned upon. I fear for my life. But clearly, in this futuristic society where gay is normal, we shouldn't have to.

And in the end, that leaves the real issue: heteronormativity on the part of the viewer leads to inertia.

I see your query and reverse it: how many straight people do we see in Star Wars? If we don't possess the frame of mind that literally everyone is (an admittedly easy enough thing to do for straight people such as myself), it becomes clear that almost any character could be gay or bi. I mean, as far as we know only like 4-5 people in the entire universe even want to have sex in the first place since it's never even brought up for anybody else.

Hell, maybe Jango Fett was gay - a big reason for him desiring a unaltered clone to be the son he could never have naturally (baseless speculation, ho!)

 

[Something Amyss]

I see your query and reverse it: how many straight people do we see in Star Wars?

100% of the romantic or sexual interactions we see are heterosexual in practice.

 

[Barbas]

No. Just the movies. I haven't read any of the comics or books to know.
I was mostly posting that as a joke.

Oh, all right then.

Simon Pegg apparently wrote an essay once on Threepio being gay.

 

[faefrost]

Am I the only one that misses the days when we were free to project ourselves onto a broader base of the characters? When the only times we needed to know anything about a characters sexual habits preferences or proclivities was when it was specifically an element of the story? When we remained free to project however much or little of ourselves into our mental stories of our favorite heroes. In short way back when we actually had imaginations, and didn't need to have it spelled out, in bog brightly colored banners for the clueless sitting in the back row. It's like the whole Harry Potter "Dumbledore is gay" thing. What sis it matter? It in no way informed the story. The characters sexuality may or may not be used as an element to the story, but it should never ever be the story. At least not in this type of escapist fantasy work.

 

[MrFalconfly]

No. Just the movies. I haven't read any of the comics or books to know.
I was mostly posting that as a joke.

Oh, all right then.

Simon Pegg apparently wrote an essay once on Threepio being gay.

Well that goes without saying.

I mean you have to be a bit "camp" to walk around and always being "glittery".

 

[EbonBehelit]

100% of the romantic or sexual interactions we see are heterosexual in practice.

I meant that more in consideration of every single humanoid character that takes up screen space across the 7 films. 99.99999% of them are of completely unknown sexuality.

Nevertheless, the remainder are, as you say, straight. Or maybe bi, who knows (but probably not).

I guess I'm just concerned here; the straight relationships are ham-fisted enough, and a poorly implemented gay character would do far more harm than good.

 

[TT Kairen]

Though on the 'black stormtrooper' issue, I hardly have a problem with it but it did make me wonder: does that mean the empire's past using mass-clones of Jango Fett then? Frankly I'd been wondering that for a pretty long time actually. When'd they stop using the Repbulic's incredibly effective clones for their military?

As of Episode 4, actually. This is actually confirmed by the Special Editions. Note Stormtroopers of different height, and small-talking with each other unprofessionally? The most telling is that while they changed Boba Fett to be voiced by Temeura(sp?) Morrison, AKA Jango Fett, the Stormtroopers all retained their random voice actors from different people. Not clones.

 

[Saltyk]

No. Just the movies. I haven't read any of the comics or books to know.
I was mostly posting that as a joke.

Oh, all right then.

Simon Pegg apparently wrote an essay once on Threepio being gay.

We all knew C-3PO was gay. That was obvious. I stated as much in my original post in this thread.

 

[JimB]

It's like the whole Harry Potter "Dumbledore is gay" thing. What [does] it matter? It in no way informed the story.

What did the whole "Harry, Ron, Hermione, every Weasley, Malfoy's dad, Harry's parents, Harry's aunt and uncle, and anyone else I'm forgetting are straight" thing do to inform the story? What does their sexuality matter? Shouldn't Ms. Rowling have left all their sexual orientations undefined for gay, bisexual, pansexual, and otherwise queer people to project onto?

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

*sigh*

So this is what it's come down to? Perhaps the biggest multimedia and film franchise of all time, resorting to hype generation of the lowest order. The kind that doesn't require intrigue, creativity, or even the audience's interest. No, just say "hey guys, them gays are totally coming!" and the money printer will work like it's on overcharge. No "we've got a really cool new character" or "the new worlds you'll see will blow your mind" or even "it's totally gonna go unexpected places".

It all loops back into the same phrase: "Not who you are, but what you are." For all we know, this character(s?) could be a time traveling, 900-year old 8 ton gorilla with cyborg arms and a mysterious backstory about his lost civilization, but all they deem important to tell us is "they're gay".

 

[Politrukk]

Happyninja42
Something Amyss


So now am I allowed to say they're doing it on purpose?
Or do we need to wait for another grand reveal that fits a certain denominator

 

[JimB]

So this is what it's come down to? Perhaps the biggest multimedia and film franchise of all time, resorting to hype generation of the lowest order. The kind that doesn't require intrigue, creativity, or even the audience's interest.

This was not an unsolicited statement. Someone at a Star Wars event asked the question, and the answer was given. If you dislike this being a story, then fine, whatever, but I think the Escapist deserves more of your bile for publishing it than...whomever you're blaming in the Star Wars franchise does for answering a straightforward question in a straightforward way.

 

[Barbas]

We all knew C-3PO was gay. That was obvious. I stated as much in my original post in this thread.

What, because he's all shiny and walks funny in the desert? I'd be shiny in intense sunlight (probably) and walk funny if I had sand stuck in my robocrack too!

 

[ThatOtherGirl]

I see your query and reverse it: how many straight people do we see in Star Wars?

100% of the romantic or sexual interactions we see are heterosexual in practice.

I would like to add to this that those romantic or sexual interactions include every single lead character in a Star Wars movie excluding TFA - Luke, Han, Leia, Anikin, Padme, and Obi-wan. Not only is every romance or sexual interaction heterosexual, but every single lead character demonstrates attraction to the opposite sex and never demonstrates attraction to the same sex.