Star Wars is bigger and better than ever. With the recent conclusion of the epic Skywalker saga, a new Disney theme park, a new TV series, and a whole new canon of books, comics, video games, and more, there has never been a better time to be a Star Wars fan!
Especially a queer Star Wars fan!
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When the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) published their 2016 "Studio Responsibility Index"—Star Wars' parent studio, Disney, didn't fare so well. In the index, GLAAD stated:
For the first time since beginning this report, GLAAD did not find any LGBT-inclusive content among Disney’s yearly slate of films.
Ouch. The solution? Well, they called out our favorite space opera by name!
As sci-fi projects have the special opportunity to create unique worlds whose advanced societies can serve as a commentary on our own, the most obvious place where Disney could include LGBT characters is in the upcoming Star Wars films. 2015’s The Force Awakens has introduced a new and diverse central trio, which allows the creators opportunity to tell fresh stories as they develop their backstory.
Well, we can't say we disagree! (We still wish FinnPoe was a thing, Disney!)
However, while the movies may be missing major LGBTQ+ representation, you may be surprised at the number of queer characters and inclusive elements already baked into the galaxy far, far away. So, in honor of Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), here are five queer things you may not know about Star Wars.
1. Juhani was the first lesbian character — by accident.
The 2003 PC role-playing game, Knights of the Old Republic, featured many customizable elements. And due to an early error in the game, players were able to pursue a lesbian romance with the female character, Juhani. While the romance was never canon, it gave queer fans hope!
2. Boba Fett has gay friends.
Yep, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy kicks it with the gays. In 2006, author Karen Traviss introduced readers to Goran Beviin, one of Boba Fett's most trusted Mandalorian lieutenants...and a total 'mo. He's even married to fellow Mandalorian warrior, Medrit Vasur, making them the first openly gay couple in Star Wars history.
3. The world's biggest Star Wars collector is gay.
Ever heard of Rancho Obi-Wan? It's the world's largest private collection of Star Wars merchandise and memorabilia, filling a storehouse in Sonoma County, California with more than 300,000+ items. The owner of this impressive collection is none other than former Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm, Steve Sansweet. Sansweet was a prominent Lucasfilm spokesman for nearly 15 years and continues to act as fan advisor to the company. In 2013, Sansweet was invited to participate in a video for the Gay Family Values blog, which featured the mega-Star Wars fan and his husband of more than 37 years, Bob. Steve even wrote about the experience on the official StarWars.com blog.
4. There are now officially gay characters in the new Star Wars canon.
In April 2014, Lucasfilm announced they were relegating all the existing "Expanded Universe" material to "Legends" status, making way for a completely integrated and canonical Star Wars content landscape. While this new canon is still evolving, we've already been introduced to a bunch of officially lesbian and gay characters—which is awesome!
5. J.J. Abrams is convinced we'll see gay Star Wars characters in the movies.
When asked if he sees room for gay characters in a galaxy far, far away, The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams had this to say:
Of course! When I talk about inclusivity it’s not excluding gay characters. It’s about inclusivity. So of course.
Sure, we got a very, very, very small taste of on-screen queer rep in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, and we have some great bromances in Star Wars, but it'd be great to see an out-and-proud character join the universe eventually.
Only time will tell if/when we see actual, full-fledged LGBTQ+ representation on the big screen in a Star Wars movie, but the stars seem to be aligning.
May the Fourth be with you!
