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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMark Hamill Reveals Luke Skywalker Might Be Gay In 'Star Wars'
If this turns out to be true, I am going to ugly cry! I often wonder what it was like for so many people to see Barack Obama elected on that beautiful night in November of 2008. If Star Wars does in fact take this step, then maybe, just maybe I might see a gay man as president one day too.
To those wondering about Luke Skywalker's sexuality, this is the quote you're looking for.
Mark Hamill recently opened up to The Sun about the issue and gave new hope to fans looking for gay characters in the "Star Wars" universe.
Fans are writing and ask all these questions, Im bullied in school
Im afraid to come out. They say to me, Could Luke be gay? Id say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer, the actor said. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.
Recently, "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams opened up about the possibility of gay characters in "Star Wars." "It seems insanely narrow minded to say that there wouldn't be a homosexual character in that world," he said.
If you look at the character's romantic past, he does kiss a girl in "Star Wars," who turns out to be his sister. (Gross, dude.) And in the books and comics about the universe, Luke actually has a wife and a son. However, that doesn't define anyone's sexuality, and Disney apparently made all those stories irrelevant after the purchase of Lucasfilm, starting a new official canon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-hamill-luke-gay_us_56daf782e4b03a405678d6a9
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)Not quite what he said, but still a nice message. I wonder when will we see gay superheroes, gay characters who are pivotal to the main plot and not a "side dish". The "final frontier" indeed (and yes, I know I "cross pollinated" . I'll be long dead before the "Fierce Awakens!"
Quackers
(2,256 posts)Where one species required a third sex to reproduce.
Firebrand Gary
(5,044 posts)Now i'm on a mission to track it down and watch it! Should be a hoot! Thanks for the tip Quackers!
Quackers
(2,256 posts)It was Enterprise. Trip taught the cogenitor to read and write.
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)I just re-watched that series and I don't recall that episode. There was a Star Trek: TNG where the inhabitants had no gender and to "choose" a gender was considered shameful and grounds for reeducation.
Quackers
(2,256 posts)Sorry for the confusion
UtahJosh
(131 posts)Quackers
(2,256 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)The third party in the process, and maybe the episode itself, was called the cogenitor.
Quackers
(2,256 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)Quackers
(2,256 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)Quackers
(2,256 posts)My time frame, of course.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)...except one member of this species came out of the closet to identify as female. Then, her world's government had her institutionalized to treat her "gender disorder".
white_wolf
(6,238 posts)The most recent run of Young Avengers focused heavily on the relationship of 2 male charactes, Wiccan and Hulking.There is also Batwoman from DC and John Constintaine is bi-sexual. I could list a ton more because I'm huge comic fan.
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)I am big DC fan. I know some Marvel, but not as well. I am talking about the "big screen."
TipTok
(2,474 posts)Not a main character though...
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)LGBT in Star Trek[edit]
The Pocket Books 1992 guideline for story submission, "How to Submit Creative Material," states: "We are not interested in books that suggest anything other than friendship among any of the Enterprise crewmembers."[10] None of the Star Trek films or television series have had any characters officially identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), nor have there been stories that directly address LGBT rights.
J. J. Abrams, who rebooted the franchise with 2009's Star Trek, said in 2011 that he was "frankly shocked that in the history of Star Trek there have never been gay characters in all the series". Including a gay character in the next film "was not in the list of my priorities to try to figure out how to make this movie in the best possible way. But it will now be in the hopper." Abrams did not commit to including an identifiably non-heterosexual character but did commit to bringing the idea to the writers.[23] Ultimately, Star Trek Into Darkness did not include an identifiably LGBT character.
(and more importantly...)
When the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact was in production, a rumor circulated that one crew-member named Lieutenant Hawk (Neal McDonough) would be identified as gay in some subtle way. The Daily Mail and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation reported on the rumor, but Berman quickly released a press statement that there were no LGBT characters in the film. However, Andy Mangels' and Michael Martin's novel Section 31: Rogue establishes Hawk as a gay character.[24]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_in_Star_Trek#LGBT_in_Star_Trek
TipTok
(2,474 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)Also, they have very limited readership, so a "revelation" there doesn't carry much weight IMO.
I'd rather a main, named character be gay. Why not a bridge officer or CMO or a Captain?
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)It isn't just "Star Trek" but all movies. GLBT don't exist. When we are included, we are still the worn-out old stereotypes or side characters.
Orrex
(63,215 posts)100% true.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)In the lesbian community over the TV show The 100. The characters aren't super heroes but the lesbian community finally got a bisexual female lead who developed a relationship with a lesbian.
I won't say much more on the subject because that'd be a spoiler but keep in mind the whole all gays must die trope.
The point of this post is that the LGBTQ community not only needs representation but positive representation.
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)Some stereotypes seem to be par for the course. We may not be sassy-talking, swishy-hipped, lisp-talking/butch, man-hating/deviant caricatures as in the past (for the most part), but the wholeness of the LGBT experience and our lives are not well-represented and still treated like an "afterschool special" (see above example from ST: DS9).
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)still has a long way to go. What I find fascinating about the writers from these shows is that they seem to have no clue how to reach out and do some research. It's lazy writing IMO. Sadly, the show I was referring to has a lesbian writer on staff and we still get the trope.
BumRushDaShow
(129,077 posts)And Jadzia Dax (not a side character) - notably the episode "Rejoined"). The whole Trill species construct allowed for this -
(episode was aired in 1995)
Orrex
(63,215 posts)Dax was portrayed to have had romantic relationships with non-Trill males and females, so it's clear that Trills don't confine themselves to human hetero norms.
Further, those non-Trills who were involved with (or married to) Dax during the run of the show were likewise in a non-hetero relationship as well.
Sisko often referred affectionately to Dax as "Old Man, but that's clearly a nod to his friendship with an earlier Dax host, rather than a statement about the inherent "male-ness" of the Trill symbiote.
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)The former was male/female and there was a taboo about reuniting with past loves. In the end, the "partner" leaves forever, leaving Dax forlorn. I didn't see that episode or that series, but, if it is to be considered an 'example' of LGBT persons, it is an example of the poor way GLBT people are displayed in media.
Orrex
(63,215 posts)I confess I'm not really solid on DS9 trivia, so the particulars are lost on me.
I seem to recall George Takei indicating that Roddenberry himself expressly forbade "homosexual issues" to be explored, though Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew hoped to see storylines doing exactly that.
BumRushDaShow
(129,077 posts)Quite a few unexpected subjects (including the "war side" of the Federation in terms of driving home the stark realities of war) broached during its run.
underpants
(182,826 posts)Firebrand Gary
(5,044 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)But if Luke were revealed to be gay at this late date, it will be criticized as a pandering attempt at retconning. Also, Lucas would explode like Alderaan!
Why couldn't Finn or Poe be gay? Or both? They're strong, capable characters we're still getting to know, so why not?
Firebrand Gary
(5,044 posts)I think Finn is interested in Rey though. Although I did see the movie four times, the line that is sticking out the most was "You gotta boyfriend, you gotta cute boyfriend" Finn to Rey.
Response to Firebrand Gary (Original post)
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dembotoz
(16,808 posts)Orrex
(63,215 posts)Archae
(46,335 posts)We don't go to sci-fi movies to guess which character is gay.
We go to see the bad guys in their TIE fighters blown to pieces!
Behind the Aegis
(53,959 posts)While I agree with the idea of watching the action scenes, how many of these also include "love stories"? So why is it so fucking hard to include on with a GAY character. And, if as you say, you really don't care, then it should be an issue.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)and would like to see some sort of non-stereotypical portrayals of ourselves.
How would you feel if almost every portrayal of straight people in a relationship ends in some sort of negative way? Imagine being a kid struggling with your sexuality and all you saw of your sexuality was unhappy endings. Wouldn't give you much hope for a happily ever after, would it?
The way the media portrays LGBTQ characters is important. Likewise speaking out about it when it's done in a negative way.
Archae
(46,335 posts)justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)As a lesbian, I do the exact same thing as heterosexuals. I buy groceries, I have a job, I pay bills and taxes and I have relationships. Yet in the majority of mainstream representations based on my sexual orientation, I am more likely to see lesbian relationships portrayed in one of 3 ways:
Titillating fodder for straight males
An experiment before ultimately ending up with a man
A decent love story up until the lesbians have sex, and then one of them gets killed.
Many people within the lesbian community certainly see the third one as a message: That if you're in a happy lesbian relationship, one of you must end up dead.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)What with Captain Jack Harkness, Madame Vastra and her wife Jenny, and many others.
Crunchy Frog
(26,587 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Last edited Sun Mar 6, 2016, 10:09 PM - Edit history (1)