“Star Wars” should introduce gay or lesbian characters into the franchise, GLAAD urges in a new report.
The push comes as part of the anti-defamation group’s studio responsibility index, an annual survey of depictions of LGBT characters in major studio releases. Disney, which owns “Star Wars” creator LucasFilm, was one of two studios to feature no gay or lesbian characters in any of their films last year. The other was Paramount.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was praised for featuring a female and an African-American protagonist, but GLAAD says that the diversity push needs to be more expansive. It wants “Star Wars: Episode VIII,” currently shooting in London, to wave the rainbow flag, too.
“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 eighth ‘Star Wars’ film,” the report reads. “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. Recent official novels in the franchise featured lesbian and gay characters that could also be easily written into the stories.”
The lack of diversity on the big screen has inspired fierce debate around the entertainment industry, with some of the conversation stemming from the Oscars’ recent failure to nominate actors of color. Despite the chatter, when it comes to LGBT characters, GLAAD found that little progress has been made. Of the 126 major studio releases last year, only 22 of them — or 17.5% — featured LGBT characters. That was the same percentage of characters that appeared in films in 2014.
More than three quarters of films (77%) with LGBT characters featured gay men, less than a quarter (23%) included lesbians and less than a tenth (9%) included bisexual characters. There was only one film with a transgender character that was deemed inclusive. The characters that did appear were not racially diverse. In 2015, slightly more than 25% of LGBT characters were people of color compared with 32% in 2014.
“It is not enough for LGBT characters to simply be present; rather, these characters must be crafted thoughtfully and better reflect the full diversity of the LGBT community,” said GLAAD President/CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. “Leaving LGBT people out of the picture — or including them only as a punchline — keeps old prejudices alive and creates an unsafe environment, not only here in America, but around the world where most audiences see these depictions.”
The failure to show lesbian, gay and transgender characters comes amidst a period of wider social acceptance. The Supreme Court upheld same-sex marriage last summer and the majority of public opinion is now in favor of allowing same-sex unions. At the same time, Hollywood has used its financial heft to push for inclusion. Last March, major studios banded together to pressure Georgia not to go forward with a religious liberty bill that they claimed discriminated against LGBT citizens.
However, that did not extend to on screen portrayals of gay people. No studio received a “good” rating for their inclusion of LGBT characters. Fox, Lionsgate, Sony and Universal all earned adequate ratings, while Paramount, Disney and Warner Bros. earned failing grades. Lionsgate, which released the gay rights drama “Freeheld” and featured LGBT characters in “The DUFF” and “American Ultra,” was the most inclusive major studio, with eight out of its 24 releases deemed inclusive.
GLAAD also took issue with offensive depictions of LGBT people in a handful of big screen comedies. Kevin Hart’s work, in particular, was criticized in the report. “Get Hard” and “The Wedding Ringer,” two Hart hits, were cited for trading on “gay panic” humor.
support bisexual and LGBT
As much as I love star wars and support gay rights, I don’t think we should be over sexualising star wars because it will draw away from the actual story and then just concentrate on sex and the other thing is Starwars believe it or not is meant to be a family film not a porno, in the old movie Han Leah and luke all kissed, but if they over sexed it up I think it would have ruined starwars
Jeez, enough with the politically correct BS already. Do we really need to parade the homo erotica card in a children’s space film? Hopefully the producers have enough integrity to stick to the formula of the original trilogy and not give in to all these PC cry babies. Go watch Girls or whatever.
That’s an important point: The New Trilogy producers HAD integrity to stick to everything a generation remembered about the 70’s movies, and kicked out anything else.
Trivia–Ever wonder what was the name of that Asian-stereotype-frog Viceroy from Phantom Menace? “Nute Gunray”. Because, like other attempts to fit in his personal views, George Lucas wanted to make his own metaphorical statement about another duplicitous “Newt” in late-90’s politics at the time, and thought his fantasy universe was the place he could make it.
That’s one thing we -didn’t- miss in the new trilogy. Just bring back Han and Leia, and leave the PC soapboxing to the new Star Trek shows, with the Vulcan AIDS and the pedophile ensign we didn’t get.
I am the President of Redheads of Earth. I demand that red headed people be featured in Star Wars because Star Wars is all about exploring peoples hair color. If you don’t then you hate red heads and you’re a bigot. Bow to my demands!
My god are there a lot of morons in this comments section. Do you people just lay in your mobile home waiting to make homophobic comments?
I think a gay Hut leader with a gay chained as a sex slave (like Leia) would work nicely at some point of the script. Open affection was barely shown in any of the movies by anyone so why is there such a focus on GLAAD wanting it obvious gay? Hire the gays to act the script, wear the costumes, etc. just like everyone else does without flaunting their sexuality.
There should be a prequel where Darth Vader reveals he’s gay, and apologizes for having sex with Luke’s mother.
Besides, there have been numerous gay and lesbian characters in TV and film for the LAST 40 YEARS. Has GLAAD been asleep? They act like there are none.
Oh, glaad says there should be gay characters. Who would have thought that? Tell glaad invest some money or shut the F up.
Everybody gets a trophy for existing. I’m glad there’s organizations everywhere telling artists and writers what they should do with their stories.
LGBT are less than 2% of the population. Why SHOULD such a tiny fringe demand and receive special representation when in fact NO other “demographic” has been given the same in the Star Wars franchise?
If nothing else, Star Wars is a fairy tale especially for children. Let them have those all too few fleeting years of innocence. The LGBT community is now trying to corrupt and defile that. Shows just how selfish they really are.
Are you Jewish? If you’re getting your material from The Old Testament, you are getting it from the Jewish Bible. And, Christ’s disciples are not Christ. Since Christ never spoke on homosexuality, your views are not Christian, that’s for certain.
Well, create your own multi-billion-dollar franchise, sell tons of tickets, then put all the gay characters you want to in them. Otherwise, you don’t get to demand anything. Too bad for you, huh?
They do realize the ORIGINAL Star Wars trilogy had black (Lando) and woman (Leia) main characters, too, right?
Fine, Whoopi-do. Create a Demi Lovato character while you’re at it.
Because only Bad People disagree with Good People.
Tell GLAAD to fund some big budget super hero flicks where the hero is gay. These dolts want other people to fund their cause, then when their dumb ideas bomb they’re no where to be found for comment.
Star Wars shall be all things to all people. Come forth, dyslexic bi-sexual Eskimos. You shall find validation here.
Correction needed: GLAAD report pans “The DUFF” for its lack of LGBT.
Sorry GLAAD but this is dumb. We only know the apparent sexuality of a handful of characters. For some we don’t even know the gender or if they even have a gender. So unless it comes up intrinsically in the storyline they should just let it be. How do you know the Star Wars universe is not already brimming with LBGT persons? Do we really need to have characters indicating romantic / sexual interest just to demonstrate what their sexuality is? Or even worse, demonstrate stereotypical behaviors? If it comes up naturally, I’m fine with it. But if they make an overt effort then it’s just more silly PC.
I hate movies or tv that only cast certain people hoping they get more viewers . It really makes it more fake because you know why they cast them. Is absolutely ridiculous to tell some how to make a movie or who should be in it. That’s going way too far god like the other guy said stop ramming in peoples face trying be seen all time who cares.
SO GLADD IS DEMANDING HOLLYWOOD HELP THEM MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE THEIR LIFESTYLE IS NORMAL
To GLAAD and GLSEN, repetition = normalization.
A warning to parents out there. Once Upon a Time has introduced a gay couple into their story line. I am not sure that parents contemplating a PG show for their kids would expect to see 2 women or 2 men frenching for the enlightenment of their children. Just another example of pushing the LGBTQXYZ agenda onto our children.
Well, it IS ABC…They’ve sort of let Modern Family go to their heads over the last few years.
True but Modern Family at least started that way. With OUT (no pun intended), they sneak it in, in, what, season 6?
These advocacy groups are ruining their causes with these ridiculous demands. You’re gay? Cool. Now stop ramming it down everyone’s throat
epic oops… C-3PO
autocorrect messed some there… w/e
Oh, next we’re going to get the jokes that Tahei and Matashichi were “gay”…
So now supposedly LGBT people aren’t well represented in movies and aren’t crafted thoughtfully? They want to try selling that BS to THE DANISH GIRL, CAROL, and SPOTLIGHT, 3 Oscar nominated films about LGBT people. And here is just the short list of close to 40 films about LGBT characters from 2015 alone that played in mainstream theaters: THE GIFT(horror /suspense), DOPE (AFRICAN AMERICANS coming of age), BURNT (Brad Cooper), GRANDMA (Lily Tomlin), THE “D” TRAIN (Jack Black ), STONEWALL, etc. Every year almost all of nominated box office hits are about LGBT people. Straight actors like to win awards and get movie roles too, but they know that unless they feed the insatiable appetite of a select community of gays and lesbians, then they can’t further their careers. That’s a sick, sad, and depraved way of treating actors. I even read reports at one time or another that SPIDER MAN and DEADPOOL are going to have or already have boyfriends in past or upcoming films (Not a superhero fan boy but have read articles in entertainment websites. The bottom line is LGBT actors get roles all the time and they are obvious LGBT roles . Most of the time though, those roles go to white males or white females. There is where the film industry may lack diversity. Unless, they, Hollywood, really wants to send out the message that +90% of the LGBT community is white and male? Which may be true.?.
3CPO… done
There are plenty of characters who’s sexuality is never discussed, couldn’t some of these characters be part of the LGBTQ community? Po the fighter pilot could be gay for all we know. There really arent any “love scenes” or scenes that show affection that could distinguish a character as straight or not.
How about we just have good actors and forget the gay bs. This Hollywood crusade to jam this crap down my throat is getting very old.
Let’s take a saga with minimal to no sexual overtone and throw in the obligatory gay person. They might as well have Finn die so he can be the token black guy.
HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! Oh, my guts!!! They hurt from laughing so hard.
I am for equality but compromising artistic integrity for satisfying a demographic is horrible. That is not equality that is excepiinalism
exactly why we didn’t get the epic story we could have with jarjar being the main sith
These LGBTQAFH group and what ever letters I am missing need to chill. A love story is not what star wars is about and seeing any sort of gays in it would be disappointing. A total change of the script just for this BS diversity would have a lot of negative views. If George Lucas wants a bunch of fairies to show up on release date then that should be his decision and not because of faulty society.
Star Wars has only ever had one actual love storyline for its trilogies. First Luke/Leia turned Leia/Han, and then Anakin/Padme. So far there doesn’t even seem to be on at all in the new films. To simply shove some kind of gay characters in there for the sake of diversity is pushing it. The only way we would know they’re gay (unless they subscribe to stereotypes and cliches, which wouldn’t even make sense in this galaxy-spanning story), would be to include gay romance subplots. Romantic subplots do not exist in Star Wars as previously stated. This would truly be an instance of “forcing the gay agenda, if you will.
LGBTQ literally wants to -market- themselves into the next Persecuted Minority, through sheer cultural exposure alone, but hampered by the fact that they loudly claim they have no interest in seeing a story about characters who AREN’T gay. And when the rest of the public isn’t subject to the same self-centered Cultural Tunnel-Vision, they claim More Persecution.
When they liked Frozen–just because, well, who didn’t?–they insisted on finding gay metaphors and characters behind every bush, so that they could feel “allowed” to like it on a personal idealistic level, and now they want a safe approved reason to be “allowed” to like Star Wars just like every other fan geek, too.
And if you were to explain that well, you see, you’re allowed to like a movie or character for themselves even if they’re, gasp, -not- gay, out would come the Instant Persecution conspiracy theories of being “Silenced by the mainstream media!”.
It’s sort of like the same fear that studios feel they “have” to put Chinese characters in big blockbuster movies, or otherwise Chinese audiences wouldn’t show any interest in going to go see it.
I always thought C3PO and R2D2 were gay, from the time I saw the first episode.
Star Wars is not about any sexuality, I really don’t want to know if Kylo Ren is anything other than a sith lord. I really don’t care. Personally, leave the kid movies alone. Keep all the kissing and whatever else left to the imagination.
DUMBEST idea ever. These films are meant to take you away from all the bullshit in life. I personally would like to get 2 hours away from LGBTQ, Kaitlyn Jenner, climate change, nuclear rogue States, etc. These movies were not created for you to further your agenda. Seek psychiatric help.
I agree and I volunteer to play.
“Star Wars should have gay characters in it.”
No it shouldn’t, because Star Wars isn’t a platform for social re-engineering. But GLAAD kicked and screamed and sued, sued, sued until it got gay marriage, and is now raising holy hell until it costs businesses billions of dollars collectively to get transgendered bathrooms. Does anyone really think Disney will stand in their way? Hell, they’re one of the companies threatening to boycott North Carolina over bathroom laws. Clearly we can’t rely on them to not pander to leftist social causes.
Did they missed C3PO all this time?
And then in a later sequel they can have a scene where the gay space people/Ewoks/Wookies/Gungans throw an interstellar pride parade where they bounce around virtually naked celebrating sex instead of sexuality because they think that’s a rational response to what all the hetero space people/Ewoks/Wookies/Gungans do even though they actually do no such thing.
Nothing will ever be enough for the LGBTQ community reps. They want to change the world, and they’re attempting to do it by force. (Did you see what I did just there… Tell me my humor wasn’t lost on you). Lol.
I’m tired of these lobbies shoving their agenda down our throats. Allow us to be how we want to be, damn!
Yawn…..Hollywood studios are businesses making movies to entertain people……they aren’t diversity outreach programs formed to push political agendas. Quotas based on race, gender or sexual orientation have no place there.
I can’t believe certain organizations try to push there beliefs onto everyone. If you want a movie with gays in them make one and see how much money you make. It’s not discrimination it’s just facts. Why would I want to see that in a Star Wars movie. Heck next you be complaining that they didn’t have a sex seen.
Please please stop with this “everything must have a LGBT person in it”. Star Wars wasn’t written with LGBT characters in it. So why add them? Idris Alba is one of the finest actors on the planet but James Bond was written as an upper class white male character. So why change it? Lando Calrissian (spelling) was a black male, should a white man play him in episode VIII? Of course not. Changing or adding something just for the sake of being politically correct isn’t the way forward in my opinion.
why not have pink elephant in the movie also.
What the heck is wrong with you. I mean Really? Is this why you go see a mivie to see who is gay or black or white for that matter. Sounds like a bunch of babies crying if they aren’t represented in every part of other people’s lives. Yeah. Hear that. What’s next. Every family is required to have a gay family member? I know I know, they have all kinds of other people in the movies. Well if a movie calls for a specific type and not another it’s not something that should be out in or it could ruin the movie but who cares right as long as a gay is represented it won’t matter if the movie is good or not.
Hey Wes,
Look around you, mate. Every family DOES have a gay family member. Unless you’ve got an extremely small family – if there are more than 10 of you (I’m including aunts/uncles/cousins, etc), then you’ve definitely got a gay in there somewhere.
I’m so disappointed by literally every single post on here. You’re all entitled to your opinions and nothing I say is going to persuade you either way. It just makes me sad to read the comments, that’s all. I don’t think GLAAD is advocating for a gay romance – I’m sure they know that Star Wars doesn’t have that element, really (save for H+L). I don’t think they’re advocating for a “subplot” of gayness. Lol. It’s just about having one of the heroes of the story actually be gay – you can’t imagine the kind of impact that would have around the world in breaking prejudices. It doesn’t have to be a plot point, it doesn’t have to be a big deal in the story. In fact, it shouldn’t be! Those kinds of personal stories are not what Star Wars is about. It’s simply about VISIBILITY. If a gay person exists in the Star Wars universe, and is portrayed in a positive way. Then people around the world might take a second thought about it. Might just consider for one small moment that gays really aren’t that different after all.
Art has ALWAYS been a catalyst for social change. Just seeing Rei and Finn helps normalize the idea that women or blacks can be heroes (OF COURSE THEY CAN!). Star Wars doesn’t have to make a big deal out of the fact that Finn is black. Or that Rei is a female. It’s better that they don’t even address it – just let it be there as an example. A simple shot of a hero pilot touching a photograph of his male partner before he goes into battle. That’s it. Easy. Done.
First english is not my native language so sorry for eventuall bad writing. Now to the topic. That’s the way they do it… they kick the doors and shout “WHERE IS A GAY/LESBIAN CONTENT?!!!!!1111oneone1” and that’s why i hate them… because everywhere they are they try to set that thing up like it was “if you won’t do it then i’ll stamp my feet and say that everyone hate meh and i accuse everyone with it ” This is not normal…. that’s one thing. Second….. movies should be AROUND STORY not some bullshit things like “There’s not too much gays / lesbians in it let’s put some on to satisfy them” period. I ask who will be next? zoophiles? necrophiles? pedophiles? Seriously you guys should run up and hit your head with a wall… maybe then you’ll cool down. And third if you don’t like it make your own movies… check-mate… hope this will shut up the whole “cry babies” who thinks the whole world SHOULD BE ON THEIR demand and bow to them because THEY want some shit.
Sorry, i dont see the need. If a character is gay, let the character be gay, but, we dont need to add a sexual side of a character when it doesnt need to be there just to make it known that people can be gay in the storyline…. im sorry if this offends, and i dont mean to offend. but it does seem lately like the lbgt media is trying to bully the rest of the world. “Make a character gay -or that means you are anti gay”… because two guys hug or get along really well doesnt always mean they have to be gay.
that being said, its entirely possible that the character might be gay… who cares?, the character is supposed to in the movie for what he or she does in the movie…
i think people just get frustrated by the way GLAAD is leaning towards bullying about things lately… do what we say or you hate us and everything we stand for…
I have nine brothers and 1 sister. 11 of us and not a single gay in the family. Your theory is crap.
That is what the LGBTQXYZ wants you to believe. It is all a political numbers game for them and that is why they are busy as bees pushing the LGBTQXYZ message as far down into schools as the possibly can. It is a strategy to increase numbers.
I’ve not got a gay or lesbian in my family, I’ve got a huge family. To presume that every family DOES is ridiculous.
I am very much in favor of anti-discrimination laws and equal opportunities, but being forced or feeling obligated to include gay or lesbian characters into a film seems to be putting the character cart before the story horse. The story should come first and if that evolves to include gay and lesbian characters then great and if it doesn’t then leave them alone. They’re are plenty of examples of films and TV shows that willing and necessarily include gay characters. They don’t need to be in every film as not every film need point out the heterosexual nature of its characters.