Star Wars creators are once again facing backlash from those who think a galaxy filled with wookies, ewoks and droids couldn’t possibly include LGBTQ+ characters. The official Star Wars account spoke out after trolls complained about a Pride Month comic.
Throughout June, Marvel is releasing seven special Star Wars variant covers celebrating LGBTQ+ characters. One of them, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #24, features T’onga and Losha, two female characters from the Bounty Hunters series who are partners. Accompanying the main image is the Star Wars logo with a rainbow trail, and a small rainbow burst.
When the cover was shared to Twitter on 15 June, a minority of fans took to social media claiming that Star Wars and Disney were becoming “political”.
Their swift and cutting response made clear, in no uncertain terms, that queer representation isn’t political.
“1. Queer characters existing isn’t political,” Star Wars tweeted.
“2. Star WARS is literally in our name.”