Lit Ignorance is Bias: The Diversity Manifesto

Yeah, and that doesn't have any unfortunate implications at all.

 

It's certainly one of the more problematic tropes.

What would be needed would be more normal portrayals- not confined to villains.

 

I read an interview with Nana Visitor who played Kira, where she talked about being very concerned to not be offensive to the gay community in how she played MU Kira, and how she initially played her with the intention that MU's sexual interest in her other self was narcissim, not bi/homosexuality, but continued use of the character established her as bisexual, a major example of the evil bisexual woman trope.

 

Didn't Mirror Ezri turn out to be a hero- at least, compared to many Mirror Universe characters?

 

Yes, iirc, MU Ezri and Leeta were a couple and were good guys, so there was some balance there. Of course, all the bisexuality was limited to the women, of course.

 

Frankly, it does operate that way. One or two people coming in at once and objecting for the first time in...god, I can't even remember how long, maybe years, doesn't negate the OP or the past 160 pages of discussion. I can't stop people from objecting once in a while, but even if I had the power to throw someone out of the thread at the first hint of disagreement, that's not how I would want to do things. I acknowledge my privilege in that I'm not directly affected by the debate, but if someone agrees with me 4/5 of the time I'd rather at least attempt to stick to common ground with that person rather than shun them immediately.

Not only do I personally prefer a common ground approach, I think that's why this thread has survived as long as it has where all the other gay-related topics go straight to pot.

 

Ok. I guess since the first dust up to happen in the thread in years happened pretty much right after I got here, it's given me a skewed view of what goes on here.
I'm curious, are there any openly gay actors in the movies/Clone Wars, or any openly gay writers in the comics and/or novels? I'm not aware of any. I know Natalie Portman, Carrie Fisher and Ewan McGregor are all outspoken straight allies, but I'm not aware of any gay people prominantly involved with Star Wars.

 

Not that jump to mind. I hadn't actually thought of that before--what SW needs is a Takei figure.

 

I'm a little surprise there's not a gay person somewhere in there. I figured there was one that I just didn't know about, a novelist at least or something.
That makes me think, I'd love for bisexual comic writer Gail Simone to write a Star Wars comic focused on Leia. Not that I'm advocating queering Leia up, just that she's a comic writer I love that writers really interesting and fun heroines, like with her iconic run on Birds of Prey.

 

I believe I pointed this out earlier when I mentioned that Gavin Darklighter had a relationship with a Bothan...which is surprisingly more acceptable than a same-sex relationship.

 

I didn't actual know Gail was bi, but that does bring up a point about actors, editors...heck, anyone involved in SW and their status as being openly out to the public or not, because there's plenty of LGBTQ people behind the scenes, but they may not be announcing that fact to the general public, or the public might not be aware (I've read loads of Gail's work and follow her on social media and I had honestly missed that she identified as bi).

 

Takei is a wonderful actor and human being who was in the perfect position to catch lightning in a bottle. I think it'd be hard for anyone to be a Takei...maybe if we could get Sir Ian McKellan in a SW movie somehow?

 

McKellan would be an amazing casting coup if Star Wars got him.

 

Yeah, there is one person I have a feeling about, but I'm in no position to know so I'd never say it. Statistically, you would think there's at least one or two.

 

It's not a secret that Andy Mangels is a massive bear (granted, I think it's been some time since he had anything to do with SW). Other than him I don't know who is public about it and who isn't.

 

Ian McKellan has been my mental image of C'Baoth forever now (since Christopher Lee is tied up as another character). I now demand that McKellan be used as an insane Sith Lord/Dark Jedi.

Speaking of Takei, a random comment: I'm very, very slowly making my way through the Star Trek series (I should be on The Next Generation sometime in the next three years), and finally got to the famous Mirror, Mirror. It's so... oddly perfect that opposite Evil Sulu hits on Uhura relentlessly, while regular Sulu never shows any interest to my knowledge. I doubt the Star Trek producers knew anything, of course, and I don't think Sulu's character is gay (though he should be), but it does certainly feel like opposite evil Takei.

 

Mazzic did a piece for Suvudu once--and there was that time he proposed to me in the interview thread.

 

I'm familiar with Mangles from his Star Trek work. What has he written for Star Wars?
Oh I'm sure out of six movies and the Clone Wars there's bound to be some gay actors, but I'm not trying to speculate.

 

I don't want to derail from the current subject about LGBTQ representation in Star Wars but has anyone seen the Red Letter Media reviews? I was rewatching it and I remember Part Six on his review on the Clone Wars. Basically Plinkett goes on this rant about how George Lucas miscast Samuel L. Jackson as the only black character in the Prequel Trilogy in order to appeal to the "urban market"...and in the process managed to butcher the representation of the only black actor in the Prequel Trilogy. Any thoughts on this?

 

I thought Jackson was well cast, I thought his character worked well.

 

That guy's stuff is amusing, but I don't necessarily take his opinions seriously.

 

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Andy_Mangels

I think he worked at DH for some time too in some capacity, although don't hold me to that. I used to see him at the Big Gay Dinners at SDCC back in the day.