Star Wars Introduces First LGBT Character into Canon
Via BigShinyRobot.com:
In “Lords of the Sith,” the new “Star Wars” novel scheduled for release April 28, 2015, writer Paul S. Kemp has given us the first LGBT character that is part of the official canon.
Although this is the first character like this in the new canon, it is not the first same-sex relationship in “Star Wars.” Most recently, Bioware added same gender relationships in “Star Wars: The Old Republic” online roleplaying game after an initial outcry from fans that they weren’t included at launch. As far as the Expanded Universe was concerned, they were included in the now Legendary “Legacy of the Force” books. Karen Traviss included two Mandalorians, Goran Beviin and Medrit Vasur, who were in a committed marriage. That reference was very subtle though, and some readers had even felt that they’d misinterpreted it, not realizing that they were reading about two gay Mandalorian men.
With Paul S. Kemp’s “Lords of the Sith,” there is no ambiguity whatsoever.
Moff Mors is an Imperial who has made some very serious mistakes but she is an incredibly capable leader and spends much of the book working hard to prevent absolute failure. She also happens to be a lesbian.
In a time where calls for more diversity in “Star Wars” happen regularly, it was refreshing to read about this character in the context of this book, which I found excellent across the board.
Shelly Shapiro, editor of “Star Wars” books at Del Rey, talked to me about this for the Full of Sith podcast. During that interview I asked her about the inclusion of this character in the book. She explained that it wasn’t necessarily about making a statement, but simply reflecting the diversity in the universe.
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