J.J. Abrams says it’s time for gay ‘Star Wars’ characters; ComicBookResources.com, 2/27/16

Brendan McGuirk, ComicBookResources.com; J.J. Abrams says it’s time for gay ‘Star Wars’ characters:

"Director J.J. Abrams brought the “Star Wars” universe some balance with “The Force Awakens,” when he cast a woman and men of Nigerian and Guatemalan descent as the leads in the new generation of the Lucasfilm mythos, breaking the trappings of a genre that often trains its focus on the adventures of white males, at the expense of others. Now, Abrams thinks “Star Wars” is ready to break its next barrier, and that it’s time a gay character be introduced to the universe. Rey, Finn and Poe may evidence progress in pop-culture sci-fi, but Abrams sees work yet to be done. “When I talk about inclusivity, it’s not excluding gay characters, it’s about inclusivity,” the “10 Cloverfield Lane” producer remarked Thursday while addressing press at the the US-Ireland Alliance Oscar Wilde Awards, according to EW. “To me, the fun of ‘Star Wars’ is exploring the possibilities, so it seems insanely narrow-minded to say that there wouldn’t be a homosexual character in that world.”