Monday, December 5, 2016

OUT MAGAZINE TOTALLY GAYWASHED LUKE SKYWALKER! WHY?




Mark_Hamill_1980When a fan tweeted Mark Hamill asking if Luke Skywalker was bisexual, the actor replied with a sensitive and thoughtful answer.  “His sexuality is never directly addressed in the films,” Hamill tweeted.  “Luke is whatever the audience wants him to be, so you can decide for yourself.”
He has a point, right?  It only makes sense.  Bi people are capable of being attracted to more than one gender, so you can’t always tell who is bi just from their relationship history.  It’s about potential attraction.
12507088_10206364089315699_240535841882412684_nSince the films didn’t explicitly say Luke was straight, it’s possible that he was bi.  Attraction to Leia (a woman) doesn’t automatically rule out the possibility that Luke could also be attracted to some men.
So, it’s best not to assume.  Luke could very well be bisexual.
But, then why did OUT Magazine post a blog about the twitter exchange with the totally gaywashing (and misleading) headline “Could Luke Skywalker Be Gay?”
Gay?  That’s not what the tweet asked!  The fan specifically asked “if Luke was bisexual.”  And since Luke apparently did have an attraction to women it seems more likely that he’s bi than gay, right?
Screen Shot 2016-01-23 at 21.07.43
So, what’s that weird headline asking if he’s “gay” all about?  It’s about erasing bisexuality.  That’s what it’s about.
It’s sad, but true.  Bisexuality is often erased in just this way.  Some people (even some gay people) have a hard time wrapping their minds around the fact that bi people exist, so they do bizarre mental gymnastics to interpret everything that isn’t 100% straight as automatically “gay.”
17955_1251779007054_1006874524_30602743_7127597_n“That guy kissed another dude?!  He must be GAY,” you often hear people conclude.  Never mind the guy’s epic history of dating girls.  “It’s a one way street to gay town,” they claim.  Silly, right?  It would be funny if it wasn’t so darn annoying.
Mark Hamill gave a beautiful reply to his fan on Twitter, only to have certain writers in the media totally gaywash the conversation.  The whole point of the actor’s thoughtful answer is that we have no real way of knowing what Luke Skywalker’s actual sexuality is.  But, apparently, according to OUT Magazine, just asking the question “could Luke be bisexual” automatically means he’s “gay.”
No wonder so many bi guys are reluctant to come out.

I know, it’s just Star Wars.  But come on, OUT Magazine!  Way to make a cute story into something weirdly sinister.  Not every guy who is attracted to other guys is gay.  Some of us are bisexual.  *shakes head*

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This really irritates me. Just because I consider myself gay, does that mean I can't appreciate how a woman takes care of herself, comports herself? Does it mean I should find women disdainful, unworthy of respect because they don't have the same genitalia that I do? Granted, that's extreme, but I think Out magazine is being extreme.

Conversely, I have a seriously non-gay friend (his nickname is "revolving door [name]") who has no problem holding my hand, hugging me (serious hugs, not bro hugs), spooning with me for a few hours (around 40% of the time at his request). We have no problem being in just our underwear around each other. Does that make him a closet case? Does it mean his denial about being gay is sky-high? Or does it mean that he's comfortable enough about his own sexuality, not bothered by mine, but he cares about me very much? (the feeling is mutual)

People are people. I would no more consider trying to get my friend's underwear off that I would a woman's, because sexuality is more than genitalia, it's what's in the heart.

I hope Out magazine prints some kind of retraction or apology.

SteveXS said...

Agree totally!

SteveXS said...

And there's this phenomenon -- I wouldn't call it a category because putting labels on people and things is one of the downfalls of our civility -- of some guys you can't call "gay" loving their best friends and expressing their bond physically. Only small minds find it necessary to reduce it to something that fits their agenda.

Anonymous said...

(doesn't need to be published, just wanted to pass along) Regarding phenomen/category: a couple of years ago I was attending the Seattle Gay Pride when I was approached and asked to take a survey. The first question was typical: do you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, bi-curious, etc.? I stopped right there, stating that the survey was heterosexually favored, which resulted in a quizzical look from the surveyor. Explaining that the common attitude about "bi-curious" was defined as heterosexuals curious and maybe willing to try homosexual activity once, there was no homosexual counterpart, like "het-curious". She stared at me for a moment (in contemplation or stunned, I don't know), then said "well played" and walked off. I would have taken the survey had the first question been along the lines of "With regard to your sexual orientation or preference, how do you identify yourself? (without listing any categories) I choose to regard myself as Graysexual, playing only above the waist, preferably with men, but there is the very, very occasional woman.