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Mark Hamill was asked if Luke Skywalker is gay. His response was perfect.

Hamill was responding to a gay fan who was afraid to come out.

By

Erik Barnes

By

GOOD Staff

By  Erik Barnes  and  GOOD Staff
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Mark Hamill points to an image of his Luke Skywalker character
Mark Hamill gives a forceful response when asked about Luke Skywalker's sexuality – Photo credit: Mark Hamill (Wikicommons) Luke Skywalker (The Empire Strikes Back)

A debate among Star Wars fans has resurfaced online after a recent tweet from William Shatner, star of the original Star Trek TV series and films. It revolves around Mark Hamill, the actor who played Luke Skywalker in the storied sci-fi fantasy. In a 2016 interview, Hamill shared that he had a simple question that was asked of him by many fans: Is Luke Skywalker gay? Hamill gave an amazing response.

“Fans are writing and ask all these questions, ‘I’m bullied in school… I’m afraid to come out.’ They say to me, ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”

@jasonsolo04

#starwars#markhamill #lukeskywalker #foryoupage #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Jason Solo

Hamill’s reply was praised for its inclusivity and ability to let the character he had embodied for the majority of his adult life to be enjoyed by how anyone saw fit. However, in nearly equal measure, there was a toxic backlash by many fans who balked at the idea of Luke Skywalker being a homosexual. This was in part due to Hamill’s response being only partially quoted in major news and entertainment websites, as it was tapered off in headlines of publications like Vanity Fair and ScreenCrush that only highlighted the “Of course he is” portion of the quote. Regardless of true intention, it’s not uncommon for news sites, magazines, and other publications to omit portions of a quote to stir up controversy to attract additional readers.

This “Is Luke gay?” debate resurfaced when fellow sci-fi acting icon William Shatner tweeted out a misquoted headline and mistakenly confirmed Skywalker’s sexuality. Now, once again, this misquote has brought out toxic corners in the Star Wars fandom.

This reactivated squabble among the fan community, but there are glimpses of nuance this time around. Star Wars Theory, one of the biggest Star Wars YouTubers, revisited Hamill’s original full quote to cut through the incitement and clickbait regarding Shatner’s tweet. He concludes by saying, “I don’t think he’s gay, nor do I think it matters.”

Out Magazine, a publication focused on LGBTQ+ issues, also looked at the quote fully in the recent past. The article points out that fans could interpret Luke as gay given Jedi take a vow not to have sexual or romantic partners, so having sexual interest with anyone isn’t in the cards for him. They also argue that Luke might even be asexual since the character showed no indication of any interest in men or women aside from a panicked kiss with his sister Leia.

This positive aspect of this ongoing debate highlights why Hamill’s response was so perfect. Straight men see themselves in Luke Skywalker. Gay men see themselves in Luke Skywalker. Women see themselves in Luke Skywalker. Non-binary people see themselves in Luke Skywalker. Children and grown people alike see themselves in Luke Skywalker. Everyone and anyone can see themselves in Luke Skywalker.

Fandoms grow when many different people see themselves in the characters they love and their interpretations of them are a part of that fandom, whether other fans agree or not. It starts young when kids have their Luke Skywalker action figure fight a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in a WWE toy ring with Batman as a referee even though any adult fan would say that wouldn’t happen. It then later evolves into fans writing fan fiction, shooting fan films, reimagining their favorite characters through artwork, and imagining crossovers of their favorite franchises. Sometimes those imagined fan crossovers become actualized.

The same can be said for performers and creators bringing themselves into a character, too. The late Kevin Conroy, a friend of Mark Hamill and frequent voice acting costar, took his experience as a prejudiced gay man into his portrayal of Batman, a character that has been mostly depicted as heterosexual. Conroy took the pain and two-sided nature of being a closeted man within a homophobic community to parallel it with Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Mark Hamill believes that characters can be whoever you want them to be. He doesn’t have ownership of them. Nor do you. Nor do I. In the end, they all belong to all of us.

Mark Hamill's Twitter exchange with a gay fan
Mark Hamill sticks to the message. @HamillHimself
This article originally appeared in May
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