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.”
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 sticks to the message.@HamillHimself
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A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com