Former Trump advisor says LGBTQ characters will ‘destroy’ Star Wars
Sebastian Gorka decried a suggestion by J.J. Abrams that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might include LGBTQ representation
A conservative radio host and former Donald Trump advisor claims that including LGBTQ characters in Star Wars would “destroy” the franchise.
Sebastian Gorka, who was Deputy Assistant to the President until August 2017, made the comments during a recent episode of his America First radio show, the Advocate reports.
It came after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker director J.J. Abrams suggested LGBTQ people would feel “represented” in the film.
“[In] the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they’re being represented in the film,” he told Variety earlier this month, adding, “I will say I’m giving away nothing about what happens in the movie. But I did just say what I just said.”
That was apparently enough to raise Gorka’s blood pressure, who told his listeners, “They’re going to destroy Star Wars as well.”
“We have the statement from J.J. Abrams that Star Wars is going to go LGBTQ,” he said. “Well, you know, if you couldn’t destroy the franchise already, let’s destroy it a little bit more. The last installment of the Star Wars saga would include a member from the trans — is it trans? Let’s just say the alphabet soup community.”
Gorka is no stranger to anti-LGBTQ sentiment, having previously railed against the inclusion of a same-sex wedding in PBS animated children’s show Arthur earlier this year.
The episode, “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” featured the children’s teacher marrying his partner, without ever using the words “gay” or “same-sex” or “homosexuality.”
Related: Arthur’s teacher comes out and marries his boyfriend in long-running PBS cartoon
But Gorka branded the inclusion of the wedding ceremony a “culture war” during a “Save Our Society” segment on his show.
“My children used to watch Arthur 15 years ago, about a rodent-like creature that lived and had fun in his cartoon world,” he said. “The new season of Arthur will have one of Arthur’s teachers at school, a male teacher, married to a fellow male rodent.”
He continued: “Did you have any questions about there being a culture war, ladies and gentlemen? Did you have any doubt in your mind? This is a war for our culture, and that’s why we exist here, on America First, on the Salem Radio Network.”
In the same episode as his Star Wars comments, Gorka also decried the notion of a black, female James Bond, after rumors that actress Lashana Lynch would assume the 007 code number.
“James Bond is now a woman, and she’s black,” he said, while discussing the trailer for upcoming Bond film No Time to Die. “Are you ready for it? 007 has gone intersectional.”
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