I'm reposting this here from my other journal b/c I feel THAT passionately about it.
Is Star Wars setting up Poe Dameron as its first queer protagonist?
Fandom is gonna ship as fandom always ships: with the glorious, transformative disregard for canon that has always been both its greatest strength (carving spaces for ourselves that were denied to us in the narrative) and its biggest downfall (no one takes us the hell seriously).
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But when Poe pulls back and notices Finn is wearing his old leather jacket, that’s the clincher, because unless you’re so heteronormative that you still believe that Hannibal and Will are just buds, it looks like Poe likes what he sees, in a way that’s more than friendly. He even bites his own lip while admiring Finn. Well, hello there.
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Regardless of sexuality, Poe Dameron is a fantastic, exciting, attractive, atypical portrayal of manhood, and I hope that it continues to be the case. But then, there’s the Finn factor to consider
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Imagine the new Star Wars trilogy as your default movie experience, starring Rey, the tiny, terrifying Jedi whose womanhood is never equated with weakness, Finn, the black, brave ex-Stormtrooper who made a choice not to kill for his captors, and Poe Dameron: alpha male, queer, Latino, the poster boy for the Resistance. Imagine growing up, from childhood, with those characters as your Luke, Leia and Han. Imagine the way that could help to shape hearts and minds and opinions. Imagine what it would allow, and what it would normalize. Imagine what the kids for whom this has always existed will be able to contribute to the world.
The article is full of spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Read at your own risk!
[FULL ARTICLE HERE]
Fandom is gonna ship as fandom always ships: with the glorious, transformative disregard for canon that has always been both its greatest strength (carving spaces for ourselves that were denied to us in the narrative) and its biggest downfall (no one takes us the hell seriously).
+++
But when Poe pulls back and notices Finn is wearing his old leather jacket, that’s the clincher, because unless you’re so heteronormative that you still believe that Hannibal and Will are just buds, it looks like Poe likes what he sees, in a way that’s more than friendly. He even bites his own lip while admiring Finn. Well, hello there.
+++
Regardless of sexuality, Poe Dameron is a fantastic, exciting, attractive, atypical portrayal of manhood, and I hope that it continues to be the case. But then, there’s the Finn factor to consider
+++
Imagine the new Star Wars trilogy as your default movie experience, starring Rey, the tiny, terrifying Jedi whose womanhood is never equated with weakness, Finn, the black, brave ex-Stormtrooper who made a choice not to kill for his captors, and Poe Dameron: alpha male, queer, Latino, the poster boy for the Resistance. Imagine growing up, from childhood, with those characters as your Luke, Leia and Han. Imagine the way that could help to shape hearts and minds and opinions. Imagine what it would allow, and what it would normalize. Imagine what the kids for whom this has always existed will be able to contribute to the world.
The article is full of spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Read at your own risk!
[FULL ARTICLE HERE]