Star Wars strikes back at criticism of LGBTQ+ comic book covers
San Francisco, California - Star Wars shot back at accusations of making the franchise "political" after it released a special comic book cover to celebrate Pride Month.
The cover for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #24, created by artist Jan Bazaldua, features two female characters, T'onga and Losha, who are partners.
Responding to a Twitter user online, who accused the franchise of "making Star Wars political," the official account defended the existence of queer characters.
"1. Queer characters existing isn't political," it wrote.
"2. Star WARS is literally in our name."
Pride Month runs from June 1 to June 30.
The two companies behind the current Star Wars franchise, Lucasfilm and Marvel, have teamed up to celebrate "a time dedicated to uplifting, honouring, and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community's impact in the world."
As part of its 2022 celebrations, Star Wars is showcasing covers "variants" for its comic books, each created by LGBTQ+ artists and featuring LGBTQ+ characters of the Star Wars galaxy.
All covers also feature a rainbow burst and a classic Star Wars logo with a rainbow trail.
Cover photo: Star Wars