Pride in the Rebellion: Queer Characters, Creators, and Stories in Star Wars

Queer people have always been in the Star Wars universe — the franchise just keeps hiding them. Matthew Fox, Alex Kormann, and Erin McGowan of Star Wars Generations on The Ethical Panda network take stock of LGBTQIA+ representation across the full canon for Pride Month 2026: from the covert queer coding of Lando and Admiral Holdo, to the openly queer High Republic novels, to the all-female coven of “The Acolyte” and the deeply felt enemies-to-lovers arc of Zeb and Kallus in “Rebels.”The hosts bring genuine stakes to the conversation: Erin grew up in a conservative religious community where bisexuality wasn’t a thing you talked about. Matthew is non-binary and queer. Alex is the self-described straight cis member of the group, and arguably the most frustrated by how often the films blink first. Why does Star Wars take bigger risks for a smaller audience? And after decades of queer characters thriving in the books while the films hedge, will the next wave of Star Wars projects finally close that gap?Full show notes and resources: Here **************************************************************************This episode is a production of Star Wars Generations, an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Superhero Ethics.We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailTo learn more about co-host Erin and her incredible cosplay: Instagram · TikTokJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here.You can also support us through our sponsors:Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers, run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan.Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link.Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.