Director JJ Abrams gave Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker the franchise's first same-sex kiss, a fleeting moment between two inconsequential female characters near the end of the film.
Abrams, who has been accused of tokenism and pandering to the franchise's LGBTQ fans with a moment that didn't involve real characters, was asked by Moviezine why he included it.
Said Abrams: “I just felt like in this one scene of celebration, it felt like an opportunity to show – without it being, you know, heavy-handed or too loud of a deal – it was sort of part of the whole experience to see a same-sex couple have a moment together that was explicitly saying in the Star Wars galaxy, you know, everyone is there and is welcome.”
Added Abrams: “It doesn't matter what your sexual preference is, doesn't matter what your race/species, whether you're organic or synthetic, Star Wars is for everyone and knowing that there hadn't been a representation like that – it doesn't take away from anyone, it just shows that Star Wars is for all of us.”
