The creator of the controversial Disney+ “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” is pushing back against those who say her show is “woke” propaganda featuring “lesbian space witches,” calling criticism “ reductive”.
Leslye Headland, the “first openly queer person to create” a major Star Wars project as described by the Hollywood Reporter (THR), spoke to the outlet this week about the backlash the series has received for its progressive themes, telling the outlet that she never intended to make a show with an overt political agenda, even if it contains LGBTQ messages.
“I don’t believe I’ve created queer content, with a capital Q,” Headland told the entertainment outlet.
“Star Wars: The Sidekick” has proven to be one of the most controversial entries in the Star Wars franchise since its debut on Disney’s streaming platform earlier this month. Although it is a hit with critics – it currently has an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating among professional film critics – it has an audience score of 14%, the lowest rating in this category of all Star Wars content.
The Disney-owned film franchise has come under fire from fans in recent years, who say the company has embraced “woke” storylines and characters, with fans calling “The Acolyte” the most progressive yet.
The show’s LGBTQ reputation preceded itself, generating a now-viral moment where a reporter from The Wrap told Headland and non-binary series star Amandla Stenberg during an interview that the show was “arguably the gayest in Star Wars, by far.”
Although she and the actor were amused by the question, Headland suggested it wasn’t something she was aiming for. Still, she accepted the characterization, saying, “Frankly, I’m into it.”
During her recent interview with THR, Headland seemed inclined to tone down some reactions to her interview with The Wrap.
“I was surprised by the question,” she said. “Amandla and I burst out laughing because that’s our knee-jerk reaction when we’re asked that question, but to be honest, I don’t know what the term ‘gay’ means in that sense. I don’t believe I’ve created queer content, with a capital Q.
Headland also weighed in on a controversial storyline in episode three of “The Acolyte,” which seemed to confirm critics’ worst fears about the overt LGBTQ propaganda being part of the series.
The narrative in question involved two powerful witches in an all-female society using force magic to generate their female offspring, the twin main characters of the series played by Stenberg.
In social media circles, disgruntled fans began mocking the series for making “lesbian space witches” a legitimate part of the Star Wars canon.
Headland criticized this reading of the episode, telling the outlet: “They are in a matriarchal society. As a gay woman, I knew their sexuality would be queer, but there are no men in their community either. A proximity between them would therefore be natural. It seemed plot driven.
“I would say it’s really reductive to call them lesbians. I think that means you’re not really paying attention to this story,” she added.
Headland reiterated that while she wasn’t making an LGBTQ series, she defended the “queer” nature of the series.
“I’m proud to be a gay woman who accomplished this feat, and certainly, if my content is characterized as queer, I don’t want to deny the queerness of the show. I would be proud to create something that would inspire queer people,” she said.
The creator also criticized fans who portray the show’s LGBTQ themes as negative, saying, “Honestly, I’m sad that people think that if something was gay it would be bad. It makes me sad that a group of people on the internet are somehow taking down what I consider to be the most important work of art I have ever made.
Kristine Parks of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
New York Post
