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Petition Asks “Star Wars” Producers To Immortalize Orlando Vicim
“This is a universe with Wookies, Jawas, and Hutts, so why can’t there be a visible LGBT character on screen?”
That sentence is culled from a new petition asking Star Wars producers to honor Orlando victim Christopher “Drew” Leinonen in an upcoming installment of the franchise.
Related: Star Wars Films Will Soon Have Gay Characters, According To J.J. Abrams
Joshua Yehl was a close friend of the victim, and first had the idea while driving away from Leinonen’s funeral ceremony.
“Nothing would make him happier than for all the little gay nerds out there to have their own Star Wars character to look up,” he writes in a letter accompanying the petition.
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Christopher and Josh cemented their friendship by gleefully dorking out on Star Wars minutiae.
The letter is addressed to Kathleen Kennedy (current president of Lucasfilm), Bob Igor (The Walt Disney Company’s CEO) and “all those behind the Star Wars films.”
So far, the petition has garnered 2,134 signatures and is receiving a dizzying amount of praise on Twitter through the hashtag #PutDrewInStarWars
The letter continues:
This character will not only honor Drew, but all of the other victims at Pulse in Orlando, including his boyfriend Juan Ramon Guerrero, and every LGBT person to ever lose their life to hate.”
I’ve never met @JoshuaYehl but I’m pretty sure I want to fight anyone who has a problem with the #PutDrewInStarWars campaign
— Derek Stauffer (@TheComfortador) June 28, 2016
“Leinonen Drew” would make a GREAT Star Wars character name! #PutDrewInStarWars t.co/IdaQGGCHbT
— Jenny Jaffe (@jennyjaffe) June 28, 2016
Star Wars is all about hope. The time is now. @Disney, #PutDrewInStarWars and May the Force be with You!!! t.co/9TIiPnbJep
— Hector Navarro (@Hectorisfunny) June 27, 2016
“Now is the time to act.” #PutDrewInStarWars t.co/nWKBUZJ8s5
— Crystal Bell (@crystalbell) June 27, 2016
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