'Star Wars' fanbase rallies around women fans after being targeted with sexist comments

It has never been an easy world for women. Women and their choices seem to be only accepted if they are approved by society and criticized otherwise. There seems to be no issue when women come in hordes to see a movie like "Barbie," but people raise their eyebrows when they show love towards franchises like "Star Wars," as evidenced in a podcast done by Star Wars Theory on YouTube. This reaction might be because the franchise is associated with the action genre and has concepts like rebellion as well as war which society does not want women to integrate into their thought process. The opinions from the podcast was misogynist in nature and disparaged the women fans of the iconic "Star Wars" franchise.

The whole issue started when Theory Sabers, a popular YouTube user, invited a psychologist to discuss women's needs. The psychologist was Sadia Khan and he asked her about "the latest drama in Star Wars where a new director for the Rey movie, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, claims it's time for a woman to shape Star Wars, as well as the response from those who can't allow others to have an opinion different than theirs." While answering the question, Khan shared that women often lean into victimhood as a way to be a hero in their own narrative.

It is something she has noticed in Western culture, where, in her own words, she claimed "women have it so easy." In their pursuit of victimhood, women began demanding space in places that have no mainstream value, even in their own eyes. It is where she links the whole issue with Star Wars. "We need more women in Star Wars. No, we don't. Women don't even watch Star Wars. They don't even care about it," she said. "It is man's little thing. Let them have it."

This statement caused an uproar. It was coming through such a major presence in the fandom and at a time when the franchise was moving towards featuring more in-depth women characters. The fact that a false statement that women don't like "Star Wars" was used to propagate this view further angered the fandom. Women in the fandom took it upon themselves to not allow this wrong conception to spread and began expressing their love for the franchise on social media.

@RuthlessNS_ shared herself cosplaying and visiting conventions to showcase her passion for the franchise on X (previously Twitter). She captioned the video, "Women Love Star Wars Too. Period. An individual's love for SW shouldn't be questioned because of their gender. The galaxy far far away is for everyone." @themagicnook shared her unwavering love for the franchise and showcased herself as a proud fan. She wrote, "There's a lot of hate and negativity surrounding Star Wars girls right now, but it warms my heart to go on social media and see hundreds of women reclaiming this audio and sharing their unwavering love for this fandom! STAR WARS IS FOR EVERYONE!"

@magicwithmeg shared in her video on Instagram the passion and emotional attachment she has towards the fandom. She wrote, "If you are a Star Wars fan and you are a woman - YOU HAVE A PLACE. Your voice is heard. Star Wars is nothing without its women. Period. This audio makes me sick." @isabella.amidala stood up for her 'family' through her video in which she displayed her ever-growing affection for the fandom, "ANYONE can be a fan of @starwars, and I am so grateful for the positive fans in this community who have become my found family. I will never stop sharing my love for this galaxy because it is a story of hope, of good overcoming evil, and I know that if what I share makes even one person feel less alone, it is all worth it."

The path has not been the easiest for the women in the fandom, as many, like @StarWarsThrift, have gotten their accounts suspended for expressing their opinions. But they refuse to give up. The Force is theirs and they refuse to let their love be questioned with baseless claims.