Tony Gilroy Says Queer Characters in ‘Andor’ Are Just Real People, Not a Statement

Tony Gilroy, the creator behind Andor, recently shared how he includes queer characters in his writing in a very natural way. In an interview during the ATX TV Festival, he explained that he doesn’t add LGBTQ+ elements as a checklist or political statement.

Instead, he treats them like any other part of life. “I mean, what more natural way to treat it than to treat it like a real thing? I’m not gonna like start to socially engineer my characters for some chat room.”

Gilroy’s words show that he isn’t looking for approval or trying to follow a trend. He simply wants to reflect real people, in all their diversity, without making it a performance. The queer characters in Andor aren’t special because they’re queer, they’re part of the story because they’re people. That’s the key to his approach.

Star Wars is set in a huge galaxy with many alien species, but it hasn’t done a great job showing queer characters in a meaningful way. Most of the stories haven’t focused much on LGBTQ+ people, and when they have, it hasn’t always felt satisfying.

One of the first times we saw a same-sex couple was in The Rise of Skywalker, where two women kissed in the background. It didn’t feel like real representation, kind of like when the MCU claimed a small side character was their first queer role. It felt more like a quick gesture than something that truly mattered.

Things started to change with Andor and The Acolyte. Both shows included love stories between women. In Andor, Vel and Cinta are clearly in a relationship, and while they don’t kiss, their bond feels deep and serious. It’s not just there to check a box, it’s a real part of the story. The beginning of season 2 shows they still care about each other, which adds to their story.

These shows are small steps forward for queer representation in Star Wars, but there’s still room to grow. Fans want to see LGBTQ+ characters in the spotlight, not just in the background.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!