The petition has been posted on Change.Org by Joshua Yehl along with headline "Make Orlando Victim Drew Leinonen the First LGBT Star Wars Movie Character" following the Orlando massacre on June 11, reported Ace Showbiz.
Addressed to Kathleen Kennedy (President of Lucasfilm), Bob Iger (CEO of The Walt Disney Company) and all of the crew behind the "Star Wars" films, the message read, "I'm writing this letter to request that Drew's passing be honored by using him as inspiration for the first-ever LGBT Star Wars character to appear in a movie.
Yehl recounted Drew's passion for the franchise.
Through the message, he also made an appeal for "Star Wars" to include gay character as a hero alongside the other protagonists.
Therefore, people will be able to see LGBT people as no different from the straight ones.
He also quoted "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director JJ Abrams on the message, "'Star Wars' has never had a gay character appear on screen before, but as 'The Force Awakens' director JJ Abrams recently said on the topic, 'The fun of 'Star Wars' is the glory of possibility.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
