Conservative Group Slams Star Wars Game for Gay Relationships

(EndPlay Staff Reports) - The Family Research Council is taking a Star Wars game to task for threatening the empire.

But it isn't the Empire on Star Wars. It's what council president Tony Perkins fears is a threat to society.

"In a new Star Wars game, the biggest threat to the empire may be homosexual activists!" Perkins proclaimed in his radio broadcast . "In a galaxy not so far far away, Star Wars gamers have already gone to the dark side."

Perkins is referring to the multi-player game " Star Wars: The Old Republic ," which allows gay relationships as an option. He stated that game developer BioWare, which he said in 2009 claimed there wasn't any "gay" and "lesbian" in Star Wars, is introducing the feature to respond to complaints.

"Since the announcement, homosexuals have been celebrating the news, but parents sure aren't," Perkins said.

The Globe and Mail stated that the game lets player avatars take part in what's perceived as offscreen heterosexual relationships. An upcoming update is expected to include homosexual relationships, though the newspaper said that's not been released yet. While currently possible it's severely limited when compared to heterosexual relationships.

Among media outlets to report on Perkins' rant is GamePolitics.com , said to cover "where politics and video games collide." Its readers weren't as concerned.

"I still think the evil psychos with the ability to shoot lightning out of their finger trips are a little more of a danger than two dudes getting married," a reader commented. "Just sayin'."

The blog The Feed, featured on the videogame website G4 , also took issue with Perkins' comments.

The blog stated, "Come on, everyone, it's 2012. How about we let anyone have a relationship with anyone else in the play pretend worlds they use to waste time?"

A reader stated that homosexuality doesn't belong in the game, but added that's because it doesn't have anything to do with the Sith side in the Star Wars game.

"You can't hide your kids from homosexuality forever," the reader commented. "Stop ruining the game for everyone else just because you don't want your child witnessing a homosexual act on the computer screen."