Star Wars’ Mark Hamill mocks Ben Shapiro’s ridiculous ‘lesbians on the moon’ rant

Side by side images of Mark Hamill and Ben Shapiro

Star Wars icon Mark Hamill roundly mocked ring-wing pundit Ben Shapiro after he claimed “lesbians on the moon” sounded like “bad pornography”.

Shapiro discussed NASA’s upcoming Artemis I mission to the moon in the latest episode of his podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show. The space agency will make a second attempt at launching its moon rocket on Saturday (3 September) after technical issues foiled an initial attempt. 

Shapiro bizarrely equated the cancellation of Artemis I’s initial launch to what he described as president Joe Biden’s “equity agenda”, which would “infuse every area of his administration” including NASA.

He blamed hypothetical Biden-appointed lesbians working for the government space agency for the rocket’s failed first attempt to launch.

This was entirely incorrect, and NASA had already stated the problem was with one of the rocket’s four engines. Shapiro also missed the memo that Artemis I is an uncrewed mission.

“The really important thing is that, when we do go to the moon, we have to have a lesbian on the moon,” Shapiro said before reiterating in a sing-song voice.

“Lesbians on the moon! This is what we need. It sounds like a bad pornography.”

Hamill, who played legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, mocked the right-winger on Twitter for complaining that so-called “lesbians on the moon” was Ben Shapiro’s definition of bad porn.

“To be perfectly clear, please define what sounds like good pornography to you,” Hamill wrote. 

Many people on social media pointed out how Ben Shapiro’s comments completely ignored the reality that queer people have long been a part of space exploration – many naming Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, who also happened to be a lesbian.

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space and also likely the first LGBTQ+ person in space. Although it wasn’t revealed until after her death, Ride was in a 27-year long relationship with science writer and professor emerita of school psychology at San Diego State University, Tam O’Shaughnessy.