Warning: rampant spoilers and wild speculation ahead.
We've all heard the rumors. The teases. The hints. We've seen the breathless GIFS of two starstruck men gazing into each other's eyes. Let's face facts, people: bros might borrow each other's jackets, but there's nothing platonic about that sultry lip bite.
Pictured: totally heterosexual pals
OK, OK. I'll be honest, the Finn/Poe Dameron ship still exists only in our imaginations. (Same goes for Finn/Rey/Poe, an OT3 relationship for the more adventurous and egalitarian fan.) But the practice of reading gay subtext into science fiction is practically as old as the genre itself, and it exists for a very important reason: 99 percent of the time, there are no real queer characters to be found. None. Nada. Zip.
So why is it so important that Poe Dameron be canonically gay?
1. Science fiction has a sexuality problem.
The state of sexual minorities in science fiction is, in a word, dismal. Few to no major franchises include canonically queer characters. The lack of LGBT characters in mainstream sci-fi lets down legions of fans hoping to see themselves represented in the shows, books, and movies they love. Science fiction is supposed to hold up a mirror to our own world, so why is that reflection still so distorted?
2. Star Wars has a history of homophobia.
In the golden summer of 1981, the "Star Wars" fandom was exploding. Zines were created and distributed to debate fan theories, share fanfiction, and publish art based on the beloved original characters. Lucasfilm watched the fans jealously, maintaining a hostile stance toward published fanfiction and screening all fanzines for undesired (and pornographic) material.
The zine Imperial Entanglements submitted a story that described a non-graphic homosexual relationship between two minor Imperial characters. Lucasfilm had reluctantly given its blessing to heterosexual romance in "Star Wars" fanfiction, but "Hoth Admiral" was apparently a bridge too far for Lucas. The rejection letter read:
"We're terribly sorry, but we cannot authorize homosexual expression of love among the characters created by George Lucas. This controversial subject must remain detached from the world created by Lucasfilm in order to preserve the innocence even Imperial crew members must be imagined to have."
As the editor of the zine pointed out, the "Imperial crew members" who had canonically committed acts of genocide and torture were hardly just now in danger of losing their "innocence." And comparing homosexuality to a loss of "innocence" is pretty damn homophobic. But surely the franchise must have become more open-minded in recent years, right?
Wrong.
Just a few years ago, on a Star Wars: The Old Republic message board, threads discussing, debating, or even mentioning homosexuality were taken down with prejudice. Apparently homosexuality is a term that does "not exist in 'Star Wars.'"
We can do so much better, guys.
3. The new movie includes a diverse cast, with one glaring exception.
If there's one thing the old movies were missing, it's women and people of color. (I guess that's multiple things. Sorry, Internet.) So it was incredibly exciting for me to see characters like Rey, Finn, and Phasma, all of whom represent strides forward in diversity and inclusion. Even the background characters aren't the usual bland white mass of dudes! Equality!
Well, almost. "Star Wars" is already so close to really reflecting our own complicated world, in all its darkness and light. A gay character would help repair the diversity void in "Star Wars," and in science fiction as a whole, setting a positive example for other franchises to follow its lead.
4. Someone has to romance Finn, and it can't be Rey.
There have been about a hundred unsubtle foreshadowings that Rey is likely to become the next Jedi. From her "call" to Luke's lightsaber, to her force sensitivity, to the confrontation with emo Kylo Ren, Rey is all set to be the next guardian of the galaxy. But according to the Jedi code, Jedi can't form romantic attachments. Look what happened the last time a Jedi fell in love: Anakin Skywalker went from annoying mop-headed desert baby to genocidal murder-king.
So however cute Rey and Finn might be together, for the sake of the galaxy, we can only hope their epic friendship doesn't turn into anything else. (Although an interracial couple would in itself be groundbreaking.)
But I can't wish for a galaxy where Finn ends up alone. Look at this beautiful, sorrowful face and tell me that's what you want. 
I didn't think so. What that man deserves a handsome, swashbuckling pilot to sweep him off his feet.
5. The groundwork is already there for a queer romance.
The subtext is there. Whirlwind meeting, super-close friendship. Jacket scene. A subtle wink. Licking of lips. Two witty, brave, gung-ho banterers falling in love? That's "Star Wars"' bread and butter. So why can't this generation's Han and Leia be a gay couple?
It would be the perfect antidote to a bigoted history. It would be a major step forward for diversity. It would be like watching Han Solo make out with himself. (Awesome.)
Without adequate representation, fandom will always fill the void with its own supplemental storytelling. But the "Star Wars" fandom has not only suffered from a lack of LGBT characters, it has also suffered from outright homophobia and hostility from the franchise itself. In order to move beyond its troubled history, the new "Star Wars" creators must finally listen to what fans have been saying for decades: a diverse universe must include diverse characters, including women, people of color and, yes, even queer people.
Like its most famous swishy-cloaked villian, Lucasfilm finally has a chance to redeem itself. All we can hope is that they won't choose the Dark Side again.
