People Are Furious at Space Telescope's Homophobic Name Again

It was easy to forget that the telescope was named for an accused homosexual, but now the controversy is roaring back.

NASA has come under fire for naming a state-of-the-art space telescope after a man who was thought to have led a purge of homosexuals in government.

NASA has debated internally about whether or not to change the name of the telescope, as it has been known for a long time. The name was retained until the historic images this week.

It has not been a popular decision. The agency refused to change the telescope's name despite growing calls to do so. The debate is going back and forth again.

Victoria Scott, a former NASA Mission Control programmer and current staff writer at Futurism's sister site The Drive, said that the James Webb space telescope imagery was different when she quit her job out of fear of transphobia and homophobia.

Scott said that when she worked at NASA she had coworkers who had to hide their boyfriends and girlfriends from FBI investigations because they were afraid of being fired if they were queer.

A NASA project scientist who is part of the operation shared the same sentiment.

A telescope should have a name that stands for discovery and inclusion.

One of the people who has been leading the push to change the name feels sad. I am excited for the new pictures and angry at NASA.

Prescod-Weinstein was one of the mainstigators behind a petition to change the name of the telescope.

Many people are decrying the telescope's name, but others are using it as a joke.

One user said to not call it that. There is a space telescope in this house.

On the day of the image launch, Dr. Thea Kozakis used it as an opportunity to make a joke about the fact that the original James Webb was gay.

It's a shame that the telescope is named after a well-known alleged gayphobe, even though there's a lot of opposition to it.

NASA isn't always known for its dedication to diversity. We shouldn't be surprised.

The former second-in-command of NASA said that the price of the SLS was Gouged.