Whether you’re President Obama, a member of the Human Rights Campaign, or a guy on the side of the street holding a sign, everyone has an opinion on the issue of gay rights. In lieu of Marvel’s big same-sex wedding announcement for Northstar and his longtime partner Kyle, as well as DC teasing that an “iconic” formerly straight character will be re-introduced to the New 52 as gay, we decided to take a look at the current state of gay characters in comics.
With weddings and major characters coming out of the closet, things seem positive for gays in comics, but it wasn’t always that way. A few years ago, the late Perry Moore made a list not unlike Gail Simone did with Women In Refrigerators, but his catalogued the terrible and often shocking treatment of gay characters in comics. The list, blatantly titled Who Cares About the Death of a Gay Super Hero Anyway?: A History of Gays in Comic Books, is lengthy, but here are a few excerpts to give you an idea:
Ugly stuff, I know. And those are some of the least offensive entries on the list. At one point, it was the norm to make gays victims of their sexuality and/or have them appear as villains. While the history of the treatment of gays in comics is cringe-worthy, publishers in recent years have taken steps to produce authentic gay characters. The keyword here is “authentic.” Gay characters should be subjected to the same danger and strife as straight ones, but that should not be the way they are depicted, as had almost universally been the case. They should be given the chance to live, grow, and love in their stories, too.
After creating his list, Moore went on to write a novel called Hero, which featured a gay teen who becomes a superhero. The novel won numerous awards and earned unanimous praise for putting a positive spin on the idea of a gay superhero. There are a slew of gay comic characters active today, so let’s take a look at how they have been portrayed.
Bunker (Teen Titans)
This Mexican teenager dresses with style, speaks articulately, and occasionally bends his wrist while complementing his female teammates. All of these attributes are actually great for the character. Somewhere along the line, gay people started to get offended when gay characters actually acted gay. Sure, not every gay person can be represented by Bunker, but his character is refreshingly open and he embraces the flamboyant qualities others might try to hide. In the gay community, some people believe that it is more desirable to be “straight-acting,” but Bunker uses a purple psionic brick-fist to smash that stigma to pieces.
While Teen Titans writer Scott Lobdell should be congratulated for how Bunker expresses himself, there is issue with how the Teen Titans treat their gay teammate -- but not in the way you’d think. Bunker first comes out to Wonder Girl when she makes a joke about him hitting on girls. He corrects her, and then she casually makes a comment about her having the worst gaydar. Some might say that Wonder Girl’s non-reaction was great because she felt being gay was completely normal, but that’s not quite how people -- especially teens -- tend to work. In reality, if a person that you’ve been living with and fighting alongside suddenly comes out to you, it would be natural to react with some questions. How did you know you were gay? How long have you known? If two guys go on a date, who pays the bill? Those sort of questions fit perfectly into the concept of Teen Titans, a title where the heroes are dealing with super villains as much as they are angsty feelings, dating, and curiosity about themselves.
While his interaction with Wonder Girl was generally positive, any further discussion of Bunker’s sexuality has been absent. What would really make Bunker an authentic gay character is for him to have to deal with being a gay teen hero. What if a fellow Teen Titan used “gay” as a synonym for stupid? What if one of them thought that Bunker’s sexuality went against their religious beliefs? What if Bunker met resistance when talking about how one day he wants to get married? Bunker has proven to be a free spirit who always stays positive and never gives up hope, so it would be insightful to watch him challenge his teammates by reacting to these controversial opinions in his own unique way.
Teen Titans need not become a focal point for the Gay Rights Movement, but organically developing Bunker into a fully fledged person while addressing some gay-related tensions would work towards making him a more authentic gay character.
Karolina Dean (Runaways)
Finding out you are an alien and running away from your super villain parents is hard enough, but teenager Karolina Dean also had to deal with her intimate feelings toward fellow teammate Nico. Throughout the first volume of Runaways, Kar was mainly trying to come to grips with how her being an alien made her the outsider of the team, but there were also subtle hints of her attraction to Nico. She even went so far as to act suicidal by offering up her life to a vampire. With time, she eventually overcame her insecurities and came out to Nico by trying to kiss her. Nico rejected Kar, which led to a relapse of insecurity, this time about her homosexuality. The girl can’t catch a break!
Kar wouldn’t be the first gay person to develop feelings for a straight friend, and that’s what makes writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona’s depiction of her so authentic. The reader watches her struggle with her feelings, spiral downward into self-destruction, and rise back up by expressing herself only to hit a new low afterward. Coming out is not an easy one-time event, but a long, emotional process that doesn’t always turn out as planned. While Kar did not get the reaction she wanted from Nico, she made the same awkward coming out mistakes that countless others have, making this alien girl feel all the more human.
Eventually, Kar found comfort with the teenage Skrull Xavin, who, able to shape-shift, was more than happy to take female form to make Kar feel comfortable in their relationship. While the romance was not to last – coupled with the Runaways’ lack of presence these last few years – Karolina recently found herself a new love interest during the group’s stay at the Avengers Academy.
Apollo and Midnighter (Stormwatch)
Apollo and Midnighter have been around since the 90s, but I am going to focus on their most recent incarnation as a part of DC’s New 52 in Stormwatch. Apollo and Midnighter resemble Superman and Batman in that one is a flying powerhouse who shoots lasers while the other is a deadly martial artist who dresses all in black. They are both recruited to Stormwatch, and while they initially do not take well to the team, they have an instant spark and quickly come to care for one another. Every now and then, one of the other members will comment on their less than subtle budding romance, but always in a kind-hearted manner.
Writer Paul Cornell gets props for creating a gay romance within the confines of a superhero team fighting for good, but it lacks one thing: drama. Writers often speak about how they want gay characters to just “be gay” and not have everybody up in arms about it all the time, but when applying that principle too much, the story can become stagnant. Of all the members of Stormwatch to bring it up, none have said anything remotely negative. This staunch support of a gay romance on the team would no doubt make Moore happy, but doing so without realism robs it of any meaningful weight.
Brokeback Mountain was heart-wrenching because Ennis and Jack were kept apart by obligations to their “straight lives.” The Kids Are All Right created a pang of uneasy sympathy for Jules when she slept with a man because her wife no longer appreciated her. So far, Apollo and Midnighter have nothing to keep them from living happily ever after, except for their possible extermination by gravity miners and daemonites. Because there is no friction -- jealousy, anger, whatever -- they do not feel authentic. Giving their romance some hurdles to overcome would go a long way to make them feel like real people and give readers something to relate to.
Striker and Julie Power (Avengers Academy)
While some characters’ sexuality takes a backseat and is rarely touched upon, the coming out of Striker and Julie Power took up almost the entire issue of Avengers Academy #23. Julie talked about how she is bisexual, although she was adamant about not being defined by a label because she was attracted to a person and not a gender.
Striker shared a traumatizing story about how he was molested by a man when he was young, and that he felt he was gay only because of that incident. Julie was quick to counter that wrong thinking in a Good Will Hunting “It’s not your fault” moment that made him realize that being gay was a normal part of him, and that no one else, no matter how horribly wrong their actions were, had anything to do with it.
Rictor and Shatterstar (X-Factor)
If ever there was a trouble-couple in comics, it must be Rictor and Shatterstar. While their in-comic romance was never all that controversial -- in fact it was lauded for its frankness -- the politics from the writers involved with the characters reached fever pitch. Originally co-created by Rob Liefeld as an asexual character struggling to comprehend humanity, Shatterstar was shown to have a strong relationship with his teammate Rictor during Jeph Loeb’s run. Later, Peter David picked up on what Loeb started and began a romantic relationship between the characters. Liefeld was not happy.
Liefeld was adamant about how he never intended Shatterstar to be gay, and one can certainly appreciate his point of view, but it sounds all too similar to so many parents who complain that they never intended for their child to be gay. Anyone who is anyone knows being gay is not a choice, unless of course the Mind Gem from the Infinity Gauntlet is involved. The character took on a life of his own and evolved into someone who happened to be gay, and there is nothing any amount of complaining can do about it, just like in real life.
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Source : http://www.ign.com
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