Gay Superheroes Come Out of Closet...The NEW Comics!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

This article made me look twice! What do YOU think?

Here is the link:

http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/

Look for Gay Superheroes web piece.............

Gay superheroes come out of the comic closet

By, Stephen McGinty

WHAT would Lois Lane think? The American comic company that gave the world Superman and Batman is creating the first homosexual superheroes.

In the past, caped crusaders fought for truth, justice and the American way. Now gay rights will be added to their muscle-bound repertoire. The 21st- century gender pioneers are called Apollo and Midnighter, a loving couple who cohabit in a giant spaceship.

While Batman opted for a cold glass of milk, served by his butler Alfred, after saving the world, Apollo and Midnighter cuddle up in bed and watch episodes of Friends. In the comic, the characters are seen kissing and are billed in a mocked-up copy of Hello!, the celebrity magazine, as "the world's finest couple".

Their sexuality will be revealed next month in a comic called The Authority, produced by a division of DC Comics. Along with Marvel, the company is the world's leading comic publisher and is responsible for Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

Although The Authority is aimed at a more mature readership than traditional titles, its main readers will be teenage boys. "A gay superhero has never been done before. It is seen as one of the last taboos," says Mark Miller, the Scottish writer of The Authority's latest plotline. "The whole idea of a superhero is that he or she fights for the underdog, so I don't see why we shouldn't have superheroes who are gay.

"The whole section 28 debate is teaching children intolerance, and I would like to redress that. The people they look up to can be gay or straight."

In an attempt to avoid gay stereotypes, Miller and the comic's artist, Frank Quitely, also based in Glasgow, have ensured that both characters have no effeminate qualities. Apollo absorbs his power from the sun, which makes him superstrong, able to fly, and gives him heat vision. Midnighter cannot fly, but is also superstrong and wears a black leather mask and coat similar to Batman. Both, however, possess bulging physiques that would put Superman to shame.

The pair belong to a team of a dozen superheroes who use their orbiting spaceship to watch over Earth and sort out problems facing the world. The first comic recording their adventures appeared 12 months ago, when Apollo and Midnighter were introduced. But next month, when Miller takes over the storyline, they fly out of the closet when they are seen kissing at a party on the spaceship.

Later, in the same issue, the team flies into East Timor and Apollo throws the Indonesian president to the crowds. In the April issue, the team flies into Chechnya and forces the Russians to leave.

Miller, who is married with a young daughter, says: "The idea is that it is low-key and in the background. They will be like any other superheroes, fighting crime and saving the world. It's just that, at the end of their adventures, they will go to bed, or kiss, or hug. We have gay people in soap operas and movies, so why not comics?"

The introduction of the world's first gay superheroes was welcomed by Outrage!, the pressure group whose past

protests have included picketing Michael Portillo, the shadow chancellor, and disturbing a sermon by George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury. David Allison, a spokesman, said Apollo and Midnighter could act as positive role models to children.

"A gay superhero is a great idea - it will make a wonderful retort to the typical stereotype of the handbag-swinging poof," he said. "The heroes could provide teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality with a powerful image."

A spokesman for Cardinal Thomas Winning, Archbishop of Glasgow, said he was appalled. "This sounds like an insidious attempt to present homosexual role models to adolescents. Adolescence is a challenging time, and this kind of activity is only likely to increase confusion and undermine basic Christian morality," the spokesman said. "This kind of material will only serve to increase the justified anxiety among parents over the whole issue of lifting section 28."

Duncan McAlpine, owner of the comic-selling store Mighty World of Comicana, in central London, said he felt children would not be affected much by the homosexuality of the heroes. "Kids are streetwise from watching EastEnders. It's important for comics to represent everyday life."

But how would the other superheroes react to having a gay couple in their midst? Mark Miller has given the subject careful consideration. "Batman would be tolerant. I mean he lives with two men - Robin and Alfred, the butler - and it's funny he never married."

DC comics was unavailable for comment yesterday.

-- Alice (Looking@glass.com), March 02, 2000

Answers

As I recall batman was afraid of women rather than gay, or perhaps he never grew up like writers of supercomics.

-- Sir Richard (richard.dale@unum.co.uk), March 02, 2000.

Personally, I was always a Superman fan....later, my brother got me interested in The Magician, The Fantastic Four, and The Silver Surfer......I thought I was so COOL! Funny how different things seem when you are a kid or adolescent

-- Alice (Looking@glass.com), March 02, 2000.

Many years ago the word gay had a very different meaning. Some of the movies years ago were The Gay Wedding, A Gay Time at the Races, The Gay Weekend and believe it or not The Gay Couple. All made in the 30's and 40's and not a rump ranger to be seen. It's an epidemic world-wide and it's caused by the chemicals in our food. Now the world is populated with 25% HAPPY people! Please leave the comic books alone!

-- Liberal Hater (liberty@bell.com), March 02, 2000.

Normalization of perversion via liberal moral relativists. What are the long term consequences to society of this continued barrage of filth? Where is there sanctuary?

-- Elrond (Whats normal@anymore.world), March 02, 2000.

now sanctified thanks to y2kpro

yes for me gay still means happy in a light hearted partying kind of way

most gay people aren't

they're sexually obsessed, that is the only reason for gay relationships

-- Saint Richard (Richard.Dale@unum.co.uk), March 02, 2000.



Potential comic Gay superheros-- Super Scoutmaster, Fights a neverending battle to influence impressionable adolesencents Captain Fatima and the Dyke pirates----Copyright Zap comix--The ladies lead a exciting and perverted seagoing life style! Butmaster--Auto racer--King of the dirt track speedway! Wicked Uncle Ernie---Courtesy Tommy(the speed ball wizard) fiddle around,fiddle around,fiddle around! Super Suck---bisexual urban super heroine! Skibby Hancho---Gay Asian Superhero Nighttime only,Uses the phone booth when the little lady is out of town. Dirty Old Man---lurks around highway rest stops, always on the alert for gay-bashers. Gay-tor, Deadly enemy of procreators, Never practices safe sex!

-- Oral Anal (Dead End@Reproduction.com), March 02, 2000.

I see ignorance runs rampant here, also!

I was never really in to comic books. I have always thought many of the superheros were gay anyway, just not out of the closet!

I really couldn't care less what they do with each other. I think the problem everyone is overlooking (as usual) is having them go to bed together (the sexuality, not homosexuality).

Or am I that out of touch with comic books? Have they been having sex in them for a while? (I'm not talking about the adult comics)

-- Brian (GRAYWOLF11@yahoo.com), March 03, 2000.


Greetings: What type of world do we live when people are talking about comic books, homosexuality, immorality. The word of God declares a day that he will judge the world. That should be on everbodys mind, facing judgment. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all have sinned, the good news is that Jesus paid the penalnity for our sins. If you want to be free from guilt and shame turn to Jesus, repent and be saved. God is love but those who think they can live in sin and go to heaven dont love God, nor will they go to heaven. He has given you a free will, are you willing to allow God to save and change you for the better. Our sin is what destroys us, you can say Jesus is the hero for our souls, he died for us to pay for our sins and rose again to justify us before God and obtain eternal life. May God bless you with eyes to see his love!

-- Alex a follower of Jesus (Jesusislife@Christianemail.com), March 06, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ