IS BATMAN COMING OUT OF THE BATCLOSET?

DC's recent announcment sparks speculation on who their "he/she was gay the whole time" character will be.
By Bob Simpson (Writer)

Big thanks to bleedingcool.com for reporting on a major announcement this week from DC co-publisher Dan DiDio that DC will be changing their stance regarding adding new LGBT characters to the DC Universe. 

Previously, DC claimed that any LGBT characters in the DC universe would be new, not established, characters.  Apparently, this is no longer the case, and DC comics has hinted that, in the coming weeks, they will change the sexual orientation of one of DC's established characters.

DC won't be the first comics company to publish an LGBT character, with Archie comics' introduction of Kevin Keller earlier this year and Marvel's Northstar to be featured in the comic industry's first gay superhero wedding next month.  Other characters have also come out as gay over the years, including Hulkling, Wiccan, Shatterstar, Apollo and Midnighter.

Wedding bells ring for Northstar and his partner next month

This isn't the first LGBT character for DC either, as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in the 2006 retcon came out as a lesbian.

The difference here is that DC seems to be hinting that the aforementioned LGBT character they will reveal will be an established, and possibly major, character, whereas the previously mentioned LGBT characters have been relatively minor characters.

Obviously, the nerd-world is abuzz with speculation on who the LGBT character will be and what impact it will have on the DC universe.  The leading candidates seem to be Batman (hinted as gay for years, including writer Grant Morrison claiming that Batman is "very, very gay"), Superman, and Wonder Woman (hinted as a lesbian for years, though I think her being part of the Amazonion matriarchial society has something to do with this).

Regardless of the outcome, I applaud DC for taking this next step in increasing the number of LGBT characters in the comic book world, even if it is only by one. 

BOB SIMPSON is a writer and lives in Los Angeles, where he works for an entertainment company that he'd prefer to keep anonymous, should he accidentally diss something they made. www.bobsimpsonblog.blogspot.com
EMAIL HIM/HER |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

Comments

[Daniel]

Ill tell ya whos not, piglet...i mean the dude has a photo of pooh (a bear) above his bed

[Bob]

Yes, agreed.

[Vance]

I thought I heard somewhere that it was going to be Vibe...

[Bob]

I hope it's someone more substantial than Vibe, but you're probably right.