Let's Open the Closet Door:

Blog@'s got something interesting up over this way.

That novel sounds really interesting actually, though I don't truly know if I'd go buy it. I tend to prefer outright superheroes in comic form since the medium suits them better than standard novels, IMO.

Still it really sounds like an interesting story. They also link a New York Times interview here.

Definitely definitely interesting stuff. Personally I'd love to see more gay/lesbian heroes running around. I think Montoya and Batwoman in Crime Bible's a good start, and whenever the heck Manhunter comes back, Todd and Damon are adorable there.

I'd like to see some younger gay heroes too, really. That's the one thing I think Marvel's doing a little better on, what with Karolina, Wiccan and Hulkling. (I don't count Xavin, because in my interpretation, he seems to self-identify more as male and thus in my opinion he's a straight man shapeshifting into a woman for his girlfriend who is a lesbian. Which is kind of convoluted.)

DC's got some great new teenaged heroes right now: Firestorm, Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, even Supergirl now that her portrayal's starting to even out. It's a shame that none of them are gay...

Heh, given their track record with Supergirl, I'm surprised no one's tried it...

I was thinking though, you know, it'd be fairly easy for a writer so inclined to write Tim Drake as gay. Tim's had close relationships with girls before, Ariana, Steph, Darla, Zoanne (maybe?), but he's definitely got problems connecting with them emotionally. Heck, there was that time when kissing Steph that he was keeping track of the time with a part of his brain. And well, I hate to overgeneralize, but I think most straight boys kissing a girl like Steph wouldn't be counting minutes. Of course, there's the thing with Cassie, but that could be read as being more about Kon than Cassie.

I'm not saying it proves anything of course, but I don't think it'd be hard to spin it that way. An outright gay Robin would have a pretty interesting effect on the media. Especially since Tim Drake's pretty settled into his role. He wouldn't be able to be shunted aside like Kate Kane.

You know who else would be fairly easy to write as gay? Sandy Hawkins. He's not a teen, but it'd be pretty easy. I mean, he did have that crush on Kendra, but well, Hawkgirl's pretty much the definition of an "unavailable woman". Also, honestly, that whole fantasy after he was resurrected and she kissed him on the mouth...and that's IT...

That was awfully chaste for a twenty-five year old young man, in my opinion. He could at least have imagined her in something other than her usual clothing. I mean really. It's your brain, dude. You get a pass.

I'm not saying it'd prove anything, again, but it'd be pretty interesting to have one of the original JSA members, even if he's one that barely gets any speaking lines, end up being gay. There could be interesting elements on what it was like being a homosexual teenager in the 1940s. Heck, it might give him something to do aside from say creepy prophecy and whap people with earth stuff in battle. (And by extension, maybe Obsidian would get to do more too, seeing as how he'd already gone through the self-realization/coming out bit... A voice of experience would be an improvement on being wallpaper security.)

Also, how cool would it be to have two gay characters on the same team who AREN'T involved with each other? I mean, it does happen sometimes. Gay people being friends/colleagues without being involved, but you'd never really think it from comics.

Actually we're really lucky that Ice came back. Because if she were still dead and I were writing comics, I would totally try to make Guy Gardner gay.

I mean think about it. He's lecherous around women, but surprisingly handsoff. He tends to get nervous or not know how to react when on the recieving end (Veronna, R'amey). His most significant relationship post-Ice was...well, sleeping with Fire in mutual expression of love/grief for Ice. And Martika who was mind-controlling him.

It would totally fit in with the portrayal of his family life, with his father's very hypermasculine attitude, constantly favoring the bigger stronger athlete/cop older brother over the sensitive younger one. If there's ever been more of a formula for deep repression, I've never seen one. Heck, look at their names. "Mace" and "Guy". If that doesn't scream "Roland Gardner has ISSUES", I don't know what does.

Guy's behavior could SO easily be extreme over-compensation...It could make a lot of sense.

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And the fanboys would FREAK OUT. And I would laugh and laugh.

Though now that Ice's back, I wouldn't do it. I love that couple too much to break them up.

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There's always bisexuality?