Wow

[Gail Simone]

I just kind of randomly looked at Dan DiDio’s Facebook page for a minute this morning.

Holy crap.

Okay, let me first get this out. Dan does care about lgbtq portrayals. It’s important to him, I’ve had a dozen conversations with him about it. Out writers like Marc Andreyko have been told, by Dan, not to shy away from gay storylines, characters, and content. And he was a major reason why Batwoman finally got printed. Whatever else you may disagree with, I know this is important to him, and he’s backed it up in many ways.

This stuff isn’t coming from Dan, this is just a sampling of some of the posts people have sent him on his Facebook page in the last couple days.

“Just giving you a heads up because you’ve been a fair guy, If Wally West comes back gay, i’m done with DC comics forever. Nothing against LBGT, but they can’t have my favorite character.”

“Who will be the gay character?, Please no Superman, Batman, The Flash or Green Lantern!. I’ll throw away my collection and will not buy any. I have gay friends, but the characters who were not gay do not have to be now.”

“Mr. D, I sure hope you all aren’t planning to make Superman gay. You all have already torn the character down enough, please don’t ruin the character for the shock value. Not sure what DC has against having characters that are good role models…married and have a respect for their parents views.”

Yeesh.

[Ziggy Stardust]

His job is lose/lose, isn't it.

[zemo]

The sentiment is pretty much "I have no problem with making one of the characters gay...but don't do it to one of my favourites!" I'd love to say I'm above this and that who a character I like is attracted to is unimportant, but even I have a few where I'd just give up on them if they were to be made homosexual. Not because I couldn't respect them anymore, but because it would make them a completely different character. Like Ollie, for example.

Isn't it always the same with comic fans, though? Change is good!...As long as it doesn't happen to characters I like!

[AndrewCrossett]

Nothing against LBGT, but they can’t have my favorite character.”

"I'm not a racist at all... I just don't want black guys talking to my sister."

Sometimes, I think the development of the opposable thumb was the last real progress the human race made.

[Kevin T Brown]

I do suspect it's Wally West.... And after reading that, now I REALLY want it to be Wally West.

[Hugin]

I wouldn't like Superman(Lois is too integral to his story for me) but it would be fun to watch the world explode.

[Morrison_Lad]

I do suspect it's Wally West.... And after reading that, now I REALLY want it to be Wally West.

I pretty much agree on both points, honestly.

To me, when it comes right down to it, I couldn't care less who it is. It doesn't matter to me if a character is gay or straight. What matters to me is that the character is written well, end of story. Revealing a character as gay doesn't change who that character is, fundamentally. Now, if all of a sudden Wonder Woman kicked puppies while walking down the street, then I'd have a serious problem.

But it seems like some of these people have some serious issues they need to deal with. A long look in the mirror might be a good first step.

[zemo]

I pretty much agree on both points, honestly.

To me, when it comes right down to it, I couldn't care less who it is. It doesn't matter to me if a character is gay or straight. What matters to me is that the character is written well, end of story. Revealing a character as gay doesn't change who that character is, fundamentally. Now, if all of a sudden Wonder Woman kicked puppies while walking down the street, then I'd have a serious problem.

But it seems like some of these people have some serious issues they need to deal with. A long look in the mirror might be a good first step.

I have to disagree a little bit there. It's not possible to argue that "revealing a character as gay doesn't change who that character is, fundamentally" and at the same time fall in line with the common pro-gay talking point that coming out is a liberating experience. Morevover, if your character is the same before and after coming out, what was then the reason for letting them come out to begin with, except for a cheap attention grab?

Whoever this character will turn out to be, he will be different from who he used to be. He will flirt with men. He will date men. He will think about homosexuality differently, act differently towards homosexuals, homosexuality will actually achieve an impact in the overarcing story of the character that simply didn't exist beforehand.

I won't fault people for disliking such a substantial change to the character they have come to like. True, many, probably even the majority, will complain because they are open or subconsciously homophobic. But some will just see a character that is substantially different from who they loved, so they will dislike it.

Or, to demonstrate the point: A heterosexual character gets a pregnancy scare story. A Homosexual character gets a story about how hard it is to adopt for a same-sex couple. Fundamentally different stories based on a fundamental difference. The only problem is realizing that "differen" doesn't mean "bad", which leads us straight back to the comic-fans vs. change business.

[Morrison_Lad]

I have to disagree a little bit there. It's not possible to argue that "revealing a character as gay doesn't change who that character is, fundamentally" and at the same time fall in line with the common pro-gay talking point that coming out is a liberating experience. Morevover, if your character is the same before and after coming out, what was then the reason for letting them come out to begin with, except for a cheap attention grab?

Whoever this character will turn out to be, he will be different from who he used to be. He will flirt with men. He will date men. He will think about homosexuality differently, act differently towards homosexuals, homosexuality will actually achieve an impact in the overarcing story of the character that simply didn't exist beforehand.

I won't fault people for disliking such a substantial change to the character they have come to like. True, many, probably even the majority, will complain because they are open or subconsciously homophobic. But some will just see a character that is substantially different from who they loved, so they will dislike it.

Or, to demonstrate the point: A heterosexual character gets a pregnancy scare story. A Homosexual character gets a story about how hard it is to adopt for a same-sex couple. Fundamentally different stories based on a fundamental difference. The only problem is realizing that "differen" doesn't mean "bad", which leads us straight back to the comic-fans vs. change business.

I think you're conflating real life experiences and super-hero comic book stories.

Let's say, for instance, they made Batman gay. To my mind, that doesn't change the character in any fundamental way. Why? Because the character of Batman, of Bruce Wayne, is not about his relationships with women, about how he feels about having children, or any of that. Those elements might play a role in a story here or there. But they aren't what make Batman Batman.

What defines Batman is that he lost his parents to violence and trained himself to become a powerful vigilante and protector of Gotham, a Dark Knight who battles evil. As long as you don't change any of that, then he's the same character, whether he straight, gay, bi, asexual, or anything else.

Sure, some of the more soap-opera elements in some characters' stories make them fun, or tragic, or something. But they aren't what define those characters, those soapy elements aren't what make Hal Jordan Green Lantern, or Kal-El Superman, or Diana Wonder Woman.

Here's an analogy: Let's say I have a blue house, and want to paint it yellow. And I want to get rid of the carpets and put in hardwood floors. And I want to get the kitchen and bathroom redone. OK. But it's still the same house. It still has the same foundation, the same layout and number of rooms, the same hallways, the same little leak in the family room roof.

[Little Scandal]

This stuff isn’t coming from Dan, this is just a sampling of some of the posts people have sent him on his Facebook page in the last couple days.

“Just giving you a heads up because you’ve been a fair guy, If Wally West comes back gay, i’m done with DC comics forever. Nothing against LBGT, but they can’t have my favorite character.”

“Who will be the gay character?, Please no Superman, Batman, The Flash or Green Lantern!. I’ll throw away my collection and will not buy any. I have gay friends, but the characters who were not gay do not have to be now.”

Oh for petes sakes...grow up people! It's the 21st century!

Not sure what DC has against having characters that are good role models…married and have a respect for their parents views.”[/

Excuse me while I pick up my jaw up form the floor...define 'good role model'. Pull your head from your churches ass and breath in a little fresh air, will ya!