Wow

[Corrina]

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

My only objection is I loves Clark and Lois together. (Of course, that's not happening either.) And I do think their relationship is central to who Superman is.

But given they've broken up or retconned out the marriage of every DC character that was happily married to a member of the opposite sex, well, that leaves the field utterly wide open. Even including Superman.

Fanboys. They don't want married heroes. No wimmins! Um, wait, don't make all those utterly uncoupled guys gay! BAD!

ETA: I would agree that Bruce Wayne being gay doesn't change his essential core story.

[zemo]

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.

Except that you are reducing the character to an origin and superheroics. Which is, indeed, the core of a superhero character. But I'd say that at the latest starting with the Silver Age it became quite obvious that there has to be more to them than that. Sexuality is an important part of life, there is no reason to deny this. I am not saying the character will be completely changed. They will be different nevertheless. In your house analogy you included "the same little leak in the family room roof" but you missed "the feeling of shocking your sibling after getting charged up on the carpet". There are dozens of little kinks in every character/house. Renovating either will change them in a way that is a big thing for some, and ignorable for others. Changing a character's sexuality is a bigger change, thus the amount of people that would regard it as a big thing would be greater.

If you want to be "Realpolitik" about it, the change becomes a big thing simply by the fact that news are reporting on it. It is big enough for coverage. So one can not possibly argue it is nothing.

Again, the trick is to acknowledge that there will be a change, but it doesn't have to be good or bad, it just is. As, funnily enough, are people that come out. For the most parts still the same, except you are aware now about what they are interested in.

[zemo]

ETA: I would agree that Bruce Wayne being gay doesn't change his essential core story.

It totally doesn't. But then again, his core story on its own is pretty boring: Boy sees his parents murdered in front of him. Decides he wants vengeance on every criminal. Dresses up as a bat and proceeds to pummel criminals. It's the little particularities that make a character interesting. Sexuality is one of those things you don't give a lot of thought about until the topic arrises, but then it's taking up a lot of your attention. It's not the potatoes (the core story), it's one of the spices of life. But it's the spices that make a meal good or bad. Insofar I would say they are fundamental.

[Corrina]

Well, it would only make playboy Bruce Wayne more of a facade, which would be interesting. <g> And then rumors can start about how he's using famous models as beards and then they'd be right--further distracting people from the Batman angle.

As for Selina Kyle, there's still an essential tension there. A writer could make her the one woman who does tempt Bruce because of all the reasons she does now.

[Kingsmythe]

One minor quibble, Corrina:

Animal Man/Buddy Baker's marriage is, I think, the only one that survived the reboot.

[Morrison_Lad]

Except that you are reducing the character to an origin and superheroics. Which is, indeed, the core of a superhero character. But I'd say that at the latest starting with the Silver Age it became quite obvious that there has to be more to them than that. Sexuality is an important part of life, there is no reason to deny this. I am not saying the character will be completely changed. They will be different nevertheless. In your house analogy you included "the same little leak in the family room roof" but you missed "the feeling of shocking your sibling after getting charged up on the carpet". There are dozens of little kinks in every character/house. Renovating either will change them in a way that is a big thing for some, and ignorable for others. Changing a character's sexuality is a bigger change, thus the amount of people that would regard it as a big thing would be greater.

If you want to be "Realpolitik" about it, the change becomes a big thing simply by the fact that news are reporting on it. It is big enough for coverage. So one can not possibly argue it is nothing.

Again, the trick is to acknowledge that there will be a change, but it doesn't have to be good or bad, it just is. As, funnily enough, are people that come out. For the most parts still the same, except you are aware now about what they are interested in.

I never said it wouldn't be a change. I said that it wouldn't fundamentally change who the character is. And I stand by that. If Superman is still saving cats from trees and fighting inter-galactic villains, and standing up for the person on the street against Lex Luthor, then he's still Superman. That is who he fundamentally is (though, I will admit that with Superman, it's a bit trickier because of Lois, but anyways).

[Morrison_Lad]

One minor quibble, Corrina:

Animal Man/Buddy Baker's marriage is, I think, the only one that survived the reboot.

Good point. And with Buddy, the book is basically an "Animal Man & Family" book, as it couldn't possibly be anything like it is now without his family. But that's a huge exception.

[Shurato2099]

Here's my stance on things: In general, I have more qualms with "making a character gay" than with "making a gay character". As was done with Batwoman orientation should be a part of the overall character package rather than some big, sensationalistic change. If somebody is going to come out, I feel that it should be a natural thing and not announced in advance for publicity. Northstar coming out in Alpha Flight took some getting used to but now I really like that added wrinkle to Jean-Paul's character, the same with Obsidian coming out in Manhunter. Just -do- it, don't make it a big deal and -don't- make it a character's big defining trait.

[Morrison_Lad]

Here's my stance on things: In general, I have more qualms with "making a character gay" than with "making a gay character". As was done with Batwoman orientation should be a part of the overall character package rather than some big, sensationalistic change. If somebody is going to come out, I feel that it should be a natural thing and not announced in advance for publicity. Northstar coming out in Alpha Flight took some getting used to but now I really like that added wrinkle to Jean-Paul's character, the same with Obsidian coming out in Manhunter. Just -do- it, don't make it a big deal and -don't- make it a character's big defining trait.

Again, to be fair, it was in answer to a question. Everything else is just the media picking up the ball and running with it, and requesting more information, and all that. Also, all of us speculating on it, too.

[Slewo.O]

One minor quibble, Corrina:

Animal Man/Buddy Baker's marriage is, I think, the only one that survived the reboot.

Aquaman's marriage to Mera is still intact too.

As for what got posted on DiDio's FB... Yeesh. I get having love for your favorite characters, but that's just a demented attitude to have.