Superheroes are gay
Most iconic LGBTQIA+ superheroes in comic books
June 1 marks the start of Identity festival Month in the Together States, in which the lives, legacies, and talents of LGBTQIA+ people are acknowledged and celebrated. And just like in the real world, LGBTQIA+ people are all over the Marvel and DC Universes and beyond, with gay superheroes becoming more shared all the time.
But there are trailblazers who paved the way, including lgbtq+ heroes whose identities own been a part of their stories from the start, and those who, like many of us in the real earth, came to understand their sexuality and gender self later in life.
These are our picks for the most iconic LGBTQIA+ superheroes of all time!
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One of the most recent heroes to come out as queer is also one of the most well-known to be part of the LGBTQ+ community: Tim Drake, the third Robin.
After years of speculation and headcanon from fans and numerous relationship difficulties in comics, Tim came out as queer in 2021's Batman: Urban Legends #6, agreeing to leave on a romantic hang out with his male partner Bernard.
Though Tim's exploration of his own sexuality is just beginning, and Tim himself hasn't named his
Queer Heroes: 15 Superheroes Who Are Same-sex attracted Icons
What makes someone a gay icon? Well for starters, being a female helps, and usually a heterosexual one at that. The queen of them all, Judy Garland, embodies everything traditionally associated with the label -- beauty and poise on the surface masking a broiling sadness within. Even to this day, creature a "Friend of Dorothy" is identifiable code for same-sex attracted men. But, male lover icons can also be men -- camp or butch, straight or same-sex attracted -- and for the female members of the Gay community, gay icons often take the shape of tough, capable women -- gay, straight or otherwise -- who defy traditional gender norms.
RELATED: 15 Characters You Never Knew Were In A Homosexual Relationship
Because of a persistent lack of representation across all media, LGBTQ+ geeks often have to make do with whatever they can find in terms of icons. Batman's sexuality and historical campiness has been a subject of debate for decades, while the X-Men's themes of prejudice and otherness make them easy conduits for those who are marginalized in the real world. Really, superheroes in general have always made great gay icons. They're flamboyant, rebellious, dramatic, often stay
Northstar is often called the first male lover superhero, although he wasn’t allowed to come out until 13 years after his debut. But he was almost certainly the first mainstream superhero deliberately (albeit subtextually) depicted as queer, he was Marvel’s first gay superhero, and his coming out in 1992 was a landmark event, as was his eventual wedding to his husband, Kyle, 20 years later.
I will begin with this disclaimer: I am not going to do justice to this subject in the territory I have here. Scholarly papers own been written about Northstar’s history and significance; there are decades of blog posts, letter columns, zines, and newspaper articles, not to mention the comics themselves. This profile could very skillfully be a manual — and I hope someone writes it someday so I can browse it. But in the meantime, here’s the condensed version:
Jean-Paul Beaubier, AKA Northstar, was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, and he first appeared in X-Men #120 (April 1979) as a member of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight, along with his twin sister Jeanne-Marie Beaubier (Aurora). He didn’t really acquire a personality beyond “French-Canadian” until Alpha Flight got their own book in 1983, wh
12 superheroes who came out in 2021
Comics fans are still reeling from the news that next-generation Superman Jonathan Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is bisexual. Although DC shared the news on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Morning, Kent will explore his feelings for another young man in “Superman: Son of Kal-El” No. 5, dropping in November.
Queer advocacy in comic books has exploded in recent years, but in 2021 it went supernova: In part that’s due to an expanding presence in sci-fi TV shows and — with the release of Marvel’s “Eternals” next month — a blockbuster movie.
Below we celebrate a dozen comic book characters who hoisted the rainbow flag this year in print or screen.
Superman
No, Clark Kent hasn’t come out: His son, Jonathan, is taking on the mantle of the Man of Steel while Dad pursues an existential threat off-planet.
In “Superman: Son of Kal-El”, which is replacing the usual monthly “Superman” title, Jonathan falls for high-school writer Jay Nakamura.
After Jon physically and emotionally burns out from “trying to save everyone that he can,” according to a DC Comics news release, Jay is there to support him. The two have their first kiss in