Discuss: Would You Support a Gay Superhero?

I would be much more interested in seeing a good story, that balances action, powers and sexuality. Think HEROES combined with DEXTER with a bit of the L WORLD (didn't much like QUEER AS FOLK, and no, it's not 'cause I'm a man) thrown in. Don't just focus on the guy's sexuality. Heck, I'll watch it.

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I think most of us are at a point where it really does not matter. It's irrelevant if the hero is gay, straight, a man, a woman - it's just not what would detract from what we have come to see.

For those who would be bothered by it, well I'm sure they'll get that Lethal Weapon 5 or Die Hard 5 going sometime soon.

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Honestly, who really cares?
Why does the superhero have to be gay? What could it possibly have to do with anything?
Seriously, it doesn’t matter what the sexual preference of a superhero is.
I’m so sick of Hollyweird shoving political correctness down everyone’s throat by inserting stupid side stories or themes into movies.
“Hey, let’s kill a genre just to get our point across!”. Yes, there are gay people…we all know that. Get the hell over it and make a movie with substance instead of trying to force feed the public your moral agenda. We have parents to teach us morals and tolerance. I go see movies to be entertained…not to learn life lessons.

[END OF RANT]

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Why wouldnt you? If the plot was good and characterisation is strong then yeah! If however the super hero was portrayed as a limp wristed fay queen or a masculine stone bitch then who needs it. There is enough homophobic morons out there anyway without pandering to their ignorance.
Equally if the superhero is written as gay but rewritten as straight then thats not acceptable either- you could easily list the number of intended gay characters who were rebranded for the mainstream dollar. Its all very well saying you don't care but sadly in light of the yes vote for proposition 8 it seems that your country - unlike for example the uk- still has a long way to go. A better question would be : Would Will Smith be as happy playing a gay superhero as he was a drunken one? because until you can say a confident YES to that - you still have issues. Maybe in 10 years time silly polls like this will be irrelevant.

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Dumbledore is my hero ;) and he's gay! Teehee.

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Well, as a blanck check, "Gay Superhero" isn't a concept that I'm dying to see in cinematic(or otherwise) form. So my answers pretty much no, in the same way "Baby Superheros", "Kid SUperheroes with the guy from Home Improvement" and "Teenage Superhero School" couldn't get my support.

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Captain Jack from Torchwood sometimes walks this line.. his sexuality in no way defines his character, but gives it nuances and flavour.

Superheros are almost always described as lonely and angst ridden as their duty prevents them from committing to anyone, man or woman. As long as the creators put the emphasis on the "Superhero" aspect instead of the "gay" aspect, I don't see how this would have any negative impact on the film.

On the other hand, as the character's sexuality is all I've heard about, (no other mention of plot, character, villains or setting) the writers have their work cut out for them to sell the the film to a broad audience.

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I'm so against this... I mean, it'd be great if done correctly, but all the higher-ups will want to "fix" it and it'll probably end up looking like this.

http://superdickery.com/images/stories/seduction/pink5lr.jpg

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OMG! I can't believe that pink kryptonite actually existed, but I'll remind myself if I'm ever a supervillain in the dc universe! I have read this book and although it comes off sophmoric, it does have a great sensibility of an excellent high budget Indy movie. The reason the author made it was in response to the constant killing of gay superheros in comics. I argue that all superheros die for the sake of poor plot advancement and if this could take effect within the context of smart writers who could balance camp with action then I would love it. Gay superheros do still fight for recognition within the big "2" so I also commend Stan Lee's involvement. Truth be told though-- this is the stuff I want to create. Not because I'm gay, but because the gay community likes sympathy and also good stories. That's what it comes down to-- is it a good product with great writers? because there is potential to make something that isn't the norm, not just a new gay version.

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I think it could be interesting if written correctly. However, it might still be a tough sell to a what is still a fairly large segment of the typical audience of the superhero movie.

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Why is it that we have to be "gay" to be cool now?

This is so fucked up.

I don't go around witha fuckin picket screaming how awesome I am because I'm straight.

Who gives a rip.

I agree that if shit keeps getting pushed down everyone's throats, people are going to act even more like assholes than they do now.

Live and let live, let common sense be the rule.

Oops, sorry about saying that about common sense, I probably offended a bunch of people...

Love to all,

Tootles...

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It's great that Showtime is giving a gay superhero a television show. I just hope that the show is up to the quality of things like Dexter. For anyone with a problem with a gay superhero move on... I'm straight and I couldn't care less as long as the character is well written.

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"But I know that it's about pushing an agenda and it annoys me. Just my personal opinion. No bigotry involved."

Again, I don't see how it pushes an agenda. It's notable because most superheroes are NOT gay. That's why that aspect of the character is getting attention--not to push an agenda on you or anyone else. If that were true, then you could also claim that every romantic comedy (or, frankly, every mainstream Hollywood film) is out to push a heterosexual agenda.

"Which leads me to another annoyance. People who don't care to hear about whether or not the superhero is gay are assumed bigots? I mean come on. Isn't that the same as "either you're with me or against me"?"

No, it's not the same. The fact that you become irritated to the point of posting a self-described rant just because the character's homosexuality is of note belies the claim that you just don't care. If you just don't care, I'd think you would shrug your shoulders at it and move on.

"Maybe I really just don't care. To each his or her own. It bothers me just as much to hear that someone would hate this movie just because the main character is gay. I'm saying...whatever the case is, just make a good story and don't focus on petty crap to prove a point."

Don't you see how absurd this is? When does fiction NOT set out to "prove a point"? When does fiction NOT set out to provide insight into the workings of the human mind and psyche? When does fiction NOT set out to impart knowledge about conflict and resolution? Love and loss? Life and death? Think about it. That's what a good story is, friend.

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Well if you are comic book fan, you would not think of this as a big deal. The Question , who is now a female, is actually a lesbian. As is Batwoman. I am gay, but the I am a guy, and yet, because it is well written, I do not think about it. Yet, according to these defintiions I should be the least interested in it. There are also characters who are gay like Northstar, Obsidian, and even the Ultimate Colusus. It really just should come down to the story. This is a little like when people made a big deal about African Americans in these sorts of vehicles, and yet, after Will Smith no one thinks about it.

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My answer is simple.

No, I wouldn't mind, as long as it's in the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang sense of a gay superhero.

I am not interested in being told how wonderful it is to be gay. I'm not interested in being told how terrible it is to be gay. If the superhero is gay as part of their character -- like Val Kilmer's in KKBB -- that's fine and uh... dandy. :D

Kilmer was gay. But he was funny, smart, tough, angry, caring... in short, HUMAN. He was not an agenda. He was a character.

Gay people are real, living, breathing human beings. This is something Christianity has a hard time *publicly* recognizing. And in terms of art, we need to. By not doing so, Christians miss one of THE MOST CHRIST-LIKE MOMENT IN MODERN CINEMA. The visit to the parents house in Brokeback Mountain. THOSE were true Christians... and that holds true even if you're a Christian that believes homosexuality is a sin.

Uh I think I'm on a tangent, I'll stop... :-)

-Pie

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