Green Lantern Alan Scott is Gay but why not Hal Jordan?

June is Gay Rights Month and you know what that means, everything I say will be super gay! That being said, let’s discuss the new Rainbow Lantern- I mean Gay Lanter- I mean Green Lantern. It is by no means news that Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, was revealed to be gay in the recent reboot of the DC-Line of comics. This was met with mixed reactions from both people who read comics and from people who hate gay people. In fact, in a showing of solidarity Pro-DC/GLBTQ rights individuals singlehandedly overwhelmed the Facebook group “One Million Moms,” with pro GLBT and Pro Lantern nuggets of beauty.

But let’s be real for a moment. Alan Scott is a key player to those who read comics but to those that don’t or who follow it on a cursory level DC didn’t make Hal Jordan (or for that matter John Stewart) gay. This feels almost like that time they killed Robin and the public went CRAZY about the fact that DC killed one of the most loveable sidekicks in all of comics… even though it wasn’t Dick Grayson (the Robin everyone loves), it was Jason Todd who… nobody liked (until he became the Red Hood!). When DC held a telephone poll (before texting existed) to see whether Robin should die comic book fans said “YES PLEEEEASE!” The whole Alan Scott thing is fantastic for those of us in the GLBTQ community but at the same time… I can’t help but wonder why not the main Justice League?

The most obvious character they should have made gay was Superman. Why you ask? He’s supposed to be the perfect man and any straight woman will tell you that the PERFECT man is in fact gay. Let’s also talk about, since you asked, the fact that he’s an alien. I suppose him being gay or straight shouldn’t come into play about this at all except that him loving Lois Lane has never sat well with me because he’s an alien! A lot of anti-marriage equality activists say they are against gay marriage because people will soon marry dogs… Why not turn that whole debate on it’s head and question the marriage rights between humans and aliens! I think it would be hilarious if in this reboot we find that Superman in fact has no genitalia… or has weird alien genitalia. Although I guess if we want to get into it, equating homosexuality with “some weird alien genetalia,” doesn’t help the cause at all, so fine Superman stays alien straight… for now.

Aquaman would’ve been the next choice because… well he’s a buff metro looking surfer guy again. Also he’s constantly surrounded by sea faring gents… known as sea men (Get it?). All right, so Aquaman has always been an obvious and therefore almost stereotypical choice. Aquaman has been the Jack of Will and Grace’s Justice League. If we look at Marvel Comic’s character Namor, they are very similar characters on paper except no one questioned Namor’s sexuality like they have with our fish talking friend Aquaman. At least until he stopped cutting his hair, stopped shaving, and jammed a hook in the bloody stump that was his arm. Aquaman got a lot more badass! And in my opinion unshaven, hook in arm, sea-loving Aquaman would have been A PERFECT candidate for a sexuality change. He would be the most awesome Bear (loosely defined, a Bear is a term in gay culture for strong hairy men that enjoy the same). Aquaman would be at that point a DUDE, not a surfer dude, a DUDE! And that’s what gay men want to see in their gay characters. Strength and manliness!

But Ashley, you’re forgetting the most obvious character to get a sexuality shift. What about Wonder Woman? Honestly, I think it would be a weak choice to make Wonder Woman a lesbian. I would welcome it, but at the same time seeing as she is the only prominant super female character in this new(ish) Justice League, making her a lesbian would be pandering. As Wonder Woman has become a feminist icon, showing a straight strong female wonder woman in a world dominated by straight dudes (And aliens!) is a very big deal regardless of sexual orientation; all of her choices are scrutinized. Personally, I think it’s a more bold choice to keep her straight and show that straight boys and girls can get along and work together. I guess making Wonder Woman gay feels too obvious on paper, but something in my gut says no and therefore Gay Wonder Woman feels wrong… until they introduce more prominent female characters into the JL then we’ll talk.

Gotham’s Caped Crusader could never be gay. I also would make the case that I don’t think he’s straight either. Honestly Mr. Wayne is too cold and calculating to be anything but asexual. I would even go so far as to say he’s Revengesexual. I don’t think any man or woman could help fulfill Bruce’s life any more than the Joker. It’s that “I want to kill you so much but something is keeping me from doing it… I don’t know what?!” struggle he has with The Joker that many married couples joke about going through.

I can’t see the Flash as gay… at all. And that’s why I WANT to. Honestly, every incarnation of the Flash is a snarky, funny, and charismatic guy and I would love for him to be gay. If Will Arnett’s portrayal of Devon Banks on 30 Rock has told us anything, it’s that gay characters who are fully fleshed out and don’t act stereotypically gay are fantastic characters!

Finally, I want to discuss the strangest but most intriguing character in the new League to make gay… Cyborg. When re-imagining Cyborg, what if he was born gay but he was converted through cybernetic impulses to forget and suppress these homosexual “tendencies,” and potentially homosexual past. Then Cyborg’s story becomes the struggle between nature and nurture. Whether homosexuality can be “stopped,” by synthetic impulses or whether sexuality is ingrained in human nature and won’t be controlled by anyone. That to me sounds like a BADASS coming out story.

I am very happy for DC, Alan Scott, and let’s throw Marvel Comics and Northstar into the mix as well. I am happy that gay characters (For whatever reason or intention) are starting to show up, and showing up prominently in comics. I am happy that the public supports this. Now we just need to get some Trans-superheroes in the mix and I’ll be happy! Hope your Pride month was super gay!