Coming out of the closet

Queer-el?The May 23 issue of “The Advocate” explores the appeal of Superman to gays. The cover reads “How Gay is Superman? From the Man of Steel to the X-men, summer movies flaunt a bold queer spirit” I think that this article just points out what fan-girls have known for years: superheroes are hot.

For a minute lets explore some double entendre laden Superman lines and images:

* “Come to me, son of Jor-El. Kneel before Zod”
* Topps trading cards showing Superman coming out of closets
* Superman is characterized as an alienated outsider who masquerades in secret wearing leather boots and spandex.
* Even “Clark Kent’s” work wear and eye wear are so metrosexual.
*Look at that perfect little forelock on his head. That must be done with some super strong product. Can’t each stand suspend a 50 ton weight?
* Check out is eyebrows. Not even alien eyebrows are that prefect.

So you ask “Isn’t Superman’s love interest Lois Lane?” . . . of course it is. She’s the street wise tough as nails reporter he’s always admired but never seems to have a fully exceptional relationship with because someone always gets in the way. It’s not the same person every time, it could be Lobo, it could be bondage enthusiasts from his homeworld, but most likely it is Lex Luthor. Lex is one of the many important people in Superman’s life because he’s always trying to destroy him with kryptonite, compete in business with Superman’s friend Bruce, or seduce Lois etc etc. All this aggression is definitely a ploy to alienate him from all his friends and move in as Superman’s number one. Lex and Superman have some unaddressed sexual tension, but I blame that on the comic book industry.

Comic book fans if you’re so obsessed with how gay superman is, you’d be interested to know of other instances of homosexuality in comic mythology.

In the comic book world only recently have there been openly gay characters. In the Marvel universe, precognitive mutant Destiny and shapeshifting Mystique were to be life partners. However that proved to be too risqué for the comic book community of the 1970s and they were toned down to be “just friends.” However that leaves us with the question who are the openly gay superheroes? And don’t say Batman and Robin that’s just too obvious. Notable are Colossus and Northstar. Colossus is an old character, the Russian farm boy separated from his family to join Charles Xavier’s quest to create harmony between humans and mutants. He has always been characterized as sensitive. For example he was hardest hit when his sister Illyana dies of the legacy virus, and nursed the comatose Magneto in his satellite base when all his other Accolytes had fled. Perhaps letting Colossus come out of the closet was a way for the Marvel writers to modernize his character. However, his date to the homecoming dance Northstar seems like he has always been openly gay. After a long hiatus from superherodom, Northstar was running his own company in Canada. When asked to return to the academy as a professor, he returns with, “What would you like me to teach Charles? Boys Phys.Ed? Even you cannot be that progressive.” Charles Xavier: “Actually I was thinking Economics.”

The mutant population is one that meets alienation, hate crimes, and even mob lynching in the marvel universe. This aspect of their lives echoes that of closeted teens or anyone who doesn’t fit in. For example a mutant Angelo was killed in the same style as Matthew Sheppard. Also in the X-men movies Mrs. Drake asks her son “Have you tried not being a mutant?” before his little brother turns him in to the authorities. Just as a large percentage of teens who come out to their parents are subsequently thrown out, there are bands of homeless mutants for example the Morlocks or Gene Nation.However the most frightening parallel between the Marvel mutant universe and our own life is the impact of the Legacy Virus. The Legacy Virus attacks only mutants and results in the loss of control one’s mutant ability resulting in death. The human response to discovering this virus was that “Legacy cures Mutants” which was the same intolerant response to the straight population hearing about the AIDS virus which ravaged the gay community in the 80s, making boys towns into ghost towns. (just substitute Legacy for AIDS and Mutants for a slur.) In fact the parallels are intentional and downright scary but meant to hold a mirror to our own society and promote acceptance.