Green Lantern is Gay

[Flight]

I thought it would either be him or the Flash. It looks like they're handling him well, at least, so that's good.

 

[Agow95]

Knew it would be green lantern, because anyone can have the green lantern powers, so instead of re-writing batman, they just write a new character and call him iconic because it's green lantern

 

[Winnosh]

Was there this much debate about the legitimacy of changing an aspect of a fictional character's 'physical' being when Nick Fury went from being a grizzled, caucasian, WWII vet, to being Samuel L M%$^&r F#$%^n' Jackson?

For those arguing about the wrongness of changing the sexuality of an established character from hetero to homo because 'the gays' would be upset if anyone changed an established gay character to a straightey - Movie Bob (to use the most easily accessible reference) did a Big Picture episode about this very thing a while back. White, middle-class heterosexuality is the vast, vast majority of representation in Western media/fiction, while anything straying from that social ideal is generally vastly under-represented, or grossly stereotyped and misrepresented. Writing (or rewriting) a fictional character (who doesn't actually exist) in a way which not only promotes, but also better represents the diversity of the human experience, is not the same as changing a character to better fit the mainstream by removing that aspect which makes them a minority or diverse.

Yeah DC could legitimately be accused of milking a publicity stunt and then finishing with an anti-climax - and I seriously wanted it to be the Flash, Barry Allen or Wally West - but for any gay kid out there who loves their comics, this is the kind of thing which provides the kinds of role models and a sense of place and acceptance in the world which has never really existed before, and that has me all kinds of excited for just what that might mean for future generations.

The big difference is that the original grizzled white guy Nick Fury is still out there and still getting comics made about him in the Main Marvel Universe. The fans never lost anything they just gained another version of him to appear side by side with.

This move by DC actually REMOVES A GAY CHARACTER FROM THEIR CONTINUITY Alan Scott's Son Obsidian was a promenent Gay superhero. And their relationship with the older father coming to terms with that was a good source of drama and storytelling.

We didn't get another version of the character to stand side by side with the original. and by original we mean one of the Earliest superheroes around. We also lost his son as a character in this continuity too.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

I'm not at all surprised that the hero who was portrayed by Ryan Reynolds is gay. It's so obvious now!

(I know it's not Hal Jordan, but whatever. Close enough.)

 

[BrionJames]

Green Lantern is Gay.Nobody cares.Lets move on

I couldn't agree more, sir.

 

[TheRussian]

Damn it, I lost a bet, or rather, no one did.

 

[orangeban]

I'm sad that we live in a world that companies have to do this to seem like they're being edgy or accepting. Who cares who is gay and who is not? For any comic book character that you do this to you're going to gain some readers for awhile and lose more. Why? Two guys kissing is gross. Every straight male in the world thinks it, and we never want to see it. Two ladies? Hot. Two guys? Yuck.

It's not prejudice or wrong, because it's not done out of hate or fear. It's gross. Nothing wrong with that. Guys can go and do whatever the hell they like to with one another, but flaunting it in our face (yes, pride parades: this means you) is going to make us like you less. You can be as supportive as you want, but this kind of thing just makes you lose interest because (for straight people at least) the character is less relatable.

"It's not prejudice or wrong, because it's not done out of hate or fear. It's gross. Nothing wrong with that."

Let's look at why you think it's gross.

It's not just because you're straight, I don't believe that. I don't like mushrooms but I don't look at people eating mushrooms and go "Ewwww, gross!" Similarly, I'm asexual, I'm not attracted to anyone, but I don't find it gross when I see *anyone* kissing.

So why do you and (so you say) "all straight males" find two gay men kissing gross? Because society has conditioned you to see that as WRONG and BAD. It's the inherent homophobia of society at work y'see?

Also, here's a question for you, if two gay men kissing in a comic book flaunting it, what about two straight people having sex in a sitcom? Surely that's even more flaunty!

 

[Ledan]

Scott's sexuality will be just one aspect of the character, and it won't define him.

I'm confused. Is this change only acceptable if being gay does not define him?

More like: no one is defined solely by their sexual preferences, so Green Lantern also wont be. "He's gay, its not a big deal."

 

[jawakiller]

And I'm sitting in my chair, at my desk, shaking my head at the laziness. I mean, fuck it, make a gay character. Nobody really cares save the gay community and religious people. Sure it's for polar reasons that they care but regardless, the majority of people just don't care.

That said, fuck DC writers. Instead of working hard on creating a brand new, brilliantly crafted superhero, they snag an old one and rewrite him to their mold. You should never sacrifice your originality for an agenda, DC. If you wanted to appease the gay crowd, make a new hero. Don't just go and recycle one that's been around since before most of us were born.

I would say something like "just a product of modern society" but that would make me sound preachy.

 

[Zulnam]

Oh noooo, Green Lantern...

Yeah, I can't bother to pretend I care. I think it's actually kind of degrading to gay people. But hey, whatever rocks their boat (and makes them realize how fucking retarded those pride parades are).

 

[Tsaba]

I had my money on WonderWoman... What? It could happen...

her island is nothing but women.... I'm just pointing out the obvious.

OT: Who cares, they're just trying to make some sales.

 

[Vausch]

Man, and I was sure it would be matter eater lad.

Was that a real comic?

Yes.

 

[him over there]

Oh noooo, Green Lantern...

Yeah, I can't bother to pretend I care. I think it's actually kind of degrading to gay people. But hey, whatever rocks their boat (and makes them realize how fucking retarded those pride parades are).

to be fair that was a little disingenuous, there are plenty of people with different sexualities who are pro gay anti gay pride.

OT: So not only was it a publicity stunt but they copped out of it? They made "a" green lantern but not "the" green lantern gay?

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

Did ANYONE actually win any bet? Of all the people I've seen who bet Green Lantern, they all automatically thought Hal Jordan not that old fart Alan Scott.

Oh well, never gave much of a fuck about Green Lantern anyway. This is a pretty obvious gimmick considering how much of a big deal DC's making out of it.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

I was pulling for Aquaman or Batman. Green Lantern was always up there in my list of likely candidates, but I just thought Aquaman, Batman, or even Flash might have been better. Still, it's DC's game.

I think DC was looking for it to be a character that was big name, but not major, and not a big name joke character.

Everybody expected Aquaman, but he is of relative joke status in the universe. They would have received tons of backlash if it had been Batman. Besides, it is well established that Batman is straight, changing him would be down right stupid.

Flash isn't relevant enough for today. Green Lantern is, because of that crap movie. Plus, green lantern is perfect for this kind of change, considering that he isn't one single character, because anybody that is recruited into the Green Lantern corp, gets called Green Lantern. So it just happens that this new Green Lantern recruit is gay.

DC was smart because they went with a character that they would receive the least amount of flack for for changing.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Meh, I'd say my money was on Batman, but that's pointless since he IS gay...

You do realize that that statement makes no sense. Though, if you meant that as some kind of joke, it was a rather lame one.