I’ve continued to receive responses to my question of whether DC’s decision to give Batwoman – a lesbian superhero – her own ongoing series indicates increasing acceptance of LGBT individuals in our culture as a whole. Among those responding is author Caitlin R. Kiernan, who is decidedly skeptical:
“On the one hand, sure, this is very cool, an openly lesbian superhero getting her own monthly from DC. On the other hand, I’d be somewhat more impressed if we were seeing DC give a gay male superhero his own book. Men seem far more amenable to lesbians, especially to conventionally pretty, feminine lesbians, and most comic book readers are still male. So, I see this as a far less risky move, and far less indicative of genuine change in the industry, than it would be if the character were a homosexual man. Lots of guys will be reading the Batwoman monthly because she’s a lesbian, given the way straight men fetishize lesbianism, even though they may be uncomfortable with homosexuality in general.”
Kiernan is the author of numerous short fiction collections and novels, the most recent of which is “The Red Tree.”
See Also:
Hal Duncan on Batwoman and the State of Gay Superheroes
Interesting take. I still see it as the camel’s nose. You’ll get a fully flushed out gay male superhero once the idea of a superhero’s sexual orientation or identity can be seen as characterization and not a plot device, the former being what they’re doing with Kate Kane so far. Since most comic readers are going to be more accepting of a lesbian superhero, it’s a way to ease them into the idea gradually. But Kiernan is right, nerdy dudes (yeah, dudes in general) do fetishize idealized porn lesbianism (which is as fictional as Batwoman). It’s not the hurdle that The Rawhide Kid book faced.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Caitlin. Thank you.