holy reinvention! batwoman’s gay…

Section A, Page 28, The Toronto Star, June 1, 2006

holy adj. Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power; sacred

reinvention - reinvention was not found

lipstick lesbian - a slag term for a feminine homosexual woman who is attracted to another feminine woman, rather than a lesbian who is attracted to a more masculine woman

sensationalism n. The use of sensational matter or methods, especially in writing, journalism, or politics the journalistic use of subject matter that appeals to vulgar tastes; "the tabloids relied on sensationalism to maintain their circulation"

diversification v. To give variety to

Thankfully I can’t take credit for this headline. In fact the front page of the Toronto Star may have stated it even more eloquently, “Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman is coming out of the closest”

Seriously.

I’ll be honest – I don’t know anything about Batwoman so I decided to wiki it and let me share with you what I have learned about Batwoman:

- she’s a crime fighter
- she is Batman’s female counterpart
- she carries a utility purse instead of a utility belt
- she’s has a niece named Bat-Girl
- there’s an imp named Bat-Mite in the Kingdom (this is where I lost interest) BUT
- she used to have a thing for Batman

…and now she is gay.

According to the Executive Editor of DC Comics, Dan DiDio, “This is not just about having a gay character…we’re trying for overall diversification in the DC universe. We have strong African American, Hispanic and Asian characters . We’re trying to get better cross-section of our readership and the world.”

I guess the light went off for someone somewhere and they decided OMGB we’ve left the gay contingent behind. If we quick create one in a superhero format – the world can be saved. And maybe it will – there must have been some market research done indicating that by making Batwoman gay we could save The Kingdom…Planet Krypton…or where ever it is she resides.

Do we even need to ponder the question of who is the gay representative of male superheroes? Is the world ready for Batman and Robin to come out of the closet? And let’s be realistic – what would sell better then a lesbian superhero? Clearly she is going to need a playmate and presto – just like that - we have two gay (female) superheroes. What’s better then two lesbian superheroes in tight fitting cat suits making out with each other? Just visualize.

So what is this really about? When DiDio states that Batwoman is not only gay but – she is of the lipstick lesbian variety of gay – are we not moving away from diversification and into sensationalism?

Is the reinvention of Batwoman about being gay or is it about being a strong ass kickin’ female superhero that can wear a cat suit and still carry a purse - who just happens to be gay? Because if it is the latter of the two - would it even make the front section of The Toronto Star much less the front page?

Why did Brokeback Mountain create such a fervor? Was it because this was a beautiful love story as described Ang Lee? Or was it because people saw it as a “breakthrough, “ as the 1st portrayal of gay cowboys on the big screen? Be honest.

How about this random thought – if you want to diversify and get a better “cross-section” of readership why not make your female superhero weigh 200 lbs – given the obesity issue these days – this would surely get a larger audience.

But the real question comes down to - can you put a 200lbs female superhero in a cat suit and still make the front page of The Toronto Star?

…and more importantly what would the headline read…“Years after she first emerged from the Batcave, Batwoman's stuck?”