DC Comics under fire for hiring homophobic writer

Let me start off by saying that DC Comics has been pretty good about including LGBT characters in its canon. It has one of the most prominent gay characters, in the form of Green Lantern Alan Scott, and its roster includes one of the first intersex superheroes.

That being said, you can kinda understand why DC Comics is getting torn up in the press over its decision to hire on Orson Scott Card to write an original Superman comic. Sure, he’s an acclaimed science-fiction writer, but the guy’s also a screaming homophobe who hasn’t written anything good in years, and DC is getting beat on pretty hard in the press over it.

Thankfully, openly gay sci-fi writer David Gerrold is trying to even the scale by volunteering to draft original material for DC Comics, pro bono.

“I see that you have hired a writer for Superman who has written strongly of his opposition to equal rights for LGBT people. And I see that there is an online petition protesting that move,” wrote Gerrold on Facebook.

“Perhaps you could balance that decision by hiring an openly gay writer to draft a Superman story for a future issue. I hereby volunteer.

“I have been a fan of Superman since Bud Collyer played him on the radio. (Before TV was invented.) I can remember Brainiac’s first appearance, and Bizarro too. And I cried when George Reeves died.”

Gerrold’s credits include work on the original Star Trek series, Babylon 5, Land of the Lost, The Twilight Zone and The Adventures of Superboy. He also wrote two issues of DC’s Babylon 5 comic. [SOURCE]

Seriously, what happened to that guy? He wrote Ender’s Game, and then he just sort of tanked it by becoming a huge asshole. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much talent be overshadowed by that much douchiness since . . . well, ever.

Keep Reading

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose