One Million Moms Predictably Angry About Marvel’s Gay Marriage, Predictably Miss The Point
Last week, we were all so excited to see Marvel make huge strides in pop culture acceptance of gay marriage. The wedding of X-Men alum Northstar to his boyfriend Kyle was a cause for celebration here at Mommyish.
And all the reasons that we love the latest issue of Astonishing X-Men are apparently the reasons why One Million Moms are fired up and back in the news.
Superheroes are role models for young children that show how good can triumph over evil. Personally, I’m thrilled to see diverse representations of strength and moral character. I think that’s an important lesson to teach kids and that it will help all children feel like they can be heroes in their own lives.
But the group that tried to unsuccessfully take down Ellen DeGeneres and JCPenney looks at this diversity a different way. They say:
Children desire to be just like superheroes. Children mimic superhero actions and even dress up in costumes to resemble these characters as much as possible. Can you imagine little boys saying, ”I want a boyfriend or husband like X-Men?”
This is ridiculous! Why do adult gay men need comic superheroes as role models? They don’t but do want to indoctrinate impressionable young minds by placing these gay characters on pedestals in a positive light. These companies are heavily influencing our youth by using children’s superheroes to desensitize and brainwash them in thinking that a gay lifestyle choice is normal and desirable.
Apparently, the group doesn’t realize that comic books have been embracing diversity, including in sexual orientation, for years now. As we previously mentioned, Northstar came out as gay in 1992. This wedding is just another development for a character who has had previous relationships and even a little unrequited love in his two decades of existence as a homosexual superhero. And Northstar is only the first LGBT superhero. Young Avenger‘s Wiccan and Hulking, Manhunter’s Obsidian, and even the title character in a revamp of Batwoman all represent diverse voices for sexual orientation in the comic world.
One Million Moms are right about one thing, children look up to superheroes. My own daughter spends countless hours watching, playing and dressing up like her favorites, from Martian Manhunter to The Flash. That’s why it’s so important for Marvel (and DC) comics to show that strength can be found in many different forms. That’s why it’s vital to show kids that not all the good guys look and sound exactly alike.
Marvel’s wedding for Northstar is a big deal. It’s one step further in demonstrating that families don’t always have to look the same, they just have to love each other. And that’s a lesson that I’m happy Marvel will teach to children and adults alike. All the reasons that One Million Moms provides for protesting this statement from Marvel are all the reasons that I’m so happy Marvel is standing up for diversity in the superhero world.
(Photo: Feministing)
