DC has continued to move the needle forward for LGBT visibility in comics, with characters such as John Constantine, Batwoman, Cat Women, and Ice Maiden coming out.
And to mark the start of Pride month and the debut of new gay superhero Midnighter, DC Comics have created video that documents their LGBT character history in their comics.
The video is hosted by The Advocate’s Jase Peeples, who says
Comic books now mirror the world around us, so it’s natural that they represent our culture’s diversity in race, gender and sexual orientation.
LGBT characters have long been a part of the DC Universe, but their depiction wasn’t always accepted.”
Also read: Catwoman Comes Out As Bisexual In New DC Comic
The video explains that the Comics Code Authority established in 1954 banned all references to homosexuality – leaving early comics devoid of all mention of LGBT people.
However, as the gay rights movement came to prominence during the 1980s, early queer characters began to appear. Batwoman is one of the comic franchises major contenders for lesbian visibility. As well as being led by an out lesbian character, the series also introduced the first trans character in 2013.