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

Trans issues didn’t doom the Democrats

OPINION: The Republicans won ending on a giant anti-trans note, but Democrats ultimately failed to communicate on class

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

To combat transphobia, we need to engage with the people who spread it

OPINION: opening up a dialogue with those we disagree with is key if we want to achieve widespread social change