After Mr. Grossman’s talk yesterday, I was wondering how, or if, I would have read the book differently if I had thought Feral and Elphin were gay. What did the reviewer think ethnic and racial diversity would add to the book? Having a more diverse super hero group in the story would better represent the modern population. When we start thinking about how the Champions could be more diverse, though, we unconsciously default to characters that are “gay” or “African American”. If the intent is to have characters represent American society, then there should also be some angsty emo kid or an overweight middle-aged man. The idea of promoting acceptance and stirring controversy by having characters with different backgrounds can only work by using extremes, but it would not serve as a representation of modern society.

So what IF a super hero was gay. How would that change our perception of him/her as a hero? Super heroes are supposedly loved because they fight for Freedom and Justice. That sounds grand and all, but both values are highly subjective. What if Feral decided to fight for his “Freedom and Justice” in a gay pride parade? I doubt a Jehovah’s Witness would consider him a hero then. Our measurement of a hero is not based on how well they do their job as a super hero, but how their lifestyle agrees with our own morals (kind of like celebrities). A sad truth. Then again, Dr. Impossible could argue likewise: he’s fighting for his freedom to take over the world and find justice in ruling a society that rejected him. The definition of a hero is then simply someone who defends our own personal morals, not necessarily for the good of society as a whole.