Batman writer Grant Morrison says the Dark Knight is Gay

[Jordanstine]

It's not just comics news, it's now reached Hollywood too.

Link: THR - The Hollywood Reporter

DC superstar comic book writer Grant Morrison sure caused a ruckus with an interview during which he share his thoughts on his works and, more interestingly, on certain superheroes.

The man who has redefined Batman and is about to launch the new Batman Incorporated comic series, said, "Gayness is built into Batman."

He then went on: "He’s very plutonian in the sense that he’s wealthy and also in the sense that he’s sexually deviant. I’m not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There’s just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he’s intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay. I think that’s why people like it.All these women fancy him and they all wear fetish clothes and jump around rooftops to get to him. He doesn’t care—he’s more interested in hanging out with the old guy and the kid.”

 

[DeGenerate10]

Read this on Comic Book Resources forums. I disagree with him but that's his opinion I'll move on.

 

[spiderbob]

Ditto.

 

[Jack O Lantern]

He adopted a young boy, dressed him in Pixie Boots the wrestle around with him in a cave while an old man watched.

Straight as an arrow that one.

 

[Dangerman]

He adopted a young boy, dressed him in Pixie Boots the wrestle around with him in a cave while an old man watched.

Straight as an arrow that one.

I wouldn't say gay maybe bi but not gay.

 

[Kurosawa]

People thinking Batman is gay I don't care about, but people thinking he's a pedophile is sick.

He adopted Robin because he had lost his father and didn't want him to suffer as he had.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Considering how much of a man-****e Morrison has made Bruce, I find it so odd that he says this.

 

[The Batman]

Morrison's comment makes sense. On a conceptual level, there are homoerotic elements to Batman, that's why people crack those Robin jokes. Then again, there are homoerotic elements to every comic character, so I'm not bothered by Morrison's remarks, except in that he claims thats why people are drawn to Batman.

Like Morrison said though, obviously Bruce isn't gay.

And I'm failing to see how Morrison's Bruce Wayne is a man ****e. He's had one girlfriend during Morrison's run, with flashbacks to his relationships with Julie Madison, Batwoman and Talia spread out over a 15+ year career as Batman. How that makes him a man ****e, I fail to understand.

 

[Cain]

Morrison's comment makes sense. On a conceptual level, there are homoerotic elements to Batman, that's why people crack those Robin jokes. Then again, there are homoerotic elements to every comic character, so I'm not bothered by Morrison's remarks, except in that he claims thats why people are drawn to Batman.

Like Morrison said though, obviously Bruce isn't gay.

And I'm failing to see how Morrison's Bruce Wayne is a man ****e. He's had one girlfriend during Morrison's run, with flashbacks to his relationships with Julie Madison, Batwoman and Talia spread out over a 15+ year career as Batman. How that makes him a man ****e, I fail to understand.

You get it completely

I understand what he means based on the context of how he means it.

Batman is a man child and there is something inherently gay about a guy that instead of embracing the company of the many women who swoon over him and throw themselves at him would rather play crime fighter with a bunch of men or boys in tights and hang around with an older man all the time; father figure or not.

It doesn't mean he's out there having gay sex or whatever just that conceptually there is a homoerotic subtext to it all. I don't see how that's a wrong viewpoint at all and Batman is my favorite superhero and I'm as heterosexual as it gets but how can others not see what he meant?

 

[Cain]

People thinking Batman is gay I don't care about, but people thinking he's a pedophile is sick.

He adopted Robin because he had lost his father and didn't want him to suffer as he had.

I think it crosses the line to sick when people take their time to come up with images of Batman making out with Robin and stuff like that. However this type of imagery

makes what Morrison had to say pretty valid if you ask me. I know he's his surrogate son and all but there is still no real biological connection there at the end of the day.

 

[Watchman]

It's all about the subtext.

 

[Cain]

except in that he claims thats why people are drawn to Batman.

Oh yeah and about that. To be fair every gay person that's been in my life part of the reasons we connected so strongly is our mutual affection for the Batman mythos. He has a huge following amongst the gay community.

However what I took from those people is that some of them like it because he's a giant man child and is more dedicated to playing with his toys and dressing fab than he is to having a relationship with a woman. Others because the subtext filled 60's TV series is really endearing to them. So I could see how that could draw some people into it.

Me, myself though? nah it was just the adventure of the stories and selflessness of the hero himself that were enough to lure me in with the 60's series personally. I could see what he meant by that though but yeah he shouldn't have generalized like that either.

 

[Lencho01]

I thought this was an interesting read in response to it...

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/04/30/the-gayness-of-batman-a-brief-history-opinion-morrison

 

[TruerToTheCore]

I think Morrison misses the point entirely. If you think about Batman as a concept like that the most obvious result would be that he is a grown-up man with the mind-set of a little boy. But not gay.

Really.

 

[Motown Marvel]

ha ha, i love grant morrison so much.

 

[Watchman]

ha ha, i love grant morrison so much.

I really hope this brings out some of the more humorless, hardcore fanboys. The same ones that had a ****storm when Batman was jumping around Gotham in a multicolor Batsuit. This is going to make their heads explode.

Whatever, they're the ones obsessed with a playboy in a black leather outfits, who forms his own gang of Wilds Boys, that go chasing after a flamboyant guy in a purple suit wearing make up.

Subtext.

 

[Manic]

 

[CConn]

The Batman and Cain, as usual, are right.

 

[Thundercrack85]

So Batman is either gay, or a sort of Bizzaro Captain Marvel?

 

[The Question]

If gayness is built into the the concept like Morrison says it is, it's a very shallow and superficial picture of homosexuality to the point where it's basically meaningless.

Oh yeah and about that. To be fair every gay person that's been in my life part of the reasons we connected so strongly is our mutual affection for the Batman mythos. He has a huge following amongst the gay community.

That might just be because Batman is awesome and every reasonable human being like Batman regardless of orientation.

 

[Nathan]

Finally! The perfect opportunity to post this has arrived!

 

[The Batman]

Oh yeah and about that. To be fair every gay person that's been in my life part of the reasons we connected so strongly is our mutual affection for the Batman mythos. He has a huge following amongst the gay community.

However what I took from those people is that some of them like it because he's a giant man child and is more dedicated to playing with his toys and dressing fab than he is to having a relationship with a woman. Others because the subtext filled 60's TV series is really endearing to them. So I could see how that could draw some people into it.

Me, myself though? nah it was just the adventure of the stories and selflessness of the hero himself that were enough to lure me in with the 60's series personally. I could see what he meant by that though but yeah he shouldn't have generalized like that either.

I definetely get why gay people would be drawn to Batman as a concept. Morrison's quote made it sound like everybody was drawn to the homoeroticism.

I was drawn to Batman because he was cool, and had the gadgets and the cars. As I got older, I was drawn more to the character of Bruce Wayne and how screwed up he was while maintaining a high level of heroic qualities. Thats why I like Batman but dont really care for Punisher.

 

[CConn]

Well, on the gay thing...it's really hard to say what guys' feelings are on the subject due to how repressed and frowned upon homosexuality is in our society.

I think "gay" in the context of our society isn't so much about homosexual sex or attraction, it's more about embracing concepts and aspects of the human psychological makeup that's outside of our society's accepted rules. Batman very much represents someone who doesn't bow to social mores, and maintains his stark individuality and psychological honesty despite how it makes him a social pariah.

I think we all have that part of ourselves that, if we're out in the open, or if we didn't curb to some extent, would be frowned upon by society. And most normal people don't have the courage to be themselves dispite that. I mean, if you're a guy, and you like interior design more than football, that doesn't make you gay, but how many guys would have the courage to admit that in a crowded sports bar?

Batman, however, does have the courage to tell everyone and anyone who and what he really is. And he doesn't relent or repent for anyone. I think that's a very big reason why so many people are attracted to him as a character.

 

[Cain]

Well, on the gay thing...it's really hard to say what guys' feelings are on the subject due to how repressed and frowned upon homosexuality is in our society.

I think "gay" in the context of our society isn't so much about homosexual sex or attraction, it's more about embracing concepts and aspects of the human psychological makeup that's outside of our society's accepted rules. Batman very much represents someone who doesn't bow to social mores, and maintains his stark individuality and psychological honesty despite how it makes him a social pariah.

I think we all have that part of ourselves that, if we're out in the open, or if we didn't curb to some extent, would be frowned upon by society. And most normal people don't have the courage to be themselves dispite that. I mean, if you're a guy, and you like interior design more than football, that doesn't make you gay, but how many guys would have the courage to admit that in a crowded sports bar?

Batman, however, does have the courage to tell everyone and anyone who and what he really is. And he doesn't relent or repent for anyone. I think that's a very big reason why so many people are attracted to him as a character.

Exactly.

Queer in the strictest sense of the word (weird, strange etc.)

 

[The Batman]

great post, cconn