It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a new queer love story for the man of steel. The LGBTQIA+ community scored a massive representation win with the inclusion of bisexual badass Jonathan Kent.
Kent, son of the original Superman Clark Kent and Lois Lane, takes up his father’s mantle in the fifth issue of the comic’s latest series “Superman: Son of Kal-El”. Though the full story line won’t be released until November, the promo shot includes Kent, in the iconic costume, kissing boyfriend Jay Nakamura (a journalist!).
The announcement, made on National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), encapsulates a series of shifts in the DC universe to become more inclusive of under-represented communities. Good. It’s the least they can do.
For too long poor Clark Kent was kept under the thumb of fragile white masculinity. Allowing his son to explore his own sexuality helps make up for the fact that Clark Kent always seemed to live within the world of gay male stereotypes, for better or worse.
Clark Kent is a fitness buff who’s obsessed with hair curls. He flies around wearing splashy, skin-tight spandex in bold, bright colors. He’s the patron saint of bears and twinks alike. But most importantly, Clark Kent has always been a little different from the rest of his superhero counterparts.
All superheroes operate their secret identities on a need to know basis. Their duality is that of an average person effectively cosplaying as a hero. But Superman was born a hero, and instead has to blend in with the average folk. Superman is an asylum seeking alien who’s been code switching this entire time.
Whether he was hiding in the closet or a telephone booth, Clark Kent was never able to fully actualize a queer identity. And now his son has a chance to change course.
Jon Kent living his truth will capture the hearts of fans everywhere who know what it’s like to struggle with not being seen and accepted for who they really are.
Unfortunately, the usual suspects are pretty wound up about this DC development. They want their superheroes as straight as a speeding bullet. But they don’t get to decide where Jon Kent hangs his cape, nor do they get to erase an entire group of people.
Jon Kent deserves to be seen for all that he is. He’s not just Gay Superman, he’s the first Earth-born Superman who also happen to be bisexual. Jon’s heat-ray vision, baby blue eyes, and a fondness for driving the family tractor are the proverbial icing on the cake.
The best way to stick it to the haters is to let Jon Kent have the bisexual romance of a lifetime without killing Nakamura off as a cheap plot device (Yes, DC, we’re on to your tricks). It’s 2021, queer people deserve to kick some supervillain ass and have their happily ever after, too.
