Why Wonder Woman is the queer superhero that fans need in 2019

[Zahina]

https://www.bustle.com/p/why-wonder-...-2019-17982280

The first teaser poster for Wonder Woman 1984 was released on June 5 and it has sent fans wild. Director Patty Jenkins shared the image of Gal Gadot in all her fierce glory a year ahead of the films release. The debut of Wonder Woman in 2017 was fairly iconic. To see a female led superhero sell out the box office was so exciting. However, Wonder Woman is so much more important as a character than being a powerful female lead. Here's why Wonder Woman is the queer superhero that 2019 needs.


A writer who worked on the comics has always been explicitly clear that the character is not straight and, considering she lived on an island of Amazonian women and no men, it makes sense that Wonder Woman has had encounters with women before.

Fans have been questioning what's to come in Wonder Woman 1984 since Wonder Woman exploded onto cinema screens in 2017. I don’t remember the last time I was so excited about a film. It's pure escapism.Wonder Woman felt like a breakthrough in the DC films. Not only is Gal Gadot incredibly powerful as Diana, but Greg Rucka, who worked on Wonder Woman for DC Comics throughout the 2000s, revealed that the character is also undeniably queer.

Speaking candidly in an interview with Comicosity about the queer narrative in Wonder Woman, Rucka said, “by our standards where I am standing of 2016, Themyscira is a queer culture. I’m not hedging that.” However, Rucka stated that representation at the expense of good writing and character development was avoided at all cost.

The idea behind Diana’s community — Themyscira — being queer will blow your mind. Rucka explained in the interview, “it’s supposed to be paradise. You’re supposed to be able to live happily. You’re supposed to be able — in a context where one can live happily, and part of what an individual needs for that happiness is to have a partner — to have a fulfilling, romantic and sexual relationship. And the only options are women. But an Amazon doesn’t look at another Amazon and say, “You’re gay.” They don’t. The concept doesn’t exist.”


Rather than making Diana’s sexuality a central feature of her character it's just a given that she isn’t heterosexual considering where she's come from. Presenting her as a strong, queer woman is powerful because she isn’t written as a queer superhero, she is simply a superhero. There's so much more to her. It highlights that queer characters can be written in such a way that they represent the LGBTQ+ community but are so much more than just their sexual identity. She is a three dimensional character.

When it comes down to it, Wonder Woman’s sexuality is one of the least interesting things about her. She has superpowers. She saves the world. She wears that iconic suit. However, the fact that people can go to the cinema and see a superhero film with a queer female lead sell out the box office is so important. There is a need for mainstream films with complex, queer characters and if I get to feel a little bit represented while watching Gal Gadot kick ass then you absolutely have my vote.

[Agent 86]

I guess so.

But, I'm not sure Diana will be explicitly queer on the big screen, little screen or in the comic books any time soon (i.e. given a long-term girlfriend or even being shown to enjoy casual romantic / sexual dalliances with various women and men). They could have given Diana an ex-girlfriend who joined Hippolyta in pleading with Diana not to leave Themyscira in the first film. Sure, the line about the pleasures of the flesh (or whatever it was) not being confined to men was somewhat telling, although she could have been purely speaking from what she'd read in Cleo's treatise / text book. But, it was someone offset by her puzzlement about the concept of marriage which surely would have been familiar to her if there were Amazons on the island in committed relationships.

Heck, even if they didn't want to go that far, they could have at least shown Hippolyta and Philippus in a committed relationship and as parents to Diana.

I admire the enthusiasm and sentiment of the article, but I still think we have a way to go.

[marhawkman]

I have to question why it's needed. It's canon that WW ISN'T that, so why do you feel she needs to be that? Like you said, it's the least interesting aspect of the character and society to write. Why bother?

[Agent Z]

I have to question why it's needed. It's canon that WW ISN'T that, so why do you feel she needs to be that? Like you said, it's the least interesting aspect of the character and society to write. Why bother?

Rebirth established her as bisexual.

[SiegePerilous02]

I have to question why it's needed. It's canon that WW ISN'T that, so why do you feel she needs to be that? Like you said, it's the least interesting aspect of the character and society to write. Why bother?

Rebirth established her as bisexual.

Yep, and it's pretty obvious it was what Marston would have gone for had he been allowed to be explicit.

[greymoon]

It’s kinda annoying how some of you mention Marston as if he explicitly said he wanted WW to be bisexual or something. You don’t know that. Besides, stop holding WW back solely to Marston, this isn’t the 1940’s anymore.

[Gaelforce]

Yep, and it's pretty obvious it was what Marston would have gone for had he been allowed to be explicit.

Why is it obvious?

He lived in a polyamorous relationship, having two children with his wife and two with Olive Byrne, but Olive and Elizabeth were not involved in a sexual relationship.

It was also his wife's idea that the superhero he was asked to write should be a woman.