Where are the gay/bi men in DC comics?

[dietrich]

I've been reading the kid since he showed up in Morrison and Kubert's time on Batman and him admitting he wasn't as good as in an alternate future where Bruce and Dick were long dead. In the present he lacks the perspective or emotional maturity to realize his flaws and grow as a person.

Yes, he cares about the people in his life, but the way he carries himself is toxic for long term relationships. Jon and Dick bring the best out in Damian, but even then he's an insufferable brat.

I get it, you like Damian and that's perfectly cool. I for one think he's awful and was at his best using his chest to polish his clone's sword. We'll have to agree to disagree. It's been, what, 15 years and I've only ever seen Damian be a complete bastard to mask his insecurities. He only gets so many chances.

Jon deserves better than Damian. Hell, everyone does. Lots of people can make anyone very happy, but justifying being with someone who is abusive just because they have issues and need love too is essentially enabling abuse. They're friends, but more than that, Damian needs to grow before he deserves anyone's time. I don't and will never believe that love entitles abuse. Love can be unconditional, but relationships never should be. You can be there for someone when they need you without subjecting yourself to a romantic entanglement with them. Damian, as he is characterized in the present (and has been since inception) is a jackass and not deserving.

We're derailing the thread, so let's agree to disagree.

I'm not asking you to date Damian and his behaviour doesn't matter if Jon is cool with it and likes him.

Damian is Jon's best friend. If they can have a bromance they can have a romance.

[Robanker]

Kon-El’s always been about the ladies.

So was Iceman over at Marvel. For good or ill, past characterizations don't stop this sort of thing on their own. Not defending or decrying that, just stating it as fact.

I don't really ship Kon-El and Tim. I know they were/perhaps still are a popular ship, and I'm just saying I can see it. I think Kon-El may never have thought of it, but probably go along with it after perhaps a bit of confusion.

[Frontier]

So was Iceman over at Marvel. For good or ill, past characterizations don't stop this sort of thing on their own. Not defending or decrying that, just stating it as fact.

I don't really ship Kon-El and Tim. I know they were/perhaps still are a popular ship, and I'm just saying I can see it. I think Kon-El may never have thought of it, but probably go along with it after perhaps a bit of confusion.

I feel like now most people assume characters who are really overt in their heterosexuality or overcompensate when it comes to women are secretly gay.

[Aahz]

Yes, I mean Conner.
And I don't think it's likely to happen, but I don't think it's impossible. There's been a relatively big fan base for him and Tim Drake for a long time.

There are fans of all kinds of Slash pairing, go on a typical fan fic side and you fill wind fics with that than anything else...
And in case of Tim and Conner it would not really be in line with their past characterisation.

[Aahz]

An asexual or demisexual (socially functioning) hero would be interesting to see. As would someone who could develop and hold explicitly romantic attractions, affections and relationships sans sexual ones. Connor would be a cool way to explore these themes and concepts.

But yeah. Who knows when we'll see him again. Had Percy continued his run on Green Arrow, he would have reintroduced Connor. He definitely teased doing so in a flashforward splash page very close to when he left the book. Granted, we don't know if he was planning something so nuanced for Connor, but at least he would have been back. Now, unless someone else takes the initiative, we'll be waiting forever for Connor's hypothetical return. Worse still, with Green Arrow being sans his own book, the odds are even slimmer.

I doubt that we will see Connor back anytime soon, even if Green Arrow would get new book.

A Green Arrow solo book just doesn't have the space for a large family, so even if they bring him back, he would probably not get much focus.
He is not really an iconic member of any team, any most teams have already their Arrow Character.

[Alphaxman]

I would personally hate to see Conner or Tim "revealed" to be gay and in a relationship. Why can't they just be best friends? Besides, I like Conner with Cassie and Tim with Stephanie. On the other hand, I'm all for Jon and the dark punk being an item. As people said earlier, they are both blank slates when it comes to who they find attractive and now that Jon is an older teen, its about time he started crushing on someone -- hopefully a dude.

[The Kid]

Bruce Wayne or Damian

Damian

Still young so has a blank slate when it comes to romance in canon
Being part Arabian it sends a positive message especially to young confused kids struggling with their preference in a culture where the notion of homosexuality is not as progressive as it is in the west
Could explain some of his issue with inferiority, over compensation and yearning for acceptance.
adult Damian in canon has either grown up to be in the closet -Multiversity or living with cats-666
hasn't a clue or outright has been disgusted when girls show romantic feelings towards him - Supersons, TT and Injustice
Once gave flowers to a boy

Bruce
Everything in canon. Midnighter is supposed to be a gay Batman and we've seen him have sex in his title yet somehow Bruce/Batman still is sets of my gaydar more than Lucas and has more text and subtext that supports his preference more than Lucas

Glad it's not just me lol

[qwazer07]

I feel like now most people assume characters who are really overt in their heterosexuality or overcompensate when it comes to women are secretly gay.

Why isn't Dick gay? That Robin and Nightwing costumes. Speedo, v neck and air tight spandex. That ass. No woman in DC has an ass like that. That sex life. He never had a true dry spell. Bendis it's staring you in the face.

Lilith = Jean Grey
Dick = Bobby

[Light of Justice]

Why isn't Dick gay? That Robin and Nightwing costumes. Speedo, v neck and air tight spandex. That ass. No woman in DC has an ass like that. That sex life. He never had a true dry spell. Bendis it's staring you in the face.

Lilith = Jean Grey
Dick = Bobby

I think if DC make Dick gay, DickKory and DickBabs fanbase will have a riot.

[Light of Justice]

Double post sorry

[Sutekh]

I don't really ship Kon-El and Tim. I know they were/perhaps still are a popular ship, and I'm just saying I can see it. I think Kon-El may never have thought of it, but probably go along with it after perhaps a bit of confusion.

I always got a kind of ridiculously straight vibe from Kon, particularly in the earlier years, when he was kinda girl-crazy. (I remember how excited he got to be 'fighting' Nina Dowd, when she got zapped and became 'the Mightly Endowed!') Tim, on the other hand, while he's expressed about zero interest in guys, generally, has always seemed to be 'in love' with Conner, specifically. (Not necessarily sexually, but possibly zipping right past 'platonic bromance' to almost obsessive 'I would kill or die for you' territory.)

So I wouldn't feel that a relationship between the two of them would be that 'natural' (a one-sided unrequited something from Tim for Kon, accepted as 'never will happen' and that doesn't necessarily foreshadow Tim feeling that way about any other dude, ever? Maybe!) but these are evolving characters, and traits change with different writers and different viewpoints and evolving standards and expectations and understandings of real-world psychology. (Batman sure doesn't take lady crooks over his knee and *spank* them anymore! Things change. Not necessarily all for the worst.)

And maybe that would be a more nuanced and 'mature' story to explore, a close friendship with some unrequited other feelings involved, and how they navigate that sort of complication (or, like most people, never speak it's name and pretend it doesn't exist...), instead of just 'and they banged.'

[Aahz]

Imo with Bruce, Dick, Jason and Tim we are way past the point where such a change would make sense, and I don't think they should age Damian any time soon up to a point where it would become relevant.

[witchboy]

Imo with Bruce, Dick, Jason and Tim we are way past the point where such a change would make sense, and I don't think they should age Damian any time soon up to a point where it would become relevant.

My cousin’s eleven year old came out as gay.
Damien is old enough to come out even if he’s years away from serious dating.
In recent years Catwoman, Harley, Ivy. Talia and Wonder Woman have all been revealed to be bi, so I don’t see that it’s too late for Dick, Jason or Tim to come out as bi too.
Jason seems kind of bi/pan to me while Tim at least feels like he’s in love with Conner, so I wouldn’t see it as a big shock.
For Jason I wouldn’t write it as a coming out at all, just that he’s always been banging men and women and it’s just never been mentioned before.

[Electricmastro]

From Hellblazer #51 (March, 1992).

[Jackalope89]

My cousin’s eleven year old came out as gay.
Damien is old enough to come out even if he’s years away from serious dating.
In recent years Catwoman, Harley, Ivy. Talia and Wonder Woman have all been revealed to be bi, so I don’t see that it’s too late for Dick, Jason or Tim to come out as bi too.
Jason seems kind of bi/pan to me while Tim at least feels like he’s in love with Conner, so I wouldn’t see it as a big shock.
For Jason I wouldn’t write it as a coming out at all, just that he’s always been banging men and women and it’s just never been mentioned before.

Ugh. Head canons.

I will say, while Selina did come out as bi, nothing has really been done with it since. And seems to have been limited to that one run of hers. Talia has been portrayed so differently in so many different stories, its hard to put much stock into anything other than the basics (she and Bruce had a thing, she had Damian, and split from her father).