Originally Posted by
hairys
By your weird definition of "established," virtually no character in comics has been established as straight. You don't think creators have talked off-panel about Bruce being gay, for example? I mean, the rumors/meme of Batman and Robin being gay for each other have been around for decades, so does that mean Bruce isn't straight?
For most reasonable people, 30 years of Tim on panel only dating girls and never having thought bubbles where he's crushing on other dudes, is enough to establish him as straight.
Why does it matter anyway? From a left-wing point of view, increasing LGBT representation is a good thing, and if creators are too lazy/impatient to invent new characters and wait years and years for them to build a following, then they have to basically turn established characters gay. Can't make omelets without breaking a few eggs, essentially. Embrace it, don't hide from it, and don't attempt to gaslight 30 years of a character's history.