Letter: Gay Comic Not Funny
The Columbian,
December 27, 2002
P. O. Box 180, Vancouver, WA 98666
Fax: 360-699-6033
Email: letters@columbian.com
A Dec. 16 story, "The Rawhide Kid to reveal his gay side," has
informed us in big, bold, black type on the front page of the Life section
that we are soon to enjoy a homosexual cowboy character with a "keen
fashion sense."
I can hardly wait for the "first gay Western." And to tell us at
Christmas time, what a "gay" present.
A Marvel Comics representative tell us that "if we like a good
story," this is for us. It is written by Ron Zimmerman, who writes
trashy, pornographic material and appears on the Howard Stern show. Zimmerman
suggests that even Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s companion, may have been
homosexual.
Doesn’t this sound like great fun? It’s real trendy to encourage
sodomy. Just consider it a "good story" and a good laugh. It makes
me want to puke.
—Dorothy Piontek, Vancouver
The problem with this comic book is that it isn't that good. Marvel seems
afraid to deal with the Raw Hide Kid being gay in a way that is open and
frank. If you want an out a gay Marvel character, read the X-Men and the
current sub-plot on Northstar, who came out a few years ago in Alpha Flight.
Marvel still uses language that reads 20-years behind the times, but they are
trying.
We certainly need more comics that tell kids that being gay is not a bad a
thing. Both for gay kids and the straight kids who are otherwise learning to
harass their classmates.
Hopefully The Rawhide Kid's disappointing first issue is not indicative of
where this limited series is going.
-Bob Summersgill
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