
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I must preface my opinion on this subject by saying that I am a libertarian-brand conservative in terms of principles. ; I do not work with the Libertarian Party because they have no idea how to get their principles implemented in a real political world. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I mention this bit of information because I am a VERY tolerant person in terms of what people do in their private lives. ; I have supported gay unions and then gay marriage when it was far less popular to do that. ; I have worked for gay people – and had gay people working for me.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I have also believed that what a person does in private is their business – as long as they are not directly hurting others. ; But most of all, I have long believed that a person’s private life should be kept private. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But even with all that open-mindedness, I am at a loss to understand why it was important to make the new Superman –the son of the original Superman &#8212; bisexual. ; In that spirit, why not make him transgender and fly around in a tutu.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As a comic book franchise, Superman had the broadest possible appeal. ; He was a man endowed with superpowers used on behalf of a universal vision of good versus evil. ; Superman has suddenly become a controversial figure – applauded by some and derided by others. ; His newly revealed sexuality now dominates his historic cultural role – fighting for “truth, justice and the American way.”</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Of course, it is not about Superman – or even his son, Jon Kent. ; They do not exist. ; The ability to fly “faster than a speeding bullet” or to “leap tall buildings in a single bound” are fictional. ; Clark and Jon are nothing more than two-dimensional drawings on paper or the silver screen. ; They are only what the artists, writers and owners of the franchise make them.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, why did they suddenly decide to make the successor Superman bisexual. ; There has been an intimate romantic attraction between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. ; In later movies, that was advanced to a more intimate relationship. ; I thought that was also needless – and a disappointing move.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One must assume that it must have to do with readership. ; Perhaps the sanitized stories of noble superheroes have gotten boring for the consumer. ; Or perhaps they are making the characters more interesting to a more adult audience – leaving the little kids with Kermit the Frog, at least until his relationship with Miss Piggy is more graphically revealed.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I do believe that there is value in having cultural icons that represent pure and uncomplicated goodness that appeal to the more innocent young kids. ; Is the bisexual Superman a better role model for the youngest generation? ; If so, then perhaps Cinderella should have a backstory of being a victim of white slavery. ; Should the old woman who lived in a shoe be used to promote abortion. ; And is Prince Charming to be chastised for giving Snow White an uninvited kiss as she lay helpless.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Some members of the gay community have applauded the decision to make Superman, Jr. the subject of an alternative lifestyle. ; It is something to which they can relate, they say. ; I can understand that, but why not just create a new gay superhero – much like Black Panther, who became – if not the first – certainly the most successful new superhero in terms of box office.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Superman – like many other superheroes &#8212; is a cultural idealized fantasy. ; He appeals to the angels of our better nature. ; One of his super qualities is to be better than we mere humans. ; More moral. ; More pure. ; To give him more compromised and controversial “human traits” makes him less of an iconic and idealized superhero. ; He becomes nothing more than human frailties on steroids.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The very essence and purpose of a superhero is to not have a dark side. To inspire and draw us to our good side. That appeal is diminished when our hero is traumatized by doubt and anxieties – or has the same human frailties as the rest of us.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Superman, Jr. did not really come out of the closet, as my own headline states. ; He is only a drawing on a piece of paper – an icon that is created by artists and writers. ; He does not have a sex life – straight or gay – unless those who create him give him a fictional sex life for some socio-political purpose. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I personally believe that people should keep their sex lives private – and away from public pronouncements. ; I have no desire to know what other folks do in the bedroom – or elsewhere. ; And that also goes for fictional characters such as Superman, Jr. ; ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So. There ‘tis.</p>

Superman comes out of the closet
