Batman forever.In the October 11 issue of The Advocate, I came across the Friend or Foe? column by Jim David Jim David is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is originally from Asheville, North Carolina, and lives in New York City. Stand-Up Beginnings Growing up in North Carolina, David played Phyllis Diller and Jonathan Winters records until they were ruined and and was surprised by what I saw. DC Comics is placed in the gay "foe" category for pulling pictures of Batman and Robin kissing! First of all, Robin is underage. This is not homosexuality, but pedophilia pedophilia, psychosexual disorder in which there is a preference for sexual activity with prepubertal children. Pedophiles are almost always males. The children are more often of the opposite sex (about twice as often) and are typically 13 years or age or younger; . It's a shame that the demonizing stereotype that most gay men battle to overcome would be "advocated" by a gay rights magazine. Second, Batman and Robin have never been portrayed as having such a relationship in the comics, despite popular opinion. Antigay rhetoricians and gay conspiracy theorists created the belief that Batman and Robin are lovers, not DC. Third, DC pulled these pictures due to copyright or trademark infringement Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the license). . That is not a gay issue. That's legality. Finally, DC hires gay writers and artists as well as portrays gay characters in a good light within its comic universe. DC stories often tackle issues that most gays and lesbians consider important, such as HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and equal rights. Though I have been a longtime supporter of your magazine, I have to question if Jim David ever read DC Comics or even researched the company. It's a shame that your magazine chose to slur DC in such a manner when DC's only purpose for removing the pictures was the protection of its copyrights. DAX CARTER Atlanta, Ga. DC Comics was listed as an Advocate "foe" for shutting down the homoerotic ho·mo·e·rot·ic adj. 1. Of or concerning homosexual love and desire. 2. Tending to arouse such desire. Adj. 1. Batman and Robin exhibit in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . That's just sick. DC Comics has provided some amazing comic book comic book Bound collection of comic strips, usually in chronological sequence, typically telling a single story or a series of different stories. The first true comic books were marketed in 1933 as giveaway advertising premiums. stories, including the gay-bashing story by Judd Winick in Green Lantern that The Advocate wrote up a few years back as well as the amazing Ex Machina gay marriage story line. Pulling the exhibit wasn't an attack on homosexuality. Robin was an underage teenager, so DC was really denying an inappropriate pedophiliac ped·o·phil·i·a n. The act or fantasy on the part of an adult of engaging in sexual activity with a child or children. ped relationship. As a comic book fan and a gay man, I am offended by Jim David's poor judgment in accusing DC Comics of being a "foe" to gays. KANE ANDERSON Phoenix, Ariz. I take offense at Jim David's calling DC Comics a foe in his Friend or Foe? piece. They own the copyright on Batman and Robin, and if they don't feel it's appropriate to show one of their adult characters kissing another of their 15- or 16-year-old boy characters, that's their choice. To label them a foe is unfair. They publish several books with high-profile gay characters and work with several gay writers and artists. The company is anything but a foe to the gay community. Lighten up. Maybe we should Photoshop a picture of Jim David going down on Britney Spears and see how he likes it. Then again ... R. FELBER Woonsocket, R.I. |
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