!SPOILERS FOR INFINITE FRONTIER #0! Alan Scott

General Discussion
1

I finally got my hands on the newest issue. I loved it. I was so excited to see the easter eggs, the return of new and old characters.

One of the characters/groups is returning is ALAN SCOTT, the Sentinel.
In the issue, he talks with Jade and Obsidian and he delivers some rather jaw-dropping news:
He’s gay

Now, I know what you are thinking: There are already LGBTQ+ characters in DC. Negative Man, Batwoman, Midnighter (my personal fave), etc, etc. Why is this notable??

Here’s why. Alan Scott is a long-established character, and he has been presented as straight until now. He has had two children in a heterosexual relationship.

I know as well as anyone the idea of suppression, and that being a child of an age where being ‘queer’ was a socially outcasting fact. Obviously, his being in hetero’ relationships is more a sign of the times than anything else.

So, this brings me to my point. I have incredibly mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I love the representation. I especially love it in the context of a well-loved character. Plus, we only had a few panels, but it was handled wonderfully. The awkward stumbling, the way his children just smiled and accepted, it was beautiful, heartwarming, and it hit very close to home.

On the other hand, I’m worried that this might be A. Mishandled (the transition the characters understanding, as well as the ret-conning, could prove hard) and B. a simple inclusion grab

Anyway, those are the thoughts I gathered. How do you guys feel about the shift? Do you think the writing team will handle it well? Are you ready for the Golden Age Green Lantern becoming the Rainbow Lantern in his Golden Years?

2 Likes
2

I’m willing to extend a lot of faith, considering the enormity of what they’re doing. I think they can pull it off!

2 Likes
3

That was part of where I was leaning. I’m excited to see how this goes!

2 Likes
4

I’m not really a fan of this as I’m not a fan of changing a long established charactor’s sexuallity. It just feels like lazy writing when DC could just make a LGBTQ+ charactor that is not a derivative of another charactor (Batwoman) and build a world around them.

3 Likes
5

I can’t use my brain to write out a full post right now (though I believe I mostly agree with you, Borderline), but I also want to take the moment to point out that this change was technically made in the new 52 with earth 2.
Edit: I will also take this opportunity to say, regardless of anything else, I loved this bit in Infinite frontier # 0. It really did give me the feels. I think it was really well done.

1 Like
6

This is why Midnighter is one of my favorite LGBTQ+ heroes: original if you dont count the bman vibes), well developed, and his sexuality was not primary to his character. I love him

@SuperGreenGrodd
In my opinion, if it is done on a different Earth, its more or less an Elseworld tale. Those don’t get to be canon, because the run will be dropped whenever. After Earth 2, very little of the series mattered, other than the cameos.

2 Likes
7

Oh yeah, alternate world is never canon, but I still feel like the change there probably influenced the change here in canon. Who knows.

1 Like
8

I see what you mean. I just avoid using other lines as evidence because
Amazon.com : Canon EOS Rebel T7i US 24.2 Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD, Black (1894C002) : Camera & Photo

1 Like
9

I thought they did a nice job of incorporating E2 Allen Scott’s orientation into the main universe character. They didn’t erase what happened “here” he still loved those women very much and has two children from one of them, but that was not fully who he was as a person. As always for me, bottom line when you change something fundamental about a character is “did you pull it off?” While the answer is clearly subjective I think they did.

3 Likes
10

I think, though, that him being with women, in continuity, and loving them, per his words, throws a bit of a wrench in things. I think they can pull it off, sure, but ret-conning will probably be required.

I, personally, think that with Scott they probably should have coined him ‘bi’. That would have made things a lot easier.

3 Likes
11

I mean, if it was done well, I would have supported that. It’s not like I get a lot of male bi characters.

2 Likes
12

Also, agreed on everything you said here, msgtv

2 Likes
13

Don’t want to get to deep into defining human sexuality here, but Jay wouldn’t be the first or I’m sure the last gay man to have loved a woman before they fully accept their own sexual orientation. They essentially did the same thing with Larry in the Doom Patrol.

2 Likes
14

I understand what you mean, but out of my personal views on love and sexuality I find that with his confession of actually loving them, he isn’t purely homosexual. He has loved women, and he also loves men, equating to more bisexual person. If he was with them out of social pressure, like Larry seemed to be, then I could more easily agree with you.

3 Likes
15

This is what if feels like to me. But I mean, that’s just a feeling and all, so.

But also, you don’t have to be in love with somebody to love them. He could have loved those people, but he might not have had the same romantic and etc. feelings he’d have for a man. I don’t know.

1 Like
16

Right, I understand that to some people ‘love’ means different things.
In my opinion, though, when he says he ‘loved’ them they mean he loved them, and to imply it was a friendly or familial love simply is a cop out.

1 Like