The authors of Batwoman were all set to unveil the latest twist in her story: her marriage to her lesbian partner. But since their plans for the storyline have been prohibited by DC Comics, the two writers have left the company claiming last minute editorial changes required them to “completely discard many long-standing storylines that we feel compromise the character and the series”.
It might sound like a joke petition, but this is about more than the rights of a fictional character. Arts and culture both reflect and create our social values.
Our artists and creators must have the licence to express and celebrate the social liberties we believe we all have the right to enjoy. If you have the right to marry who you want, so should Batwoman. DC Comics have the opportunity to be pioneers in the industry: Batwoman is the first openly gay hero of a continuing comic series and Batwoman’s gay engagement was the first in a mainstream comic.
This is about setting social standards and reflecting what we accept to be social norms. Tell DC Comics to give their writers back their artistic licence and their storylines and to allow Batwoman to marry who she chooses.
