Historically, literary themes regarding the LGBTQ community have been omitted from comic books mainly because of censorship regulations and the presumption that storylines that include sexual orientation are not appropriate for children. The social mores of the past caused the exclusion of LGBTQ issues and characters from children’s comic books because the LGBTQ lifestyle was considered immoral. However, in recent years, comic book creators have started to take on the task of representing the gay community in a fair and unbiased fashion in their stories.
Consequently, comic book enthusiasts and LGBTQ advocates are demanding fair representation of the gay community in comic books. As a response to these demands, comic book creators are beginning to accurately depict members of the gay community without relying on generalizations, “particular behaviors,” or the use of other stereotypes. One such comic "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” by Bryan Lee O’Malley has effectively dispelled social taboos regarding gay interactions, thus normalizing gay relationships in his storylines. O’Malley’s use of humor combined with his real-life experiences have delivered balanced characterizations of LGBTQ members, thereby humanizing gay characters in his comic books. The Graphic Novel genre has been on the cutting edge of many progressive issues, as suggested in …show more content…
The World," written by Bryan Lee O’Malley, has effectively dispelled gay and straight taboos while also normalizing gay relationships through the use of humor and adapting many of his gay characters from his real-world friends. For example, one social taboo that “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” dismisses is the notation that gay and heterosexual males cannot have a non-sexual relationship. In the comic, Scott and his gay best friend and roommate, Wallace Wells, sleep in the same bed because neither of them can afford their own bed, essentially, painting homosexuality as "not a big
Consequently, comic book enthusiasts and LGBTQ advocates are demanding fair representation of the gay community in comic books. As a response to these demands, comic book creators are beginning to accurately depict members of the gay community without relying on generalizations, “particular behaviors,” or the use of other stereotypes. One such comic "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” by Bryan Lee O’Malley has effectively dispelled social taboos regarding gay interactions, thus normalizing gay relationships in his storylines. O’Malley’s use of humor combined with his real-life experiences have delivered balanced characterizations of LGBTQ members, thereby humanizing gay characters in his comic books. The Graphic Novel genre has been on the cutting edge of many progressive issues, as suggested in …show more content…
The World," written by Bryan Lee O’Malley, has effectively dispelled gay and straight taboos while also normalizing gay relationships through the use of humor and adapting many of his gay characters from his real-world friends. For example, one social taboo that “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” dismisses is the notation that gay and heterosexual males cannot have a non-sexual relationship. In the comic, Scott and his gay best friend and roommate, Wallace Wells, sleep in the same bed because neither of them can afford their own bed, essentially, painting homosexuality as "not a big