Gay author offers to write Superman for DC comics to ‘balance’ hiring of anti-gay writer
A gay author has written an open letter to DC Comics requesting that an openly gay writer be hired to write for a Superman comic, following a controversial decision to hire an anti-gay writer for the series.
David Gerrold, who as worked on Star Trek, Babylon 5, Land of the Lost, The Twilight Zone and The Adventures of Superboy, published an open letter to DC Comics, stating a need for “balance”, and volunteering his services.
He was responding to a decision by DC Comics to hire anti-gay writer, Orson Scott Card, author of Enders Game, to write the first two instalments of its new digital-first comic, Adventures of Superman. Some fans called for a boycott of the company, and of the comic.
Writing on Facebook, the Mr Gerrold said: “I see that you have hired a writer for Superman who has written strongly of his opposition to equal rights for LGBT people. And I see that there is an online petition protesting that move.”
The AllOut petition he refers to had reached over 12,000 signatures.
He continued: “Perhaps you could balance that decision by hiring an openly gay writer to draft a Superman story for a future issue… I hereby volunteer.
“I do have some small credential as a writer of science fiction and fantasy… I have some very good ideas that I think would work well for the series. I’d like the opportunity to write for you the very best Superman story ever.
A statement from DC said: “As content creators we steadfastly support freedom of expression, however the personal views of individuals associated with DC Comics are just that — personal views — and not those of the company itself.”
The National Organisation for Marriage, on the board of which Mr Card sits, defended the Mormon writer, who has on many occasions voiced his opposition to equal rights.
A spokesman for the NOM said: “This is completely un-American and it needs to be stopped. Simply because we stand up for traditional marriage, some people feel like it’s okay to target us for intimidation and punishment.”
Mr Card had previously said that equal marriage would mean “the end of democracy in America”.
