archive.is webpage capture | Saved from | 12 Jun 2015 22:50:33 UTC | |
| All snapshots | from host www.dailydot.com | ||
| TextImage | |||
| download .zipreport bug or abuse | |||
Topics
Communities
Subscribe
DC Comics' Batgirl writers are rewriting one of their issues to remove transphobic art
By
Aja Romano
Follow
Batgirl issue #37 generated serious controversy last year when comic fans claimed it was transphobic. In an attempt to fix the issues that fans identified, the writers have announced that they're revising the script and the art
in the trade paperback edition of the comic.
Fans were immediately grateful.The move shows what seems to be a rapidly increasing sensitivity on DC's part to the concerns of often-marginalized comics readers. The company that once
fired
the legendary Gail Simone
from Batgirl is currently
drawing raves
for the diversity of many of its newer titles.
In the issue, a character named Dagger Type got a shocking
transgender
reveal, straight out of decades
of transphobic horror tropes in which an evil character, usually male, is revealed to be a man in drag.
Comics Alliance
After the backlash over the issue, creators Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr issued
an apology
on Twitter, admitting that they had "made mistakes" and noting that they were "deeply troubled by the reaction."
“Batgirl 37. We made mistakes. We're deeply sorry. We will do better. pic.twitter.com/fCOEJPk0vP— Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) December 13, 2014
It's been a rough year for DC Comics' Batgirl
series, between fan concern over issue #37 and the firestorm surrounding the
withdrawn variant cover
for issue #40.
The controversial art was an obvious homage to Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, but it implied a violent sexual assault on the title character and sparked outrage among fans who felt that it was both misogynistic and inappropriate for
Batgirl's teenage audience. After fans criticizing the cover as sexist were inundated with harassment from sexist comic-book readers and members of
Gamergate, DC withdrew the cover.
Now, it looks like DC has made a similar commitment to reworking the problematic issue #37 for the trade edition, which is out this week. Stewart acknowledged the changes in several recent tweets.
“So, as you may have seen, we made some alterations to the Dagger Type chapter in the Batgirl collection, changed some art and some dialogue.— Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) June 10, 2015
“We think the changes help smooth out the problems with that story, and we hope they're seen as commitment to our pledge to do better.— Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) June 10, 2015
“@cameronMstewart thank you so SO much. This gives me hope that big companies care abt trans ppl & will work to make us feel welcome. Thanks— Mey Valdivia Rude (@meyrude) June 10, 2015
“I'm actually pretty surprised, and impressed, about that issue of Batgirl getting reworked for the trade. Well done Team Batgirl and DC. :)— Wendy Heather Wood (@gilbertandgrim) June 11, 2015
It's a sign that things are changing for the better—and that hopefully, in the future, transphobic panels like the ones that were rewritten will instead never make it into print.
Photo via
TheBigBang_/Twitter
Follow
