In trying to make the homosexual poplation number smaller, you are missing the point. 10% is not accurate, no matter if the true number is smaller or larger - - it is more representative. For every homosexual who is "out of the closet", there are many more who stay hidden. They do this out of fear. I have stated some of those fears in an earlier post, and will not re-hash it.

Gay people are a part of society, and should be accepted as such.

Neil - if the Beast were gay, there would be a change. It would likely be subtle. I don't know you, but I assume you are heterosexual... think about what you would be like if you were homosexual. Most of what would be different would be subtle or minor changes. Depending on things like your age and where you grew up, there could be some major changes. I'm 38 - - when I was a teen-ager (in the 80's), I knew that it was not okay that I was gay. That was the message that was sent to me. I grew up in a city that has a small-town attitude. Had I grown up in New York City, I might have felt that it was more acceptable - that I was not the only one. Had I grown up in a small town, my feelings of isolation might have been more acute. Had I been heterosexual, I would still be me, but there would be changes. I might have had more confidence and security, for example. It's hard to imagine being different, and how it would affect you.

I recommended some books in an earlier post - - pick one of them up and read it. (Particularly "Venus Envy" or one of the Bob Smith books.) It might give you some more insight and understanding.

Neil, I have been making the same point. Homosexuality does not mean characters have to dress in pink, have a lisp, fantastic fashion, hit on EVERY male he runs into including his teamates, etc.

Gay people are normal people to, and gay characters should be portrayed in the same way. Northstar faces prejudice because he is a mutant, and then he should face a different kind of prejudice because he is gay.

What would change? Well in his down time instead of wanting to catch a movie with a hot gal he would want to catch a movie with a hot guy. This may seam like a simple change but I think it is important. A few gay characters is just realistic. Changing historically heterosexual characters into gay characters is just a disservice to the gay community. It makes people wonder if the character really is gay, if its a choice, when will that right girl come along and switch him back to being straight again, its insulting. A gay character should be a gay character through and through, created to be gay in the first place.

Here's why it should be in comics: So that gay teenagers who are scared to come out, and feel isolated will know that 1) it's okay 2) it's normal and 3) they are not the only ones. Gay teens have a high suicide rate. Having characters like Wiccan & Hulkling, or Batwoman, is a step in the right direction. Have some of the gay characters deal with what real world gay people have to deal with. I agree that we don't need to see their sex life, unless it's important to the story. (For example, in 52 Renee Montoya was on a self-destructive path, and showing her sleeping around was part of that. It reinforced that she was behaving badly - not because she was gay, but because she was behaving badly.) The point I may not have made there is: don't show the sexual side of things (gay or straight) just to show it - - make sure it has meaning to the character and story. Now, showing the romantic side of things is fine with me - gay or straight.

I agree that ret-conning a character to be gay just doesn't work out well in most cases. If all of a sudden The Beast came out of the closet, I don't think I'd buy it. Create a new character who is gay. Or, I'm fine with recreating an unused character to be gay. Batwoman hadn't seen the light of day for a long, long time... I feel that she was recreated, because even without the lesbian angle, she's nothing like her original incarnation.

And, I will also say this... while I do want to see more gay characters in comics, I don't want it done just for the sake of having gay characters. Don't do it just because it's "politically correct", or whatever. Have the gay character be there because that character happens to be gay. Let it be organic and natural to the storytelling - not forced.

Kor, you hit the nail on the head why there should be gay characters portrayed in not only comics but in all forms of entertainment.

Neil, as I stated in my last post, there are many variables I don't like in this study you cite. Kinsey's study was to probe human sexuality. Your study was to probe health care in Canada. Then it leaves out a portion of its sample group when it discusses sexuality. I'm no scientist, but shouldn't one case study be based on one scientific question or theory?