Mild-mannered daily-newspaper reporter Clark Kent ducked into a phone booth to transform into Superman, the “man of steel” who leaped tall buildings in a single bound.
Jon Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane and his father’s superhero successor, came out as bisexual Monday, which also happens to be the 33rd National Coming Out Day, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
The younger Kent emerged from neither a phone booth nor a closet — but in an illustration of him in his red-and-yellow “S” suit locking lips with character Jay Nakamura, a teen who is described as a nascent journalist with “special abilities.”
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes,” comic author Tom Taylor noted on Twitter. “Today, Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, comes out as bisexual.”
Mr. Taylor linked to an interview he gave the New York Times, in which he said “the idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity.”
The new comic will hit stores this month, the newspaper report indicated.
Twitter reaction to Mr. Taylor’s message was positive, with two-term Long Beach, California, Mayor Robert Garcia saying, “Tom, this is literally my screen on my @nytimes app. Well done.”
Mr. Taylor responded to the Democrat politician, writing, “Cheers, mate!”
Tom, this is literally my screen on my @nytimes app.
Well done ???????? pic.twitter.com/yrUjIJvOdn
— RoBOOert ? Garcia ? (@RobertGarcia) October 11, 2021