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'How Gay Is Superman?'

Or Jewish. Or Christ-Like. The Battle to Claim Superman as an Icon

By JAKE TAPPER
June 19, 2006 — - He's clearly into fitness, and splashy summer colors.

The new film about the Man of Steel, "Superman Returns" -- which comes out, er, on June 28 -- is being advertised on Logo, the gay and lesbian cable TV channel. Now, the gay magazine, The Advocate, is asking "How Gay Is Superman?"

The Advocate is not claiming that Superman is gay. It's making a larger point -- that like many gays and lesbians, Superman has a secret life. In the closet or phone booth, as the case may be, Superman has another identity that he doesn't share with anyone.

Nonetheless, Warner Bros. executives -- perhaps afraid questions about the Man of Steel's sexual orientation may marginalize the film -- have pushed back on The Advocate's query and the Internet buzz it has created.

The film's director, Bryan Singer, who is gay, insisted to Reuters that Superman "is probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I've ever made." Whatever that means.

It's an unusual time for superheroes and outing.

DC Comics, which publishes "Superman," recently revealed that Batwoman would become a lesbian socialite and crime fighter by night. Over at rival Marvel Comics, one story line has superheroes required by law to reveal their identities -- outing themselves, as it were -- which Spider-Man, also known as Peter Parker, has just done.

Questions about Superman's real identity had been raised long before he became a gay icon.

In the Quentin Tarantino film "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," the character Bill shares his view on what Clark Kent -- Superman's other half -- says about humanity.

"An essential characteristic of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero, and there's the alter ego," Bill says. "Batman is actually Bruce Wayne. Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When he wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic that Superman stands alone. Superman did not become Superman -- Superman was born Superman."

Bill adds, "When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red 'S' -- that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears -- the glasses, the business suit -- that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak. He's unsure of himself. He's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race."

Still, others view Superman in other iconic ways.

Created by Jewish cartoonists Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the bespectacled newspaper reporter has long been considered by Jews as one of the chosen people. He comes to Earth as an intergalactic Moses -- as a baby in a solo vessel.

His name on his home planet Krypton, Kal-El, resembles the Hebrew words for "voice of God."

In the 1980 film, "Superman 2," a woman who has witnessed Superman save a young child says, "What a nice man! Of course he's Jewish."

Born in 1938, Superman fought the Nazis long before the U.S. military did. In a 1940 Superman comic in LOOK Magazine, for instance, Superman snags Adolph Hitler and threatens to "land a strictly non-Aryan sock" on Hitler's jaw.

According to the German Propaganda Archive at Calvin College in Michigan, soon thereafter, the weekly newspaper of the SS -- Das Schwarze Korps -- responded to Superman taking on Der Fuhrer. The article slammed Siegel as "intellectually and physically circumcised," said Superman was "lacking all strategic sense and tactical ability," and accused the costumed hero of sowing "hate, suspicion, evil, laziness, and criminality" in the "young hearts" of American children.

Yet, truth be told, Superman in the comics has always been vaguely Methodist, recently marrying Lois Lane in a church.

Some see Superman, though, as not only Christian -- but Christ-like.

In the trailer for "Superman Returns," Superman's father, Jor-El, says, "Even though you're being raised as a human being, you are not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason, above all -- their capacity for growth -- I have sent them you: my only son."

A 2002 issue of the Journal of Religion and Film alleges 20 Superman-Jesus parallels.

"Both Superman and Jesus had earthly family ties. Both had heavenly origins. Both heroes were raised incognito on Earth. Both were of 'royal' blood, both righted wrongs, both acted as [saviors], both displayed incredible powers, and both performed miracles," the author wrote.

A new book, "The Gospel According to the World's Greatest Superhero," elaborates on the argument that Jesus and Superman are one and the same.

Of course, it should surprise no one that various groups are tangling over whether Superman is one of their own -- while no one claims, say, Superman's arch nemesis, Lex Luthor.

Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures

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Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 06-22-2006, 06:33 PM:
 
So be it, Phil.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-22-2006, 06:44 PM:
 
I prefer the non-sexual and non-religious explanation of Superman from "Bill," the character David Carridine played in Kill Bill.

His explanation (for those who have not seen Kill Bill: Vol. 2): Human superheroes have their regular real-life identities. Spiderman is really just Peter Parker. Batman is really only Bruce Wayne. Superman is really Superman. Clark Kent is the character or persona he assumes to fit in with us, and the Kent character is his judgment on what he thinks of us. That seems more a lot more profound than those press folks gossipping on which church Superman may attend (if he attends any) or whether he prefers snails or oysters.

I find it more than ridiculous how the press, and now the comic book industry, is sexualizing make believe characters in fictional stories written for CHILDREN. It's really not appropriate. Why does DC comics need to make "Batgirl" a lesbian? What the hell is that about? Why do they need to write anything at all about that fictional superwoman's bedroom antics, regardless of the orientation? Why sexualize something like that?

The Advocate should just go back to debating whether celebrities like Tom Cruise is gay. And DC Comics needs to rethink their Batgirl marketing strategy. Who do they want to buy these comic books? 8 year old kids or grown adult comic book geeks?

I think all the sexual stuff (and graphic violence) in comic books needs to be left to the adult-oriented graphic novels like Sin City and magazines like Heavy Metal.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-22-2006, 06:57 PM:
 

 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-22-2006, 07:16 PM:
 


Who really cares? Besides, Superman is stupid anyway.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-22-2006, 07:21 PM:
 
Phil, I refuse to read your post because it required that I scroll my web browser.
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-22-2006, 07:31 PM:
 
Hmmm...me thinks Mike and Brad have something to "hide"?

Joe, OK I deserve that since long posts are one of my "pet peeves"! Hahahahahahaha

Perhaps Daryl can use his magical condensing machine?
 

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Posted by Tommie Evans (Member # 2674) on 06-22-2006, 08:35 PM:
 
Proof that Superman is not gay?

Superman was flying over the city after a eventful day saving people from disaster, rescuing cats out of trees etc, etc. Suddenly he looks down and sees Wonder Woman sun bathing naked on one of the taller buildings. Hmmm, he thinks - I'm Superman, i'm faster than a speeding bullet. I can fly down there, give her one and fly off and she wouldn't know what happened!
So he makes his move and is off again in the blink of an eye.
Wonder Woman opens here eyes and says. . .

'What the F@"K was that....'

'I don't know, but my ass hurts' says the Invisible Man!!!
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-22-2006, 08:46 PM:
 
NAh, I just think it's really lame to spend more than 2 seconds of thought or debate whether.... whoops I'm just guilty of that myself! Lol.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-22-2006, 10:00 PM:
 
Tommie, you're saying Superman is a rapist?
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 06-22-2006, 10:12 PM:
 
I'd still want to tap him even if he's faster than a speeding bullet.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-22-2006, 10:47 PM:
 
At the very least, Superman has a very bad sense of fashion. I mean, who exactly wears their underwear on the outside of their pants?


Adding boots and a cape doesn't help things much either? Actually it does look kind of fruity.
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 06-22-2006, 11:13 PM:
 
You mean pantie hose.
 

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Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 06-23-2006, 12:12 AM:
 
I've never thought of Superman as gay. Batman, maybe. But not Superman. He's always seemed like sort of the poster boy for Conservative America.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-23-2006, 12:22 AM:
 
Go to www.youtube.com and search for "Ambiguously Gay Duo". Those are superhero videos worth watching!
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-23-2006, 12:35 AM:
 
You mean the Ambiguously Gay Duo.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-23-2006, 12:42 AM:
 
Yup, just like my edited posts says!
 

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Posted by Ron Curran (Member # 3631) on 06-23-2006, 06:50 AM:
 
not that there's anything wrong with that.

(Someone had to say it)
 

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Posted by Tommie Evans (Member # 2674) on 06-23-2006, 07:41 AM:
 
Do you really need a bright yellow belt to hold up skin-tight pants?
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 06-23-2006, 10:42 AM:
 
The X-Men are more 'brokeback' than Superman.

(Not by much though)
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-23-2006, 01:58 PM:
 

quote:

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In the trailer for "Superman Returns," Superman's father, Jor-El, says, "Even though you're being raised as a human being, you are not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason, above all -- their capacity for growth -- I have sent them you: my only son."

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quote:

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Superman was flying over the city after a eventful day saving people from disaster, rescuing cats out of trees etc, etc. Suddenly he looks down and sees Wonder Woman sun bathing naked on one of the taller buildings. Hmmm, he thinks - I'm Superman, i'm faster than a speeding bullet. I can fly down there, give her one and fly off and she wouldn't know what happened!
So he makes his move and is off again in the blink of an eye.
Wonder Woman opens here eyes and says. . .

'What the F@"K was that....'

'I don't know, but my ass hurts' says the Invisible Man!!!

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quote: Mike Schindler

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it was like a scene out of CLERKS.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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I mean, who exactly wears their underwear on the outside of their pants?

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Beat me to it with that one- that's the argument I always give as to why Superman is a flaming homo! ("No! Stop that- you take that back right now!!")

Interesting bit I heard when the '78 movie came out though, is that Clark Kent's regular clothes can be rolled into a ball and kept in a pocket on his cape.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-23-2006, 03:07 PM:
 
And all this time I thought Superman kept his Clark Kent clothes in his ass.

 

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Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-23-2006, 04:03 PM:
 

quote: Manny Knowles

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Um...that's actually dialogue from Richard Donner's masterpiece...SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE.

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quote: Brad Miller

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search for "Ambiguously Gay Duo

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quote:

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The film's director, Bryan Singer, who is gay, insisted to Reuters that Superman "is probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I've ever made." Whatever that means.

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And that's about the least ambiguous quote I've ever heard.
 

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Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 06-23-2006, 09:08 PM:
 
Have you seen Margot Kidder? Of course Superman is gay.

I find it humerous that the discussion of whether or not he's gay accompanies a movie made by Bryan Singer featuring Kevin Spacey in a big role. I don't know if it would have been brought up had it not been involving two well known homosexuals.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-24-2006, 11:47 AM:
 
If Superman WAS gay we'd be in a heap of trouble!

Here's the <cough> "Man of Steel" </cough>, flying along and he spies some cute guy walking down the street.

Is there a damn thing that guy could do about it, whether he thought Superman was cute or not?

IF "Supe" was gay, there'd be a lot of guys running around Metropolis with sore butts!
 

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Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 06-24-2006, 12:30 PM:
 
Is Superman the top and Clark the bottom? Do they switch?

Which one bites the pillow?

Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Super heroes
LGBT comics timeline
Superdickery
superdickery.com
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-24-2006, 01:31 PM:
 

quote: Chad Souder

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I find it humerous that the discussion of whether or not he's gay accompanies a movie made by Bryan Singer featuring Kevin Spacey in a big role. I don't know if it would have been brought up had it not been involving two well known homosexuals.

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Honestly - I did not either know one was gay until this thread. I guess I wasn't paying attention. Thier talent far outweighs whatever sexual orientation they are. I could really care less anyway......
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-24-2006, 05:47 PM:
 
We've learned with this thread that if Superman likes girls, he rapes them. And as Randy pointed out, if Superman is gay, he rapes guys.

The only thing we've established with this thread is that Superman is a rapist.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-24-2006, 06:08 PM:
 
hey!!! I said he plays with himself!
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-24-2006, 07:00 PM:
 
You are the only one who's said that, but two other members insist he enjoys raping other people. It's 2 to 1 and you are losing. Therefore it is a fact that Superman is a super rapist.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-24-2006, 07:36 PM:
 
I remember reading about when Superman, Thor, Green Lantern Spidey, Batman, Captain Marvel and Jughead all participated in a "circle jerk". Man, I think maybe they are all gay!!!
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 06-24-2006, 11:56 PM:
 
I betcha' when Superman "pops his cork" it sounds like a gun going off!

With all those super heroes sitting around in a circle jerk it would probably sound like a WAR ZONE!
 

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Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 06-25-2006, 11:19 AM:
 
Robin facial
Superboy facial
 

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Posted by Jack Rapper (Member # 1958) on 06-25-2006, 02:07 PM:
 
Superman is as gay as they come. His hair is perfect without any product. His crib is full of giant phalluses. His costume is at best, homo-erotic. His Clark Kent persona is his closeted identity. I also suspect Lois Lane was just an excuse to be close to Jimmy Olsen.
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-25-2006, 04:47 PM:
 
Sorta like Rock Hudson...
 

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Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 06-25-2006, 09:14 PM:
 
Superman is gay because he wears his underwear on the outside?? Do all gay people do that? If so, would I be considered gay when I accidentally do that?
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-26-2006, 07:51 AM:
 

quote: Jeremy Fuentes

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Superman is gay because he wears his underwear on the outside?? Do all gay people do that? If so, would I be considered gay when I accidentally do that?

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No, if you accidentally do it, then you are fucking stupid!!
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-26-2006, 05:06 PM:
 
Either that or Dr. Pepper has qualities I never credited it with...
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-26-2006, 06:52 PM:
 
I never said Superman was gay for wearing his panties on the outside of his pants. I only said he had a very bad sense of fashion. That's pretty different.

Now, if Superman were caught pulling the sort of stunts George Michael was observed committing in public men's restrooms, then that might be another matter.

As far as The Advocate goes, I'm just waiting for them to step it up a notch and claim anyone who reads comic books is gay. Or anyone who breathes oxygen is gay. It's basically all a conspiracy theory you know! We're all gay and we just don't know it yet.


I realize I might step on a few toes with that last comment, but what is it really that makes someone gay? Why does anyone care or feel the need to make a fictional superhero originally written for kids gay? I sense a political axe to grind in all that bullshit.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 06-26-2006, 07:04 PM:
 
I couldn't agree more, Bobby. I remember a couple years ago when the media made a big stink about Spongebob and Patrick being homos. Hello! Patrick has a crush on the princess and spongebob has a crush on Sandy. So what if he takes showers with Squidward, they are not even the same species.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-26-2006, 07:43 PM:
 
Allright, I am taking a big step here by saying this on a public forum, but I want all of my peers to know this before I tell my parents and word gets out. I think I am a lesbian!!!

This topic is already 4 pages? WTF? Good one Phil!!

Rick
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-26-2006, 10:03 PM:
 
Yeah, OK. I admit it. I enjoy eating lunch at the Y. I'll munch on some carpet. Pump some fur. Anybody else have some euphemisms to supply?
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-27-2006, 12:11 AM:
 

quote:

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I think I am a lesbian!!!

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I always laugh when guys say stuff like "I am a lesbian in a man's body lol omg rotflmao!!!!!" What does that mean? It means that the guy secretly wishes he was a woman. It can mean NOTHING else. So Richard is confessing that he is actually a woman and has no male genitalia.
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 06-27-2006, 09:57 AM:
 
Joe, Too funny!!! You win this round!!
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-28-2006, 02:44 AM:
 
Forget the "S" on his chest. Maybe he should have this logo and change his name to "Assman".


 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-28-2006, 07:11 PM:
 
What do the two dots signify? Buns? Bowling balls?
 

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Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 06-28-2006, 07:14 PM:
 

quote: Dennis Benjamin

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Thier talent far outweighs whatever sexual orientation they are. I could really care less anyway......

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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Why does anyone care or feel the need to make a fictional superhero originally written for kids gay?

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quote: Chris Hipp

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Hello! Patrick has a crush on the princess and spongebob has a crush on Sandy. So what if he takes showers with Squidward, they are not even the same species.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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What do the two dots signify? Buns? Bowling balls?

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quote: Brad Miller

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Look a little closer Bobby. There's a guy on his knees and another guy on top "giving" it to him. They are facing left.

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quote: Phil Hill

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Anyway, reading the posts of Bobby, Chad, and Chris, it obvious that they are in-the-closet fags.

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Actually, I'm not gay because I'm not convinced all people are gay. And because I didn't get the "A-Style" icon Brad posted.

 

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Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 06-29-2006, 12:17 PM:
 
Phil's not gay, but his boyfriend is.
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 06-29-2006, 04:11 PM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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...I'm not convinced all people are gay.

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Bobby, I totally agree!

And since Chad is my BF, I guess he'd know about me...
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 06-29-2006, 04:13 PM:
 
Pictures Phil... pictures...
 

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