DC Comics reveals first openly Transgender in Batgirl

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Huffington Post

DC Comics Introduces First Openly Transgender Character In Batgirl Comic (PICTURES)

Posted: 04/11/2013 12:19 pm EDT | Updated: 04/11/2013 2:25 pm EDT
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DC Comics has introduced a new lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGBT) friendly character: Alysia Yeoh, the transgender roommate of Batgirl.

Comic fans were introduced to Alysia in "Batgirl" #19, which hit shelves on Wednesday, according to Wired. She is the first transgender character in mainstream comics, and she reveals that she is trans during a conversation with Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) in the pages of the new issue. The character is also bisexual.

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Writer Gail Simone told Wired she was inspired by the fans to develop a character like Alysia. "Why was this so impossible?" she asked herself at the time. "Why in the world can we not do a better job of representation of not just humanity, but also our own loyal audience?”

Simone explained to Wired that breaking down barriers in the comic book world is a process. "[A]lmost all the tentpoles we build our industry upon were created over a half century ago… at a time where the characters were almost without exception white, cis-gendered, straight, on and on," she said. "It’s fine — it’s great that people love those characters. But if we only build around them, then we look like an episode of 'The Andy Griffith Show' for all eternity.”

After the big reveal, some questioned if Alysia is in fact the first openly transgender character in comics.

Comic blog Bleeding Cool notes that there have been multiple transgender characters in the past -- like Masquerade from 1993's "Blood Syndicate" or Marisa Rahm from "Death Wish" -- but many of these were either not outwardly identified as transgender or the issues themselves were labeled mature content/alternative, as opposed to mainstream.

DC's inclusion of LGBT characters has been moving ahead at full steam recently.

In February, Batwoman proposed to her girlfriend, Captain Maggie Sawyer, in the first-ever lesbian marriage proposal in comic history.

All of this comes on the heels of controversy surrounding DC tapping anti-gay writer Orson Scott Card to co-author the "Adventures of Superman" #1 digital short. A petition to get Card booted from the project has since gathered over 17,000 signatures. However, DC stood by the Ender's Game author, and the issue is set to be released on May 29.

Pictures on link if you want to see the relevant pages.

[Batman]

A goodly portion of the DC cast isn't even from this planet but a transgender human one is a no-go.
That being said, everything that has a chance to get the New 52 idiocy undone, however small the chance, is worth trying.

[Steve]

And it only took them what, a bit over a decade to do the same thing that the Gotham Girls flash animation series did?

[fgalkin]

Didn't Neil Gaiman do that at Vertigo way back in the 80s?

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Majin Gojira]

First in a mainstream super hero title. Hell, Sir Ystin over in "Demon Knights" s Transgender, but that's a medieval book.

[Gaidin]

A goodly portion of the DC cast isn't even from this planet but a transgender human one is a no-go.

Not being the most familiar with comic culture, why would this be a no-go? As in, zero possibility of success?

[Steve]

Probably seen as too controversial and too likely to cause parent backlash until now.

[Bedlam]

I got the comic this week as my standard pickup and to be honest when I read it it didn't occur to me this would be a big thing or unique really.

It came a little out of the left field to me hadn't really been telegraphed much, it was suggested that her room mate had a secret but nothing suggested this to me.

I sort of hope they don't really make much of it in universe just have it as a known fact rather than making it "Batgirl and her Transgender friend the comic".

[JME2]

I'm a little late to the party, but good for Gail Simone for pushing for something like this.

[jwl]

It doesn't follow the definition of a transgender person, but similar.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

No, in fact, a man crossdressing for the purposes of disguise and a trans woman are not similar at all.