The Problem with Gay Superheroes

The Problem with Gay Superheroes DC Comics started a ruckus this week by revealing that the rebooted original Green Lantern is homosexual (http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/06/01/gay-superhero-green-lantern-alan-scott/). And how do we know his gay? He's making out with a dude in the first issue (http://popwatch.ew.com/2012/06/01/gay-superhero-green-lantern-alan-scott/3/)! Look, don't have any problem with GL or anyone, real or fictional, being gay, but can't that fact be shared through, I don't know, good storytelling? I've met plenty of gay people. Never had to see them kiss anyone to know they're gay. It's just spectacle when it could have been better. As an example of what I mean by "better", I present Hero (http://www.titanstower.com/source/whoswho/hero.html). Introduced in Superboy and the Ravers (http://www.comicvine.com/superboy-and-the-ravers-/37-124212/), Hero was a newbie with deep roots in DC history, including his dog being Rex the Wonder Dog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_the_Wonder_Dog) and later obtaining the H-Dial from "Dial H for Hero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial_H_for_Hero)". He was just a normal noble guy who found some superhero gear. He was a great character and he didn't get outed until issue 12 - a year after his debut. Did he kiss a guy? No, he came out to a friend (who took the news poorly). Was it a shock? Not really. They built towards the outing over a few issues, so the reader could have figured it out (and I did). In fact, the first clue is right there on the cover. Now that's how you tell a story. So good for DC for taking a chance with a Golden Age great, but it could have been done a lot better.
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