Progress?

Yes, it's finally here, the much celebrated issue of Astonishing X-Men mentioned in the last post. A couple of things come to mind as look at this.  First, I find it curious that Marvel and DC feel the need to celebrate this particular minority so prominently, when gays make up only 1.4% of the population (admittedly, if media and popular culture were your guide, it would reasonable to assume that a quarter of all Americans are gay). And Northstar is, at best, a third tier hero in the Marvel universe, a virtual unknown to the public.  Why not celebrate minorities who make up a larger percentage of the population like Jews (about 2%), or Mormons (1.7 %)?  Why no superhero bar mitzvahs or baptisms?  Hispanics make up 16% of the population, and yet there is not a single prominent Latino superhero in Marvel or DC.  American Indians (1.7%)?  Nudists?

Secondly, American voters have never, not once, approved gay marriage on the ballot. And yet, when you look at all the heroes in attendance to this wedding, everyone looks happy, noble and supportive.  You would never know that gay marriage is a highly controversial issue that is far from universally accepted.

The political agenda here is so contrived and forced, it does a disservice to the audience and the medium.