Is Superman Gay, Bisexual, or Straight? What Is DC Canon?

Throughout the history of comic books, Superman has been the poster boy for what it means to be a superhero. He is brave, strong, kind, and self-sacrificing, and that’s the reason why generations of comic book fans idolize him. Of course, Superman himself is still, in a sense, quite human to the point that he is capable of loving and getting attracted to other people. So, with that said, is Superman gay, bisexual, or straight?

According to DC canon, there are two people who carry the Superman mantle. Clark Kent, the original Superman, is heterosexual or straight because he only ever loved women. Clark married Lois Lane, and the union gave birth to Jonathan Kent, the second Superman. DC canon states that Jon Kent is bisexual.

The fact that Jon Kent was revealed to be bisexual was a monumental step in the comic book universe, which has always been dominated by heterosexual characters. Of course, while there have been gay and bisexual characters before, this is the first time that a poster boy character like Superman was revealed to be gay or bisexual. That said, let’s talk more about the sexualities of the Supermen.

What Is Clark Kent’s Sexuality?

In the history of comic books, the one superhero that has been captivating the imaginations of different fans all over the world is Superman. There is hardly any person in the world who hasn’t heard of this superhero, as he is basically the poster boy of comic book characters because of how he has been around as arguably the greatest superhero of all time. Of course, those who have been following Superman would know that he goes by the name of Clark Kent whenever he isn’t wearing the blue and red spandex.

Clark Kent was raised on a Kansas farm in Smallville, where he was raised by the loving Kent family. As such, he lived a normal life when he was still growing up but ended up learning that he had greater responsibilities to fulfill when he found out that he had capabilities that were far more than what a regular person can do. That is why he ended up living dual lives as Superman and as Clark Kent.

Of course, when he ended up working in Metropolis for a news company, he fell in love with his workmate, Lois Lane, a reporter. In that regard, there is no doubt that Clark Kent’s sexuality was always straight, as he is a heterosexual male that is sexually and romantically attracted to females. 

There were also instances where Superman also fell for other comic book characters. Such characters included Wonder Woman, Lisa Lasalle, Lana Lang, Luma Lynai, Cat Grant, and Maxima, among others. Regardless of who he was in love with, the point of the matter is that he has always been attracted to women. That proves the fact that Superman has always been straight or heterosexual because he was always attracted to women.

So, with that, Clark Kent always represented the heterosexual community as the model when it comes to straight white superheroes because that was how he was written to be ever since he first graced the pages of DC.

As the comic book storyline of Superman expanded and continued, he ended up marrying Lois Lane and starting a family with her. Their firstborn son was named Jonathan Kent, who ended up with both human and Kryptonian genetics.

What Is Jon Kent’s Sexuality?

When Clark Kent and Lois Lane got married, their marriage gave birth to a Kryptonian and human hybrid named Jonathan Kent. Of course, thanks to his Kryptonian genetics, Jon ended up developing the same superpowers that his father had. And there is even a good chance that he could be stronger than his father, who is one of the greatest superheroes of all time.

Thanks to his superpowers, Jon Kent became the newest Superman, as he ended up carrying the same proverbial torch that his father carried almost his entire life. However, while he still carries the same kind of superhero archetype (strong white character) that Clark Kent carried, Jon was his own person and was also unique in his own right.

The one quality that made him completely unique was the fact that he was written to be a bisexual character. Jon Kent’s writers didn’t feel like there was a need for him to become the same kind of person that his father was. Instead, they made him his own person by giving him an identity that was entirely his. And one such identity was his sexuality.

“The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity,” Tom Taylor, the series writer, said in an interview with the New York Times.

Had Tom Taylor and his team written Jon Kent to become the same kind of straight white strong superhero that Clark Kent was, there was nothing entirely different about him compared to his father. As such, writing him to be unique (starting with his sexuality) was the first step to writing an entirely new character that people will realize is entirely different from the original Superman the moment they get to know Jon.

On top of that, Taylor also thought that people in today’s more open-minded and well-represented era needed to have more representatives in comic books and superheroes, as that was what Jon Kent stood for.

“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I’m very grateful DC and Warner Bros share this idea,” said Taylor. “Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics.”

In that regard, Jon Kent’s current love interest is a reporter named Jay Nakamura. Their love story began when Jon felt burnt out by all of the responsibilities that he had to shoulder by stepping into the shoes of Superman. It was Jay who was there to care for him emotionally and mentally, as that was what made Jon fall for him.