The Case For Gay Miles Morales [Pride Week]

Everyone needs a Spider-Man. Sure, Peter Parker might be good for some people, but my Spider-Man was always Mayday Parker from the MC2. I want Spider-Man to be anyone. I want there to be a Spider-Man that every comic reader can identify with. When Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli unleashed Miles Morales on the world, it was a godsend. Despite how awesome Tom Holland is, I still think Miles should have been the Spider-Man we saw in Captain America: Civil War.

When I was younger, I was depressed a lot. I'm queer, it's not too unexpected. What got me through that was reading massive amounts of Spidey comics. And while I love every issue I read of Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man, Peter Parker doesn't represent me. Sure, he's white, and a dork, but that's kinda it.

Before I even knew I was a girl (remember not knowing your gender? didn't it suck?) I loved Mayday. I felt connected to her in some weird primal way. I had a small, manga-sized collection of her comics. I still have it today. It's falling apart, front and back covers gone, about forty pages in the middle are unglued, but it's still there. That's what May means to me --- surviving; she's my Spider-Man.

That's who Miles Morales is for a bunch of people. That's who Miles Morales should be for everyone. And Miles Morales should be that for members of the LGBTQ community.

Miles Morales should be gay.

I mentioned that Mayday Parker is my Spider-Man, the one I identify with most closely, and she's not queer in any way, while I'm queer as heck. So why should Miles be gay? Don't the conservative pundits have enough ammunition? Hell no.

Spider-Man is the outcast. Spider-Man is downtrodden. Spider-Man is the underdog, the one that is hated by everyone else. In this way, Spider-Man already resonates with queer readers, whether or not the person under the mask is gay. But making Miles Morales actually queer would be almost as big of a godsend as introducing him in the first place.

Sure, there are arguments for letting Peter Parker be bi or gay --- even Andrew Garfield suggested it! And while that sounds lovely, let's be honest, who cares about Peter Parker?

OK, I want to make something very clear: I love Peter Parker, probably more than you can possibly understand. I would honestly say he saved my life. Keep all that in mind when I say; who cares about Peter Parker? Peter Parker is Mar-vell. Peter Parker is Kathy Kane. Peter Parker is Dick Grayson as Robin. He's great, he's lovely, he's wonderful, but he's no longer who you should think of when you read, "Spider-Man."

That's Miles Morales. He is Spider-Man. Heck, if you've been keeping up with the comics, you'll know that Peter has more in common with Tony Stark now than with his own Steve Ditko era self.

Miles Morales is the one in the Avengers. Miles Morales is the one swinging around New York, dealing with family issues, and learning how to be a hero. Miles Morales is Spider-Man. If we're going to have a gay Spider-Man, it should be Miles Morales.

Why not bi? I'm extremely doubtful of most comic creators' ability to tackle a bisexual character, and I worry that they would use bisexuality as an excuse to only show Miles in relationships with women. Also, I honestly can't see Miles having a crush on a girl. Just can't do it.

We've already seen with Iceman that Bendis can at least sorta write an assumed-straight queer character. Since he's Spider-Man's main writer, let him stretch his legs.

It would also provide a lot of new narrative possibilities, not just because it's been hinted that Ganke may be gay or bisexual. Imagine a mainstream comic series about a gay multi-racial youth and his overweight, Asian bi friend... and imagine that comic is Spider-Man!

Spider-Man is hated for lots of dumb reasons; he's hated for trying to help, for being poor, and now he's hated for the color of his skin. So let's add homophobia to that list, because that's what makes him Spider-Man, the fact that he's hated, yet he stands up and keeps fighting. He's one of the best heroes ever created. He can take it.

Plus, can you even imagine how angry Fox News would get?

#MakeMilesMoralesGay