It's Pride Month and, to celebrate, DC has released an all-things LGBTQ+ comic. But aside from controversial storytelling and stereotypes, Superman has a Straight Pride flag on his cape, making this comic less of a celebration and more problematic.As pictured above, this Straight Pride flag is joined by other LGBTQ+ flags, but its inclusion has sparked controversy because Pride Month is about queer culture and embracing LGBTQ+ identities. Including the Straight Pride flag flies in the face of that because, as the saying goes, Straight Pride is every month, much like White History Month or Men's Day. Pride Month is about stepping aside and celebrating LGBTQ+ people and so the inclusion of this flag has irked readers.If you don't know or can't spot it in the picture, the Straight Pride flag is the one with horizontal black and white stripes, like a cartoonish prison jumpsuit. It's just behind Superman's lower legs, detracting from the whole collage. Pointing this out, users have been met with bigotry, slurs, and "Why not include everyone?" comments.
As Nebula sums up with a reactionary meme picture, "Pride exists because of the oppression cishet people have committed against the LGBTQ+ community for literally centuries. Cishet people don't need representation at these events when they are the cause of why they happen in the first place."
Another sticking point in the comics is how they've depicted bisexuality, leaning into the stereotype of bi men wanting to sleep with everybody. Similarly, despite being a Pride Month comic, it does little to touch on Tim Drake's bisexuality, focusing more on his relationship with Bernard.
Yet what's most egregious about this whole controversy is that Superman's cape bears the Straight Pride flag but not the Trans Pride flag, yet again erasing trans people.