Why aren't there more lesbian super heroes?

I don't mean to sound sexual-preferencist, but all things being equal... many comic book fans are guys. 
 
Guys like the idea of lesbians.  Bisexual females might be even more appealing. 
 
Now, of course, this is not to say that a lesbian or bisexual character couldn't also be a role model (like we really hope most super heroes are) just because one of the editorial attractions to them is that teenaged boys will like them. 
 
I suppose we might have similar problems to the whole Orcale-gets-retconned-into-having-legs thing, which is rather disappointing to actually handicapped people - if writers were to ever make the character change their sexuality on a whim; but given the horrible misstep of Beast's faux gayness, and the occasional change-of-sexual-preference (Rictor, more or less)... I don't think this would be that much of a big deal. 
 
Also, which company would be more likely to publish an ongoing book staring a lesbian female lead character?

  Also, which company would be more likely to publish an ongoing book staring a lesbian female lead character?

Aren't Batwoman & the current Question lesbians? I think Valkyrie may be quasi-lesbian too.

Well i dunno about Marvel, but Dc has  
-Batwoman 
-Question 
-Scandal Savage 
- Knockout 
-Grace 
 
frankly, i'm surprised there's that many

Because of the 90's
 
Right now there's a subtle undertone of publishers that are trying to make comics seem like a legitimate art and media form. Unlike the 90's which was just a 13 year old boy's fantasy(warped warped fantasy) on the page, and "We should have lesbians because our readers like girl on girl action," runs against that.
 
Oracle isn't getting retconned into having legs. She's being restored.
 
Batwoman is already a lesbian superhero.

Way to go DC? 
 
Too bad you're scrapping your continuity, so she might  be an alien clone of superwoman trapped in a man's woman's man's woman's woman's body.

DC since they are/will be?  
 
Interesting topic though all round. I think its just a time thing and getting more writers in that appreciate and write diversity well. There is this certain point as well, where characters will be sorta maybe cliches, and then enough to sort of break down misconceptions/generalizations. Most characters in comics are usually drawn so well many can kind of almost risk comic across as lipstick lesbians. 

Way to go DC?  Too bad you're scrapping your continuity, so she might  be an alien clone of superwoman trapped in a man's woman's man's woman's woman's body.

Way to go DC?  Too bad you're scrapping your continuity, so she might  be an alien clone of superwoman trapped in a man's woman's man's woman's woman's body.

1. Batwoman
2. Scandal Savage
   
3. Knockout
4. Renee Montoya
5. Karma
6. Bling
7. Mystique (bisexual)
8. Destiny (bisexual)
   

@labarith said:

Way to go DC?  Too bad you're scrapping your continuity, so she might  be an alien clone of superwoman trapped in a man's woman's man's woman's woman's body.

It's actually not a total scrap of the continuity more of a streamlining, which in my opinion isn't a bad idea.

1. Batwoman
2. Scandal Savage
   
3. Knockout
4. Renee Montoya
5. Karma
6. Bling
7. Mystique (bisexual)
8. Destiny (bisexual)
   

@jrock85 said:

1. Batwoman
2. Scandal Savage
   
3. Knockout
4. Renee Montoya
5. Karma
6. Bling
7. Mystique (bisexual)
8. Destiny (bisexual)
   

I demand scans for proof!

I personally think Batwoman is a strong character who was built to not be a trashy male sex appeal character, but a real one with depth. I personally would go far enough to say I think of Batwoman as a role model type of character. Unlike most of the female lead charcters she does not fin under two stereotypes. Super innocent feminist (Wonder Woman) or slightly easy seeming (Black Canary). She is a combination of the two without being overdone in anyway as well as offering  a more modern version of both archetypes because of the fact she is a lesbian. They concur all three things most comic writers and creators struggle with when they make female leads. Oh I am sorry edit this later...I am super tired...

For marvel characters that haven't been mentioned yet there are.

1. Karolina Dean. She is dating Xavin.
2. Julie Power. Came out during Loners i believe.

For marvel characters that haven't been mentioned yet there are.

1. Karolina Dean. She is dating Xavin.
2. Julie Power. Came out during Loners i believe.

@TheCrowbar said:

@labarith said:

Way to go DC?  Too bad you're scrapping your continuity, so she might  be an alien clone of superwoman trapped in a man's woman's man's woman's woman's body.

It's actually not a total scrap of the continuity more of a streamlining, which in my opinion isn't a bad idea.

When you say "Everything happened to Batman that happened to Batman except the stuff that happened with Superman happened, while the stuff that happened with superman happened if and only if not featuring a retconned to exist before superman villain... but without superman" that's not a streamlining.  That's actually just a mess.

@labarith: I actually liked the mini series. In a way it was already sort of hinted for Julie during Runaways. Not sure how having Julie coming out is anything close to making Beast gay either.

Again - I sincerely think we need to sweep that under the rug. 
 
Treating it as cannon is like treating Venture Brothers Johnny Quest cameos like cannon... Johnny's a druggie, Race is dead, and that bad guy was all hot for his arch.  Yeah... not cool. 
 
That said, a "more teenage" Power Pack would be pretty darned edgy if done right.  They are the Olsen Twins of comics. 
 
Edit:  Also, to be fair, there is an age-thingy going on.  FF has, even if we do some age-hurdles with time travelling franklin, slowed the PP's growing to a typical marvel halt. 
 
There was, I was told, a story about Conner's son being a druggie.  Considering Conners ate him up as, more or less, a toddler... suggests they're ignoring that story.  How?  Who the hell knows.

Ah, but few are headliners.

Doesn't anyone remember Victoria Montesi from the Darkhold Redeemers??  What happened to her after she almost gave birth to Chthon?

So DC has lesbians... Marvel has A LOT of Homosexual guys...

@Deadcool said:

So DC has lesbians... Marvel has A LOT of Homosexual guys...

I don't get it, is that supposed to make Marvel more hip or something ?

For marvel characters that haven't been mentioned yet there are.

1. Julie Power. Came out during Loners i believe.

because no one would have any reason to ever read anything else

Lesbians are a small group thus they make up a small portion of super-heroines.Closed Case.

@lokiofmidgaard: Well i wasn't sure. I haven't read Loners in forever lol

Too many times, when a character is shown to be a lesbian, it's more for spectacle and doesn't always show the depth of a character.  Sometimes it's been like ooh a lesbian and it doesn't enhance stories or characters.

You could always check the homosexuality page here on CV

Didn't know we were having a list off! =p 
 
Victoria Hand (my favorite new Lesbian) 
Karolina Dean 
Renee Montoya 
Catwoman (Holly Robinson) 
Bling  
Skein
Batwoman 
Jennifer Kale 
Victoria Montesi 
Karma 
Scandal   
Knockout
Renee Montoya 
Phyla-Vell  
Moondragon 
Sunfire from Exiles 
 
I tried not to include bisexuals otherwise the list could grow (Black Cat, Mystique, Tefe Holland), and some of above I forget if they are strictly lesbian or bisexual so my bad. 

You could always check the homosexuality page here on CV

No way all the Amazons on Themyscira had not experimented when there are no men around.

@lokiofmidgaard:  I think the poster talking about Val is referencing the time the character advocated that physical love need not be exclusive to male/female.  Or at least something along those lines. 

I always figured Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy dyked out a few times.

Now that I think about it, why are they aren't as many lesbians on Marvel and not many gays in DC.  Not off the top of my head anyways, I can think of Rictor and Northsar for Marvel but no females, Scandal, Batwoman and Renee Montoya for DC but no guys.