The Mutant Metaphor and Murder of LGBTQ2IA People

The Mutant Metaphor and Murder of LGBTQ2IA People

By Derek Newman-Stille

In no comic of its time was the Mutant Metaphor for LGBTQ2IA identity stronger. X-Men God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson explores a hateful religious zealot who has decided to attack all mutants, viewing them as a threat to humanity and associating them in his sermons with the antichrist and the devil. This has a chilling ring of the reality of LGBTQ2IA lives as we are often treated as threats by religious zealots who call for violence against us and, frequently, for our murder.

Although the comic has the typical battles with superpowers, there is also an ideological war being fought where ideas of free speech and hate speech collide. Although calling for the murder of mutants and referring to mutants as inhuman and demonic, Rev. Stryker is given multiple public platforms to espouse his hate speech and is protected up to and including literally pushing a mutant off of a podium. When he and Professor Xavier argue over mutant rights to exist, he is given more screen time and is considered the victor in a “debate” over the right to live.

Although using metaphor, X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills points out the politicization of Othered bodies and illustrates that there isn’t and has never been a separation of church and state when it comes to the rights of minorities who religious leaders direct hate speech toward. The comic illustrates that the state reinforces and supports hate speech and violence toward marginalized communities in the name of so-called religious freedom.

To discover more about X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, go to https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/20817/x-men_god_loves_man_kills_-_special_edition_1982 .