Zamaron — A Green Lantern Femme-Site











{July 22, 2006}   Isn’t the Green Lantern concept inherently Feminist?

Found an article on promoting Feminism in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genres. It quotes a speech of Nancy Moore’s that lists the kind of stories and books she’d define loosely as feminist:

1. SF and fantasy adventure stories in which women are the lead characters having the adventures.
2. Complex works that tell the stories of women acting in the world in a much broader scope than the roles allowed them in the past.
3. Works by and about men that address issues of gender–such as that by recent Tiptree winners. John Kessel’s “Stories for Men” is one example.
4. Sophisticated science fiction that takes on the possibilities opening up from biology–and artificial intelligence as well–and makes us re-think everything we’ve ever thought we understood about gender.

Number 2 would almost certainly apply, at least in the 60s, given that at its Silver Age concept it doesn’t single out either gender, and after Katma Tui we learn that female Lanterns accepted and normal. Not to mention Carol, not only being able to pilot an aircraft (this is what she was doing when she got drafted as Star Sapphire) but running the company and being her boyfriend’s boss. Nowadays, though, it could be argued that female roles shifted and the traditional role of women in comics opened up to not only allow a wider range of occupations for female characters, but also allow heroic women as love interests. Then, as the female supporting cast in Green Lantern shrunk to only those who were love interests (Jade) it left the feminist category.

Which is pretty tragic when you think on it.



I don’t think Green Lantern can ever truely qualify as feminist until there is a female Earth GL, since Earth GL’s have always been the focus of the series, .



Ragnell says:

There was almost one in Donna Parker. She’s the one that gets me going because she has the plus of showing that “Yes, Earthwomen are qualified” and the negative of having given it up for her family (she was widowed, didn’t want to risk her children losing another parent).

I love the alien female Green Lanterns, and I love Carol (I still say that Carol’s existence and concept makes the early issues pro-Feminist) but what I wouldn’t give to read the wild adventures of a Nebraskan Schoolteacher in Outer Spaaaace!!



Niles says:

Given the basic comcept is is “Lensmen as a superhero comic” I’m going to have to say no.



Ragnell says:

Niles — They made pretty important distinctions when they chane dit to fit though, and that was cutting out the “No women allowed” rule. Which in itself gives it a plus, taking something formerly sexist and making it not so.



Niles says:

I’d say changing the Arisians/Guardians into an All Boys club is a bigger change. When did the first female Lantern appear? was it under the initial creative team?



Ragnell says:

Niles — Yes actually, Katma Tui showed up in a backup in GL#30, July 1964. John Broome and Gil Kane (possibly the most female-friendly creative team Green Lantern has ever had)



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