Batwoman's Evolution from Batman's Beard to an LGBTQ Icon

In just a few short weeks, lesbian superhero Batwoman is going to make her live-action debut on The CW, and we are so excited. It’s gonna be amazing to see a lesbian superhero, played by Ruby Rose, kick butt alongside The Flash, Green Arrow, Supergirl and Superman before actually getting her own TV show next year.

But did you know that Batwoman was initially created to be Batman’s beard?

Back in the 1950s, comic books were getting a lot of criticism for supposedly being a bad influence on America’s youth. One of the biggest critics of comics was Fredric Wertham, who wrote the 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent,  which sounds like the title of a bad romance novel.

Regardless, Seduction became a bestseller that contributed to the creation of the Comics Code Authority because the book argued that comics corrupted children. Wertham claimed that Superman was un-America, female nudity was hidden in comic panels, Wonder Woman had a bondage subtext (we're pretty sure it was just text) and, most importantly for this discussion, that Batman and Robin were gay.

In order to combat the allegations of homosexuality, comic writer Edmond Hamilton and artist Sheldon Moldoff introduced Batwoman in 1956's Detective Comics #233 as Batman’s love interest. Needless to say, Robin was understandably crushed. Yet, this version of Batwoman was a vastly different character from the current lesbian badass she is today.

In the latest episode of Nerd Out, Jessie Gender dives into Batwoman's complicated history and how she eventually became the LGBTQ hero we needed!