People have been spreading their thoughts through social media for several years now and with every new subject that's discussed, there's always a load of controversy that comes with it. Whether it be about lamenting over worldwide attacks or sharing thoughts about the nominees for the upcoming Oscars, it can be safe to say that with every opinion, we are playing a risky game with the online community and anyone can judge us for anything.
Now I don't usually put in my two cents about controversial subjects that roam the internet, but I found something on Twitter that got me irritated and it was this hashtag:
#GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend
(Comic version and film version of Captain America)
In case you are unsure of what this hashtag is talking about exactly, it is addressing a fictional character named Steven "Steve" Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America. He is one of the most popular superheroes in the Marvel franchise and since his re-appearance in 2011 with the movie Captain America: The First Avenger, his popularity skyrocketed with people of all ages.
Now with the recent debut of Captain America: Civil War, people are bringing up the idea that this hero should not only proudly represent the United States of America, but the LGBT community as well.
At the time I published this rant, I did not watch Civil War, however I believe that this movie is the prime reason for all of this demand for Captain America to be homosexual.
Some fans would like Captain America to be in a relationship with Bucky Barnes, also known as the The Winter Solider. Bucky was Captain America's best friend before he got frozen in ice during a mission and ended up being thawed out in modern day. And when they reconnected, Captain America discovered that Bucky was also alive and hadn't aged a bit due to secret experiments and he was also being used as an assassin.
As it reads on thedailybeast.com, Captain America and the Winter Soldier's relationship, "...has been fueling fanfic fantasies for years..." and thanks to their chemistry in Civil War, "...it...took on a life of its own in the hearts of fans -even seeping it's way into the film's press tour."
Despite not seeing Civil War, I can see why people would pick those two to be a couple. They were good friends in the past and according to the previous movie Captain America: Winter Solider (2014), it looked like the pair would eventually become good friends again and protect one another at all costs.
Even so...I don't agree with this hype. I personally do not want Captain America to be with the Winter Solider nor do I want him to be gay at all.
(Captain America and The Winter Soldier)
We are becoming a more open-minded society and people are giving greater respect and love to those who are apart of the LGBT community. Similar to the history of women and african-americans, people who did not classify themselves as straight or heterosexual were not given the rights they deserved, being judged for their preferences and considered to be an abomination to the world.
Thankfully we do not live in such a dark place anymore, at least the discrimination is not allowed as much as it was back then. Whenever we come across scenarios where we see people judging those who are transgender or reading about a lesbian who hid her identity to avoid the shame from her peers, we are more likely to sympathize with the transgender and the lesbian because we are smart enough to know that what is happening to them is wrong.
Because of our minds and hearts encouraging people to live how they want, it is understandable that we would also want that shown through media. Showing people, especially young children, that their favorite heroes can be gay, lesbian and so forth. It can be a positive thing to show gay people taking the spotlight in films, because we allow the viewers to comprehend our complex world better. We allow them to not be afraid of who they are or not be afraid of others for who they are.
So why am I upset that fans want Captain America to be gay?
I think it all has to do with the character himself.
Captain America was a fully established character since his very first debut in 1941. By now fans know of his characteristics, his usual appearance, his quirks, his flaws and so on. And while it is fun to romanticize him with his best friend, his story never involved romance to begin with. His story was based mostly on his journey to defeat evil and fight for the greater good, showing how his love for his country was all the love he really needed.
Now you might question me and ask why I don't think he can be changed. After all, we are in a new world way different from how it was in 1941. But Captain America's story wasn't about him falling in love; or even involved that. Sure, he had a love interest, Peggy Carter, but even that isn't very descriptive. If anything, you could see their relationship as more professional than romantic.
They did share a kiss in the 2011 movie...yes, but then Captain America got separated in time from Peggy, forcing her to move on and have a family. It's The One that Got Away type of trope that worked well. Due to circumstances, Peggy couldn't be with Captain America, but she did move on, and that's similar to life. With that being said, that's all the kind of romance Captain America needs right now because that's not the main focus of his story.
(Captain America with an older Peggy Carter)
Besides, using Captain America's friendship with the Winter Soldier as a reason to make them a couple sounds incredibly forced. It's similar to what I mentioned in my first rant (Sequels...and why I hate them) There's no need for romance between the two since it's already established that they were friends and nothing more. It's like how some friends in real life can be seen as couples because of how strong their bond is; it may be interesting to think about but you can't force love upon them.
If you're still unsure on why I don't like the idea of Captain America having a boyfriend, then let me talk to you about someone named Jean-Paul Beaubier, also known as Northstar.
Northstar is another Marvel character who may not be as well-known due to lack of mention in entertainment news. I didn't even know about him very well until my sophomore year of high school when a friend showed me a picture on her computer screen during class. It was of Northstar and another male named Kyle Jinadu embracing one another as they kissed amongst their fellow friends at their wedding.
It was Marvel's first gay wedding in the comic book universe and that image stayed in my mind. I was happy that they were openly gay superheroes, so why not give them recognition in movies?
Why go out of your way to cram a new piece of information into Captain America's story when there are already heroes waiting to be discovered who are already apart of the LGBT community? Northstar and Jinadu are only a couple of several heroes that are not straight, and yet people want to change Captain America?
(Northstar (left) & Kyle's (right) wedding in Marvel Comics)
Plus-hint hint- that could really bring in more money at the box office.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I don't like this idea of Captain America being gay because he doesn't need to be. He was created the way his creator wanted him to be and nobody else should change that.
Here's what Captain America does represent: Americans, people with faith, people who strive for the American dream and people who want to do good in the world.
Isn't that enough for one character? If people want a gay representative so bad, then do some research and find them and promote them to Hollywood.
On a side note, I was going to also talk about my opinions on people wanting Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen to have a girlfriend in the sequel, but the things I said about Captain America applies to her as well. There's no need to add in a romantic interest in general; it will feel so forced. Especially because she too was originally created in 1844 in the children's tale The Snow Queen.
It's a simple story and when referring to the movie alone, Elsa is the embodiment of those who struggle with who they are and those who finally accept themselves and those who learn to trust their loved ones instead of holding in their feelings. Why must we add on more to a perfectly good character?
(A post on Twitter talking about the idea of Elsa with a biracial girlfriend)
As I said before, there are LGBT characters out there that are perfect to show on the big screen, we just have to find them. To be clear, I'm not saying I dislike those who want gay people in media; I completely agree that there should be more representation in media and I'm sure in the near future we will have that. But when it comes to already established characters like Elsa and Captain America, we got to face facts: their stories weren't made to give lessons about romantic love.
We can dream and write all about how cute it would be for Elsa to be with a biracial girl or Captain America tying the knot with his best friend, but in the end, I don't think it'd be the best move to make that a reality. Give another character a chance to bring up those topics.
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LINKS
Give Captain America a Boyfriend: The Campaigns to make Disney's big franchises more Gay-Friendly Article- http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/25/give-captain-america-a-boyfriend-the-campaigns-to-make-disney-s-big-franchises-more-gay-friendly.html
Twitter website #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend- https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend
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