American Family Association assails gay content in mainstream comic books

Newsarama.com reports that the American Family Association, a far-right pressure group, is attacking the content of comic books, including what the group sees as pro-gay messages. In an "alert" sent to members, the AFA complains, "Along with this hedonistic view of sexuality in comics comes a promotion of homosexuality. In a two-part Green Lantern comic, published by DC Comics, 'gay' teenager Terry Berg is shown kissing his boyfriend. After three thugs beat Terry, the storyline turns into a blatant promotion of hate crime laws. A variety of comic books have promoted the 'gay' agenda, including DC Comics' The Authority and Superman, and Marvel's The Incredible Hulk, Alpha Flight, The Flash [actually a DC publication], Uncanny X-Men, and Star Fleet Academy." Other complaints from the AFA have to do with scantily clad females (even in comic books specifically aimed at mature audiences) and a "false religious atmosphere." The AFA alert appears alongside the group's attempts to get nonprofit organizations (such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Make-a-Wish Foundation) to sever ties with comic book conventions that donate a portion of their proceeds to charities, since the AFA attempts to paint such conventions as hotbeds of pornography.