Why do redditors write they love gays but will downvote the hell out of a post suggesting for their favorite fictional character to be LGBT+?

[Anonymous]

I notice this paradox with reddit. They are obsessed with LGBT+ and will parrot off the usual liberal line of being cool with the lifestyle and not seeing it as a big deal.

However, if you ever make claim of their favorite fictional character being reinvented as a gay person (e. g. Superman) or even hint that their favorite character is bi, your post will get downvoted so fast.

So obviously, redditors see being gay as uncool in secret or they would not be such a negative reaction towards their favorite character adhering to that lifestyle.

[BCA6010]

Generally speaking, any kind of reinvention of established characters in entertainment media is poorly received (it doesn't even have to be regarding race, sex or sexuality; even changing minor details about their background or personality has a similar reception), and what few exceptions exist are because the original character wasn't liked to begin with. In the interest of showing representation of new demographics, it is always better to either create a new universe with new characters, or at least create new characters rather than rewrite old ones, which is guaranteed to piss off the core fanbase while also villainizing yourself in the process. When attempts to do that fail, it's almost always because the new characters are pathetically shallow and one-dimensional, and their entire character revolves around being part of that demographic (and often gaining arbitrary power or respect without earning it) rather than their deeds, overcoming their own internal conflicts and weaknesses or cleverly using their abilities to overcome an equal or even more powerful threat.

[NamerOfStars]

Social media fries people's brains. But that may not be the case here; it's entirely possible that they're very socially accepting (or at least want to be SEEN as being socially accepting) of people, but a set character is a set character. Then, insofar as what those who push for more "representative" characters usually DO with them, and what that does to the story's quality...

If I were to write a new story where the DOOMguy (the protagonist of DOOM, if you're unaware) is gay, what difference would that make to the player's experience? None. In DOOM, you only interact with others via shotgun, and sexuality is not a factor. But if it's a story where, say, Buffy the vampire slayer is gay, that would change a LOT, because of the nature of what that story's about and how it's told.

[CloudMassacre]

To me, just saying “oh X person is gay now, yay, look at how gay they are” is just virtue signaling pandery garbage. I would rather actual good characters to be written gay, than just slap the Gay on an already existing character. And so often it doesn’t even matter at all

[Anonymous]

The same reason people downvote people for suggesting their favorite fictional character should be female *cough Ghost Buster cough*. LGBTQ+ characters need to be original characters, not exist characters turned LGBTQ.

[gorydetails]

Or maybe they're fine with gay people in real life, but see no need to pander and ruin established fictional characters to support "the message"

[Agagagagaga]

Yes. That’s why they wave rainbow flags and wear rainbow t-shirts. Because they aren’t pandering.

[OddBeMe]

That is a weird issue. Same for female main characters.

[Anonymous]

Because if you want LGBT characters make your own original, stop stealing existing works.

[Juxtapose]

Stop retconning, nobody fucking likes retconning.

[MrTaboo]

They do t want to be canceled