Like many companies that began in the late 1930s, DC Comics has taken plenty of controversial actions and endorsed many outdated ways of thinking. And while they do have their fair share of controversial moments nowadays, they have made a valiant effort to clean up the mistakes of their past. And never has this strive to right their wrongs been more clear than with the treatment of Batwoman. 

The original Batwoman was created in 1956 specifically to combat the allegations that Batman and Robin were in a homosexual relationship. Her name was Kathy Kane and she was a wealthy socialite who became infatuated with Batman. She dressed in a costume of her own and began showing up Batman and Robin in order to impress and enamor the caped crusader. She never really did much outside of occasionally helping Batman fight crime and flirt afterwards. Even after their marriage, she was nothing more than a side character.

During the New 52 event in 2011, where DC rebooted several of its comic book properties, the character of Batwoman was completely reinvented. Kathy Kane was erased from continuity and replaced by Kate Kane, who was Bruce Wayne’s biological cousin and became Batwoman in order to fill Bruce’s shoes during a time where Batman seemingly disappeared. But the biggest difference in the character was that Kate was reinvented as an active member of the LGBTQ community. Kate Kane was the first lesbian character in DC Comics history that was not a joke or stereotype to star in her own comicbook series.

Kate Kane as Batwoman has remained an important part of the Batman story ever since her inception. She has become a main member of the Bat-Family and, aside from Batman himself, acts as the prominent leader of the Bat-Family. Kate is also often seen in a romantic relationship with the GCPD Detective Renee Montoya. Kate even starred in the DC animated movie Batman: Bad Blood and her own television series on the CW.

The evolution of Batwoman showcases not only DC’s change of heart, but the change of the nation’s heart. We are nowhere close to being perfect, but overall sexuality has become a widely accepted subject no matter which side of the spectrum you are on. Whether you are heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, bisexual, pansexual, you should not have to hide or be afraid of who you are. And now, instead of ostracizing hurt individuals and hissing at the orientations of others, we are finally starting to accept people for who they are and have begun to bury the troublesome ideas of the past.