In 1954, Dr. Frederick Wertham's book, Seduction of the Innocent, claimed the comics were depraved and were harmful to children. This led to the creation of the Comics Code Authority, a voluntary yet omnipresent label ensuring comics bearing its sigil would follow many guidelines, one, in particular, being that “Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Rape scenes, as well as sexual abnormalities, are unacceptable.” This lead to the utilization of queer coding, especially with early work, which was often unflattering. Villains were often the focus of queer coding, which lead directly to villainizing gay people and ideas. Another aspect of queer coding is queerbaiting, which “baits” a queer audience with themes and character interactions that appeal while never delivering on these themes. But Tim Sheridan and Meghan Fitzmartin are two people who are changing the world of comics in 2021.

Your host is Levi Chambers, co-founder of Gayety.
Follow the show and keep up with the conversation @Pride.
Want more great shows from Straw Hut Media? Check out or website at strawhutmedia.com.
Your producers are Levi Chambers, Maggie Boles, Ryan Tillotson and Edited by Silvana Alcala
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*This podcast is not affiliated with Pride Media.

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