Member-only story
Tim Drake, aka Batman’s sidekick Robin (one of ’em anyway,) has Come Out as Queer — but I’ve noticed a lot of people jumping the gun on his specific ID.
I understand the urge to immediately assign Tim Drake /Robin as Bi — we’re so starved of rep. that people will automatically want a character that’s close to their hearts to share their ID.
But Tim hasn’t used a label yet — and that’s important too.
Tim’s Queer, and Achillean, and LGBTQ+.
(Assuming he doesn’t disapprove of any of those umbrella-labels — some people don’t like them.)
But not having a specific ID label, having a different multi-gender-attracted label, or just still Questioning, is representation we really need too.
I get it, I do — but it’s like with Loki’s canonic Queerness —
He actually hasn’t confirmed in the show whether he’s Bi or Pan, just that he dates dudes, but people already have decided which they want him to be, and have made (utterly incredible) fanart etc.
That said — we need representation, and sometimes media avoids giving Queer labels on purpose.
If you need a character to be your specific-Queer-ID icon — if you need Tim to be Bi — then go for it.
I get that it’s a complex thing, and I’ve probably done it myself more than once.
But please remember that other people might need him to be other labels.
Please respect that.
And please, for the love of God, don’t assign labels to non-fictional people!
It’s not being respectful of ID if you pick that ID for them
Adapted from this Twitter thread by yours truly
