Happy Pride from the Spider-Verse

Digging into the transgender coding of Spider-Gwen. vox.com/culture CULTURE   In my former life as a geek culture reporter, one of the things I loved most was covering conventions like Comic-Con and Dragon Con, where people of all genders were walking around with telltale white-and-pink backpacks — signs that they were part of the nascent but growing fandom for Spider-Gwen, Marvel’s fabulous revival of Peter Parker’s [famously “fridged”]( girlfriend. Gwen had a troubled history and occupied a controversial position prior to her return to the MCU as a member of the Spider-Verse. It's been amazing to see her rise to prominence in the recent animated series, and even more amazing to watch her become, [as Vox’s Alex Abad-Santos details](, a character viewed as trans or as a trans allegory by many fans. Just in time for Pride month, Alex details the way artists in Across the Spider-Verse frequently drench Gwen in the colors of the trans pride flag, and what it means for her character — and for her fans — if she is, indeed, the trans Marvel hero we’ve always deserved. —[Aja Romano](, culture writer P.S. Our Even Better section is starting a monthly column about personal finance. Let us know what questions you might have around the topic [here](. Why Spider-Verse fans see Gwen Stacy as a transgender allegory [Gwen Stacy bathed in purple and blue light]( Sony / Columbia Pictures At any given moment there are a million things happening in [Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse]( — we’re pinging around the multiverse, meeting dozens of Spider-Man variants, visiting Mumbattan, learning about Spider-Man 2099’s Minority Report-esque police force, and so many things in between. It’s a movie that requires multiple viewings to catch all the details stuffed into every gorgeous frame. For a certain group of fans though, there’s one stand-out, joyful detail you just can’t miss: Gwen Stacy’s support for transgender people. In the wake of the movie’s massive box office success, eagle-eyed Across the Spider-Verse devotees have pointed out that the Spider-Woman is literally — e.g., has a trans flag in her room — and symbolically — e.g., experiences the allegory of coming out — depicted as a trans ally, if not trans herself. There’s a dearth of LGBTQ superheroes depicted in mainstream, blockbuster movies, so Gwen’s possible transness — and even her allyship — is a big deal. If superheroes are queer, it’s often addressed obliquely, mostly in [postscript interviews]( and only in the faintest of gestures on-screen. Coupled with the current, hostile climate toward trans people in the US, the heroine of the biggest movie in America being trans would be monumental. I reached out to Sony to see if the writing team, directors, or artists who created the movie had a comment about how Gwen Stacy has resonated with fans but haven’t heard back. In the meantime, here’s what those fans found, and why at the end of the day it might not matter to these fans what the official word is. For them, it’s something special about this character that can’t be taken away. [Read the full story »](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( A personality test can't tell you who you are The desire to define ourselves, from love languages to Myers-Briggs tests. [Read the full story »]( Hollywood is staring down the barrel of a double strike What happens if everybody walks off the job? [Read the full story »](   Support our work We aim to explain what we buy, why we buy it, and why it matters. Support our mission by making a gift today. [Give](   More good stuff to read today - [The messy economics of Vanderpump Rules's Scandoval]( - [Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a gorgeous, daring triumph]( - [Now might be a good time to consider quitting crypto]( - [Do we really need an app for everything?]( - [Taylor Swift is no longer in her Matty Healy era](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](param=culture). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Policy]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.