Break out the rainbow flags! The Green Lantern is gay, DC Comics announced today.
The company's reprisal of the original Green Lantern (known as Alan Scott in his non-Lantern form), who first appeared in the 1940s, will be re-introduced to comic fans as a gay man in the pages of the upcoming comic Earth 2. This is the latest in a string of drastic changes DC has made to its superhero squad — including Superman and Batman — in the past year. 
And it's certainly one of the most controversial. Conservative group One Million Moms wasted no time putting out a statement in opposition to DC's decision:
"Why do adult gay men need comic superheroes as role models? They don’t but do want to indoctrinate impressionable young minds by placing these gay characters on pedestals in a positive light."
Meanwhile, GLAAD was quick to respond with their own statement. The organization tells TMZ:

"The idea that a comic book character will make young people gay is as outlandish as saying it will give them a green power ring and the ability to fly. Even more outlandish is the idea that there are 'one million moms' who believe this hate group's anti-gay nonsense. From Christian churches to sports fields, to now even fictional comic book worlds, our culture overwhelmingly supports gay and lesbian Americans and that's what anti-gay groups like this are working against."

Earth 2 scribe James Robinson spoke to USA Today about the decision. "He's going to be the leader of the team, this dynamic hero, he'll do anything to save people, the bravest man on the planet. Why not just make him gay as well?" he explained.

"What I really want to do with this character is make the fact that he's gay to be a part of who he is and not to be the one identifying aspect of him ... and have his humor and his bravery be as much or more a part of him as his sexuality."
For those wondering what this implies about Ryan Reynolds' portrayal of the masked hero in last year's Green Lantern, he actually played a different Green Lantern, named Hal Jordan. TMZ points out that there are close to 7,200 Green Lanterns in the DC universe, who, together, comprise the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps.

One gay Green Lantern out of 7,200 may be a small step for DC Comics, but it sounds like a giant leap for LGBT pride.  
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(Photo: DC Comics)