Warning: Spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El #10
The new Superman, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, officially came out as bisexual several months ago, but in the pages of Superman: Son of Kal-El #10 Jon Kent comes out to his mom, making for an emotional and important milestone for LGBTQIA+ representation at DC Comics. Lois' reaction to Jon coming out is a powerful lesson in unconditional love and support for queer kids, something that should always be celebrated, particularly in light of recent efforts to roll back the rights of LGBTQIA+ people throughout the United States.
Superman: Son of Kal-El follows the adventures and tribulations of Jon Kent after his father Clark leaves Earth to go to Warworld and passes the name Superman on to his son. Superman has been through a lot since the start of this series, and his coming out was a hugely important moment for the characters, and queer fans of Superman all over the world.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #10—by Tom Taylor and Cian Tormey—follows Jon continuing to save people around the globe while dealing with Lex Luthor publicly accusing him of murdering another superhero. After clearing his name with the help of his mother Lois and friend Nightwing, Jon and his boyfriend Jay are hanging out at Lois' house, recovering from the day's tumultuous events. After Jay asks Jon if he has told Lois yet, clearly implying if he has come out to her, Jon admits that he has been scared to tell his mom. Even though it is clear that Lois will accept him (she is a very liberal person) it is a very relatable experience for a young queer person to still feel fear and anxiety around coming out to a parent regardless of how they think they will react. Jay offers to hold Jon's hand which he accepts. After Lois sees them, she asks to speak to Jon privately. This leads to the beautiful moment of support from Lois.
Some queer folks might feel a bit resentful that Lois pulled the "I already knew" card on Jon, which does limit the character's ability to come out in his own words, but this is an incredibly common experience for young people coming out. Lois quickly embraces Jon in a full body hug, telling him, "I love every single part of you." While Lois did not act like an absolutely perfect parent in this scene it is refreshing and heartwarming to see her have such unconditional love for her son, making sure he knows that she loves him for everything that he is, including his sexuality. Tom Taylor has spoken at length about how queer characters he has written in the past have been removed from stories or killed off, so he made sure to establish Jon as the new Superman before having him come out. Taylor has also discussed how he did not want Superman to give a big coming out speech, since his queerness is not his entire identity but something that can and should be acknowledged and taken as a part of his greater whole.
While some readers might want to read a comic where Superman very explicitly says, "I am bisexual," there is still a chance that they will get that opportunity when Jon is eventually able to talk with and come out to his father Clark. LGBTQIA+ representation in mainstream comics is so important, and with all the awful anti-LGBTQIA+ conservative legislation being enacted around the United States, it is now even more pressing that honest, positive depictions of parents supporting their queer kids are put onto page. Make sure to pick up Superman: Son of Kal-El #10, now on shelves, to see the entire heartwarming scene of Superman coming out to his mom Lois Lane.