Making Spider-Man black or gay would not only give him back that underdog edge he had when he was a teenage hero in a decade where teenagers were voiceless, it would give members of that social group a hero to aspire to be like.” Because of all of these things, Peter Parker has it pretty good… Yes, the perpetually down on his luck Peter Parker does have it pretty good, especially compared to the social injustices facing other groups of people in America. So what is he? He’s a white, cisgender, straight male. Peter Parker’s minority status as a teenager has been taken away from him. Fast-forward to the year 2013 and it seems like 70% of all media is focused around teenage and young adult protagonists. He was the voice of youth, a leading character that readers could relate to because of his age. This hero can’t catch a break! When Spider-Man was created in the 1960s, just having him be a teenager was a novel enough idea that it actually made Peter Parker representative of a minority. “The most important facets of Spider-Man’s character, I’d say, are his sense of responsibility to do the right thing and his put upon/down on his luck nature. MTV’s Splashpage thinks that’s a great idea – not just for gay visibility, but for the character. We mentioned yesterday that Andrew Garfield had mused that MJ could easily be a guy, and have Peter Parker exploring his sexuality. Final act of gay men marrying straight guys’ girlfriends, Chris Colfer talks Course of the Force, and is there a gay moment for Nolan Funk in The Canyons?