By Gwen Aviles
The Australian actress Ruby Rose suited up as the title character in the trailer for the forthcoming CW show “Batwoman.” The sneak peek, which dropped Thursday, gives viewers a glimpse at the lesbian superhero’s origin story — and villain-crushing moves.
After her love interest, Sophie (Megan Tandy), is kidnapped, the leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding heroine is determined to find her. However, like any good superhero, Kate Kane (Batwoman’s “civilian” name) needs the proper attire.
“I need you to fix his suit,” Batwoman, looking at Bruce Wayne’s Batman ensemble, tells his assistant.
“The suit is literal perfection,” the assistant replies.
“It will be,” Batwoman says, “when it fits a woman.”
Trish Bendix, a culture writer and editor who frequently covers LGBTQ issues, called the series “groundbreaking.”
“The trailer looks to give Kate Kane her own narrative of romance and revenge, one so many heteros have been afforded (mostly men) time and time again,” Bendix told NBC News in an email. “Seeing Batwoman in action as a convincingly queer hero is groundbreaking and I’m psyched for the show.”
“Batwoman” was also trending on Twitter Thursday afternoon, with fans and LGBTQ advocates responding to the trailer.
“I didn’t think I would live to see a TV show with a lesbian superhero lead,” one Twitter user wrote. “Kate was there for me and many other closeted 12 year olds, proving that queerness doesn’t make you any less of a hero. A complex character that’s finally getting the recognition she deserves.”
Batwoman joins a number of other queer female characters on television this season, according to the lesbian blog Autostraddle. Others include Annalise Keating on ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder,” Nyssa on The CW’s “Arrow” and Tiana Brown on Fox’s “Empire.”
In its latest “Where We Are on TV” report, the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD found the percentage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer characters on broadcast primetime television had reached a record high in the 2018-19 TV season, with one in 11 characters identifying as LGBTQ.
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