Are there any gay characters in the TMNT franchise?

[CyberCubed]

This was brought up in the comic section, but I am bringing it up here too. Out of the 25 years of TMNT history, have there ever been any confirmed gay/lesbian characters in any TMNT history?

I know some people think of Vernon, but I always assumed he was based on the straight, wimpy man who was always a coward.

[PAAATE]

Well, it's not like sexuality ever had a big place in any TMNT universe. Most of the characters seem kinda asexual :P

[Weapon X]

I know some people think of Vernon, but I always assumed he was based on the straight, wimpy man who was always a coward.

He comes off to me as someone who is kind of a womanizer. I remember in "Donatello's Degree" we asks April for mouth to mouth resuscitation, with the intention of getting a kiss.

Doesn't he flirt/harass her some other times throughout the series? I cant remember everything from every episode.

[gobo]

I cant remember everything from every episode.
Then, what kind of a fan are you? :P

[Jester]

Not a TRUE fan, that's for sure.

:D You know I kid, X.

[ToTheNines]

Vernon's definitely not gay. Like I said in the other thread though, Agent Bishop might be.

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

Vernon's definitely not gay. Like I said in the other thread though, Agent Bishop might be.

What is the basis for this claim though?

Well, it's not like sexuality ever had a big place in any TMNT universe. Most of the characters seem kinda asexual :P

Seriously? I can think of several just off the top of my head. April and Casey, Raph and Ninjara, etc... and Michelangelo develops feelings for girls in just about EVERY TMNT universe.

[FearlessLeader]

Seriously? I can think of several just off the top of my head. April and Casey, Raph and Ninjara, etc... and Michelangelo develops feelings for girls in just about EVERY TMNT universe.

But neither romance nor sex is a huge driving factor in the overall plot line of the series.

Certainly there is a little of both, but it's the exception more then the rule.

And a lot of the characters do seem kind of asexual, the Utroms come to mind (not that I personally would really want to think about how they breed). Leatherhead, Fugitoid (I know he's a robot, but he was a man once and still probably thinks like one) Nobody.... I mean I could go on. All characters I have never seen presented in any sort of romantic or sexual way.

[ToTheNines]

What is the basis for this claim though?

Well I was just mentally sifting through all the TMNT characters, and my gaydar kinda went off when I thought about Bishop. I tried picturing him with a wife, didn't seem right. Tried picturing him with a domestic partner, seemed plausible.

[PizzaPower]

i kinda see him raping leatherhead actually.

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

I have "gaydar" too, and now that you guys mention it, I'm open to the possibility of him being gay...he does seem to have a weird fascination with Leatherhead.

[FearlessLeader]

Not that it really matters one bit to me what Bishop's sexual orientation is their is also the possibility that much like Ahab in Moby Dick he is just so obsessed with his personal "white whale" that everything else in his life means little or nothing to him.

Look at his friend he turned into a monster in Dragon's Brew. He was the best man in the guys wedding and still gave absolutely no regard to destroying his life when it bettered his personal agenda.

[PAAATE]

Seriously? I can think of several just off the top of my head. April and Casey, Raph and Ninjara, etc... and Michelangelo develops feelings for girls in just about EVERY TMNT universe.

Ok, that's five characters. And the other 247 (or whatever)?

I'm not saying that sex and romance weren't there, it was just never a big part of it.

But now I truly hope for at least one gay character in the new comics :P

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

Not that it really matters one bit to me what Bishop's sexual orientation is their is also the possibility that much like Ahab in Moby Dick he is just so obsessed with his personal "white whale" that everything else in his life means little or nothing to him.

Well his sexuality doesn't really matter except in the sense that that's kinda the point of this thread :tlol: But I agree with you, the Ahab comparison is more or less valid. :twink:

[gobo]

What is the basis for this claim though?
Pink uniform & sissy attitude. By the "sissy" aspect, this means that Frasier & Niles Crane are both gay despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but it's more of a "you ain't a man unless you're a macho idiot" sort of misconception.

[sdp]

Everybody knows its Raph/Leo, so many fanfics/fanart can't be wrong.

[Turo602]

Well I was just mentally sifting through all the TMNT characters, and my gaydar kinda went off when I thought about Bishop. I tried picturing him with a wife, didn't seem right. Tried picturing him with a domestic partner, seemed plausible.

Since when does Bishop have time for love? He's a crazy bastard dedicated to his work.

[Cure]

You guys are messed up.

[Redeemer]

Ok I got it double wammy, the punk frogs are gay and practice incest or they could jst be a sexaul;)
lol this is really messed up talking about character sexuality on a kids/teen franchise

[Powder]

Ok I got it double wammy, the punk frogs are gay and practice incest or they could jst be a sexaul;)
lol this is really messed up talking about character sexuality on a kids/teen franchise

That's not even funny, just gross. Whyyyyy would you go there?!

[FearlessLeader]

Ok I got it double wammy, the punk frogs are gay and practice incest or they could jst be a sexaul;)
lol this is really messed up talking about character sexuality on a kids/teen franchise

Can't frogs change gender when they don't have viable breeding options?? Isn't that what happened to the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park because they used frog DNA??

:tlol:

This has to be one of the weirdest topics we have had on here in a while!

[Logan]

I've never really noticed any characters that came off as gay in any of the TMNT stories I've been exposed to. Vernon, maybe, but I do seem to remember him having the hots for a woman in an episode.

To be honest, I'm glad TMNT hasn't gone the route of contrived by introducing a gay character. It's really become a cliche at this point.

[Turo602]

If anyone is gay it is Erma. She seems to fail with the guys too much.

[Krys]

Can't frogs change gender when they don't have viable breeding options?? Isn't that what happened to the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park because they used frog DNA??

Yep, certain frogs though, because of the amphibian DNA.

[Jester]

If anyone is gay it is Erma. She seems to fail with the guys too much.
Yep, failure with men = lesbian. WHAT!?

[Turo602]

Yep, failure with men = lesbian. WHAT!?

Yep she should just quit and move on. She's not foolin anyone. No one talks about men that much, whats she hiding?:P

But seriously, no one is gay unless they say they're gay. It's TMNT and everything that has come out of it that wasn't comics is practically made for children. We're going a little too deep into this.

[Cryomancer]

Everyone's missing the obvious here.

OT Krang and Shredder.

[Turo602]

Everyone's missing the obvious here.

OT Krang and Shredder.

LOL! The old married couple with slow children aka Bebop and Rocksteady.

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Pink uniform & sissy attitude. By the "sissy" aspect, this means that Frasier & Niles Crane are both gay despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, but it's more of a "you ain't a man unless you're a macho idiot" sort of misconception.

Fair enough, though you have to admit that Vernon seems to be somewhat of a walking stereotype. Even his voice seems to have some flamboyancy to it.

Still, I do think he's shown interest in women. But I do feel like his appearance, attitude, and the way he talks seem to do a number on my gaydar. It's all based on social stereotypes, though, I'll admit.

I do remember that, as a kid, Vernon always reminded me of Vanity Smurf... who also was never actually stated as being gay or not (though sexual orientation never comes up in kid's shows), and I do remember him having a fascination with Smurfette at least once.

Hmmm... perhaps I may need to re-assess my perception of overly effeminate, narcissistic males.

[Logan]

Even his voice seems to have some flamboyancy to it.


Which is kind of funny, because his voice in the first two (?) episodes sounds a little more masculine.

[lowbacca]

Pizza is obviously a phallic symbol. So i would say Mikey.

[gobo]

Pizza is obviously a phallic symbol. So i would say Mikey.
Oh yeah? Well, your dinner is a phallic symbol, you homo sapien! :x

[midknigt]

If you guys really want gayness in TMNT, go to fanfiction.net! There's plenty to go around! :tlol:

[Venom]

Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuu thank you. I made the mistake of thinking Slash would actually be about the character. :dead:

[Spitfire]

This topic is just...wow. No one in the OT was gay or was ever intended to be. They would not, probably could not, put a gay character in a popular Saturday morning kids cartoon. Not in the 90's. I don't even think there's gay characters in kids series present day. They come under enough fire from people who think characters are gay. Remember that stupid Sponge Bob Patrick thing?

As for the comics I can't say. Probably depends on the writer. I could easily see a character like Shadow experimenting in her rebellious teenage years but other then her no one really strikes me that way. As others have said it's not really addressed in the books, and doesn't need to be honestly. Unless it's essential to the plot a characters sexual orientation isn't necessary information.

[gobo]

Remember how morons used to say OT Don was gay because he was too smart to be straight or some such idiocy? :lol: Those were certainly some 'tards.

[Spitfire]

Yeah. I remember one of the main arguments is that Don never had a girl he was into like the other turtles did. I could honestly careless if he, or any characters, are gay but unless there's some proof it's stupid to mark them as such.

[CyberCubed]

Well in the Nick cartoon, they already confirmed Don has a crush on April. So Don likes girls.

[gobo]

Nah. Don just wants to use April as a guinea pig. That's his only interest.

[Turo602]

I do not associate any of the TMNT with sexuality. They're freaken reptiles. I see them as heroes who kick ass and will never picture them having a sex life. It's just wrong and it's not important.

[CyberCubed]

That being said some of the human characters could have been gay.

I kind of see the Mirage version of Leatherhead as being like that.

[gobo]

2K3 Raph was too macho. He's clearly still in the closet.

[CyberCubed]

I also feel as if Karai could possibly be lesbian. She seems like someone you'd imagine having a younger woman by her side rather than taking orders from any man.

[midknigt]

I do not associate any of the TMNT with sexuality. They're freaken reptiles. I see them as heroes who kick ass and will never picture them having a sex life. It's just wrong and it's not important.

Sadly, it seems the whole TMNT and sex life has been already done. Wasn't there a TMNT Archie style comic for adults?

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Well in the Nick cartoon, they already confirmed Don has a crush on April. So Don likes girls.

Well, that's still not OT Don. Granted, I don't think OT Don is gay, either, and the "reasons" for him to be gay are pretty ridiculous, but I do want to point out that not all things carry over from each series.

The thing about Don having a crush on April, though, seems to possibly originate in the 2k3 series. It kinda seems like there were subtle hints here and there (though they were very subtle).

I also feel as if Karai could possibly be lesbian. She seems like someone you'd imagine having a younger woman by her side rather than taking orders from any man.

Are you sure about that? In the Mirage comics, she had a daughter, and in 2k3, there were weird implications about her and Chaplin (I'm not entirely sure which continuity you're referring to, but none of the incarnations of Karai strike me as being lesbian, although she was a bit masculine in Tournament Fighters).

Also, I really don't think a woman being straight automatically means that she has to take orders from men, or that a woman that doesn't take orders from men is automatically a lesbian. Those things aren't really connected to one another. Unless you're implying that a woman that's in a relationship with a man is automatically subservient to him? Because I don't think that's the case, either.

[Koi]

They would not, probably could not, put a gay character in a popular Saturday morning kids cartoon. Not in the 90's. I don't even think there's gay characters in kids series present day..

Ren and Stimpy.

[gobo]

Ren and Stimpy.
He said "cartoons" not "animated acid trips".

[CyberCubed]

Poison Ivy and Harley from B:TAS were an implied on and off again relationship after Harley got fed up with Joker.

[Fugitoid Jones]

I always kinda got a vibe from Sam Rockwell's character in the first TMNT movie that he might be gay. Especially after that look he gives the young couple of boys after they inquire about cigarettes.

Also, Danny Pennington wasn't overly masculine either.

[John Pannozzi]

Th
As for the comics I can't say. Probably depends on the writer. I could easily see a character like Shadow experimenting in her rebellious teenage years but other then her no one really strikes me that way.

She had a sexy phase?

[plastroncafe]

It's good to see that gay stereotypes are a live and well.

[ABrown]

But seriously, no one is gay unless they say they're gay.

I completely disagree. I say that being gay has nothing to do with commiting a homosexual act. Being gay is what makes you gay, not what you do.

[ssjup81]

I completely disagree. I say that being gay has nothing to do with commiting a homosexual act. Being gay is what makes you gay, not what you do.
Okay then, by that logic, Mikey has to be the gayest of all of them. You know, since "gay" means "happy", and Mikey is always portrayed as being the happiest of the group in pretty much all the mediums. He does things that makes him happy, so yeah.

Joking aside, I don't there are any "gay" characters or portrayals in the franchise, and that even goes for Vernon of the OT series. He came across as being snobbish and self-centered to me.

[Sage Ninja]

I also feel as if Karai could possibly be lesbian. She seems like someone you'd imagine having a younger woman by her side rather than taking orders from any man.

:roll:

I love how people assiociate warrior women with having lesbian tendacies all the time. Same goes for the pacifist intellectual male types who seem to get pegged as being gay. :trolleye:

[Master Splinter]

All this topic serves to do is bring out stereotypes and ignorance.

-ms

[BoggleKng]

yes but it makes for good comedy. some people..

[mysterycolor]

you can interpret their actions anyway you want- but weather gay, straight or bi all of the characters are awesome :)

[FearlessLeader]

All this topic serves to do is bring out stereotypes and ignorance.

-ms

This is why I stopped replying to it. It went from being somewhat though provoking to just kind of rude :tsad:

[Cryomancer]

The adult gag book by the Archie guys was mentioned. If we wanna take that into consideration, Mike and Don are into gay turtle incest, but still respond to the sight of a naked woman anyway.

[lowbacca]

Oh yeah? Well, your dinner is a phallic symbol, you homo sapien! :x

Yeah,and i LOVE pizza!

[ssjup81]

The adult gag book by the Archie guys was mentioned. If we wanna take that into consideration, Mike and Don are into gay turtle incest, but still respond to the sight of a naked woman anyway.I'd heard about that on one of the threads here. The thought of that (Don x Mikey) disturbed me to no end! :tcry:

[Revan]

The adult gag book by the Archie guys was mentioned. If we wanna take that into consideration, Mike and Don are into gay turtle incest, but still respond to the sight of a naked woman anyway.

I'd heard about that on one of the threads here. The thought of that (Don x Mikey) disturbed me to no end! :tcry:

I was under the impression that book was a staff-joke and was never meant to be seen by the public

[Cryomancer]

Yeah, it's just a joke comic for inside the studio. But eventually, it hit the internet anyway.

[gobo]

Yeah,and i LOVE pizza!
Ew! Gross! Get away from me, you lover of phallic symbols! :sick:

^^ Mean joke... Nothing more... ^_^

[ssjup81]

I was under the impression that book was a staff-joke and was never meant to be seen by the publicI know that much too. I've never seen it, but it's still a disturbing thought. ^^

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Ren and Stimpy.

That's probably one of the only exceptions to that, as there was waaaaay too many homoerotic undertones. Ren did seem to have an interest in women, though, but the "about as subtle as a brick to the face" implications did still seem to point toward something between Ren and Stimpy. So, at most, I'd say that Ren was bi, and Stimpy might be full blown gay.

Poison Ivy and Harley from B:TAS were an implied on and off again relationship after Harley got fed up with Joker.

Seriously? :ohwell:

I always viewed them more as friends than lovers. I don't think they're anymore gay for each other than Joker and Penguin or Superman and Batman.

Also, it seems like you're concentrating pretty hard on specifically finding lesbians in these series. I'm not trying to just throw out accusations or anything, but it really does seem to me like you just want all these fictional women to be lesbians...

[plastroncafe]

Ivy and Harley are more than "just friends." Or at least that's the impression I've gotten from not only the show, but the official merch sold at the WB store back in the day. I've a cookie jar in my kitchen of the two of them on a motorcycle together, and used to have a shirt of them with Ivy wrapped around Harley.

The one summer I worked in the WB store I sold a limited edition lithograph of Ivy and Harley to a couple looking for a lesbian wedding present.

They're so gay for each other it's not even subtext anymore, but supertext.

[midknigt]

Well, speaking of gay/lesbian... before this thread may get locked.

Who saw THAT one coming? Heh? HEH?! :tlol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx6aaQGrPOg

[Koi]

vEO_SAh-gEw

[midknigt]

I just had a nosebleed! :teek:

[Ninjinister]

I was under the impression that book was a staff-joke and was never meant to be seen by the public

Speaking of staff jokes, Donatello in the 2K3 games makes way too many of them, if you know what I mean. Not to mention some like these from Mutant Melee:

"No more being on top for me!"
"In and out, nice and quick, just how I like it!"

Anyway, truthfully there was one gay character; that guy that Casey saved and told his "life story" to in Casey In Point. Now that's confirmed.

[Zachatello00]

and that is why we shouldn't have these conversations.