Some opinions are so nonsensical, the least helpful thing one can do is draw attention to them. So I find myself in two minds over whether to even address the recent assertion by Christian blogger and website editor John-Henry Westen that 'LEGO Batman promotes gay adoption', and is therefore a danger to our children. However, given that the offending article is being increasingly shared around the Internet (although usually with a fair degree of scorn), and since I've actually seen the apparently-offending movie, I think the risk of giving it publicity oxygen is mitigated by the need for truth.
Westen's article, published on his own LifeSite News, claims that he has seen The Lego Batman Movie, and found it to be 'chock full of pro-gay propaganda'. Mainly though, he reposts thoughts from another writer – Michael Hamilton at PJ Media – who also thinks the film is laced with 'homoerotic attraction' and 'gender neutrality'. Hamilton's original article is at least a little more measured, leaving it to the reader to decide if these topics are child-friendly or not; Westen prefaces his entire piece with the word 'BEWARE'.
Their combined viewpoint is currently causing various degrees of consternation and amusement in the LGBT community and beyond it. Once again, Christians are being publicly highlighted as the people who find evil in every corner of modern culture, and of course, who stand against the 'evils' of teaching kids about homosexuality.
First then, it's important to address the headline idea... and it's an utterly preposterous reading of the film.The 'two dads' joke is simply rooted in the fact that Dick Grayson/Robin doesn't initially know about Batman's secret true identity. Taken in by Bruce Wayne, he's then confronted by Batman who says that he has co-adopted him – simply to avoid revealing his secret. Robin is excited because he suddenly has a family, but of course it's a joke, and not one designed to promote an ideology. After all, Bruce Wayne IS Batman (sorry if that's a spoiler for anyone); he can't be part of a homosexual relationship with himself.
Second, where the writers warn about gender neutrality, what they really seem to be railing against is the inclusion of a female heroine who can apparently fight evil just as well as Batman. Yes, the film does has a healthy feminist sub-theme, but it seems more like a gentle re-calibration of movie superhero politics than an attempt to indoctrinate young viewers. To suggest that LEGO Batman is subtly trying to rewrite the rules around gender is sensationalist nonsense.
Finally, the 'homoerotic attraction' of which Hamilton writes is actually just a comic exploration of the relationship between hero and villain, and the ancient idea that one needs the other. Again, there are jokes here which nod knowingly to the idea that Batman and the Joker are 'like' a couple having a fight, but it's not actually suggesting that they are one, or even that they should be. This isn't an attempt to normalise homosexual behaviours – and the only romantic relationship that my children left the cinema talking about was the one between Batman and Batgirl, one that these writers would presumably approve of.
It's easy enough to shoot down this sort of argument, but the problem is that in some ways the damage has already been done (and yes, arguably is worsened when people like me draw attention to it). When Christians make this sort of claim in a forum which has reach and influence, we represent our faith, each other, and ultimately our God really badly. And it's the repeated incidence of these kinds of stories – from which tabloid news sources love to extrapolate – that leads many people to form an opinion of Christianity as a small-minded faith which stands against far more than it actually stands for.
It's understandable for Christians to be concerned about how children's literature might want to undermine the values of their faith, but in The Lego Batman Movie they've simply got the wrong culprit. In truth, it's a pretty charming story which if anything simply promotes the very biblical idea of adoption and underlines the need that everyone has to live in a supportive family. If Christians want to stand against that, we might find ourselves on the opposite side of the argument from Jesus himself who, perhaps it's churlish to point out, also had two dads...
Martin Saunders is a Contributing Editor for Christian Today and the Deputy CEO ofYouthscape. Follow him on Twitter @martinsaunders
