Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Batwoman, season 1, episode 11, “An Un-birthday Present.”
The people of Gotham City rallied in support of Batwoman when it seemed like the current Police Commissioner would no longer be calling her into action because of her sexuality. This proved quite the shocking display given the general cynicism of the citizenry of Gotham City.
Batwoman’s status as a lesbian was only recently revealed to the world, shortly after Crisis on Infinite Earths. While Kate Kane was out and proud as a member of one of Gotham City’s most affluent families and an up-and-coming real estate magnate, nobody knew or even suspected that Batwoman wasn’t attracted to men. While Kate was annoyed by the assumption and the local media’s shipping her alter ego with hero cop Slam Bradley, she did not consider outing Batwoman until she realized how an openly-gay superhero could serve as a symbol to gay teenagers and show them that they were not alone and that there were people just like them trying to make a difference in the world.
Kate had hoped that the city and its managers would look past her sexuality after the interview where Batwoman revealed herself to the world. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Shortly after Alice, the leader of the Wonderland Gang, was captured during the bombing of a school dance, her right-hand man Mouse kidnapped the sons of Gotham City’s mayor and police commissioner and released a video threatening to kill them if Alice was not released. Despite always calling on Batwoman for help whenever the Wonderland Gang ran wild in the recent past, the police commissioner refused to activate the Bat-Signal and told the press to “not get distracted by politics” when he was asked if this had anything to do with Batwoman’s coming out.
Thankfully, Batwoman didn’t need to be asked to get involved, as Kate Kane was also abducted by Mouse and locked inside the same deathtrap as the sons of the mayor and police commissioner. Kate was able to free herself and rescue the other captives without incident. When Kate returned to Gotham City, the evening news report revealed something startling.
As the deadline to release Alice approached, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the GCPD’s headquarters in support of Batwoman. Chants of “Turn On The Light” filled the air, as people held up their phones, flashing a solid red light the same color as the symbol on Batwoman’s costume. While the signal was not turned on, Kate did acknowledge her supporters’ efforts with a rare appearance before the public as Batwoman, sneaking to the top of GCPD HQ and gliding down the well-lit front of the building before coming to stand before the crowd, despite the massive police presence blocking anyone from approaching the building.
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