Mutant and Proud

Guess which X-Men character just came out of the closet…

Marvel comics has just made an announcement after 40 years of speculation: the beloved X-Men character Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat is bisexual.

Kitty (or Kate, as she currently prefers) came out in Mauraduers #12 when fans spotted her sharing a kiss with a female tattoo artist. The kiss ended four decades of speculation by fans, who often commented that Kitty seemed to have more than just a passing interest in some of her female teammates.

Related: Will Colton Haynes play the gay Iceman in the upcoming “X-men” reboot?

Of course, queer X-Men fans took to social media to celebrate.

“Marvel finally letting a character whose exploits for *40 YEARS* consisted of awkward/melodramatic/tragic/intensely-close flirting with other women, whose name is KITTY PRYDE, “come out” is like Black Panther only *now* taking the mask off and people reacting like Blazing Saddles,” wrote Twitter user @the_moviebob.  

“Anyone who doesn’t believe that Kitty/Kate Pryde is queer, simply hasn’t been reading X-Men for the last 40 years,” wrote user @OhBilly3D. “Still, final confirmation made me cheer. (As an Excalibur fan, I’m rooting for Rachel).”

After 40 years in the closet with significant gay subtext, today Kitty Pryde was finally allowed to kiss a woman,” cheered user @dendyfink.

Historically, the character of Kitty/Kate Pryde has had relationships with Star-Lord of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and her fellow X-teammate Colossus. Fans often noted that Kitty always seemed more interested in Colossus’ younger sister Illyana.

X-Men writer Chris Clermont had also revealed in various interviews over the years that he always envisioned Kitty as bisexual and in love with the character Rachel Summers (the daughter of Jean Grey & Cyclops/Scott Summers from an alternate future…it’s confusing, we know). As with several of Clermont’s LGBTQ-twists for characters–like making the female character Mystique the father of Nightcrawler–Marvel editors had vetoed his story plans.

Here’s hoping if and when Kitty shows up in the relaunched Marvel Cinematic Universe X-Men, she comes with girlfriend in tow. The character was previously played by lesbian actress Ellen Page in X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

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