To the showrunners, producers, and executives behind The CW’s Supergirl…
The following petition has been created in hopes of raising your awareness to important issues we, as your audience, feel strongly should be addressed.
FEMALE, POC & LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION
Fans have become increasingly frustrated with what we feel to be the general mistreatment of female, POC and LGBTQ+ characters in recent episodes. Having them does not necessarily mean respecting them. And when your lead heroine, lesbian co-lead, lesbian women of color, and trans character are all consistently missing, sidelined or lacking any storylines of depth - often in favor of a greater focus on the development of straight cis male characters - it feels inherently problematic, if not blatantly offensive.
Through actor chemistry, dialogue, romantic couple parallels (including the iconic Clark/Lois), wardrobe, music choice, and storylines - the show itself has already positioned the pairing of Kara and Lena as the series’ core love story. One that just happens to be between two women. And yet, despite massive global appeal and proven popularity, there is a consistent refusal of the show to directly acknowledge it as such and follow through on what would be a beautiful, groundbreaking and television history-making romantic relationship.
Audiences worldwide have been “shipping” Supercorp since their first moments on screen together. And now, four years later - after what was an undeniably heavily romantically coded fifth season, many find themselves wondering why the show would pass up an opportunity to subvert the Super/Luthor lore, fulfill their viewers’ biggest dream, and make the relationship romantic canon. Audience fatigue and rising frustration, queerbaiting accusations, media call outs and more now permeate the Supergirl fandom, reflecting an overall negative sentiment surrounding the show, which has even lead to a significant loss of ratings.
Kara Zor-El once said, “I don't know anything about romantic love. I have not had the best luck with it. But if I ever really had it, I think I'd fight for it.” And at every possible opportunity, she has fought for Lena Luthor, at times even above all else. So now, we’re fighting for them as soulmates.
We love our show. We love this cast. And we truly appreciate the hard work of all involved in the series for the last five years. But we hope you now hear our voices as we implore you to “Dare to Defy” by making Supercorp romantic canon as soon as possible, as well as improving the screen time, exploration and treatment of female, POC and LGBTQ+ characters.
Supergirl’s representation matters