Starting in the early 1970s, however, LGBT themes were tackled in underground comix, independently published one-off comic books and series produced by gay creators that featured autobiographical storylines tackling political issues of interest to LGBT readers. With any mention of homosexuality in mainstream United States comics forbidden by the Comics Code Authority (CCA) between 19, mainstream comics contained only subtle hints or subtext regarding an LGBT character's sexual orientation or gender identity.
However the practice of hiding LGBT characters in the early part of the twentieth century evolved into open inclusion in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and comics explored the challenges of coming-out, societal discrimination, and personal and romantic relationships between gay characters. LGBT existence was included only via innuendo, subtext and inference.
LGBT themes in comics are a relatively new concept, as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) themes and characters were historically omitted from the content of comic books and their comic strip predecessors due to anti-gay censorship. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in a panel from DC Comics Batman #84 (June 1954), which was used by Frederic Wertham to allege that comic books promote homosexuality.
