While we're on guys kissing....

[skjam]

You may have seen this image in the recent past...



The context is a bit different, of course, so you may just want to linger here for a while.

While there's no homophobia or abuse in the images I've selected, there is in the full story. 2 pages of 6 from 2000AD Prog 1817.





This scene is taking place in Dredd's Daystick, an underground club that happens to be frequented by gay men who are into Judge cosplay.

The narrator, Taylor Cook, notes that while homosexuality is legal in Mega-City One (and gay marriage is also legal to the point it's not even an issue anymore), there are still individual homophobes around. One of them was his father, and as a result, Taylor tried to ignore his feelings as much as possible.

He had a best friend, Jason, and doesn't know if Jason was gay. But they were spending a lot of time together, and becoming very close. Until one day Taylor's father saw what looked like leaning in for a kiss and started beating on Jason, who ran and wouldn't talk to Taylor anymore. Then the father beat on Taylor.

Some time later, the father disappeared during the Chaos Bug incident. (Which killed Jason.) Some months later, the Justice Department forwarded footage of the father's death to Taylor. He was killed by (Judge) Fear.

A couple of weeks later, Taylor found the club, and we return to the present just in time for the real Judge Dredd to make an appearance.





And that's the story.

Your thoughts and comments?

Comments

[auggie18]

Yeah, I read thing when it came out. It's an okay little story, I guess. It just seemed kinda pointless. I always really didn't get why he went back just to get arrested. Like, maybe if Jason was in the Cube and he thought he might find him, but he isn't, so...


Maybe if I was more familiar with the Dredd universe it would make more sense?

[icon_uk]

More that he realises that A) running is useless, and B) It's sort of a rather extreme version of a wake-up call: when he's done his time, he'll be ready to become his true self, a gay man who isn't ashamed to be gay, and who doesn't need to pretend to be someone else to act in a gay manner.

[sigmund_droid]

Pretty much this, he's has been running all of his life and he's done with it. He'll do his time and set things clear when he's out.

[fungo_squiggly]

Just from what I see here, I kind of thought it was about his not running and hiding from his sexuality any more.

In some way his turning himself in and facing jail for kinky judge cosplay is analogous to his coming out of the closet ("...then I'm OUT").

[shadowpsykie]

huh... that's....a good story....

[theflames]

...Yeah five years is a long time for such a trivial crime, he'll regret it.

[sigmund_droid]

In the Dredd universe, every crime penality is really blown out of proportion. It is not unknown for Judges to execute speeders or something like jaywalking to carry a years sentence.

Impersonating a police officer is a serious crime that can carry jailtime, impersonating a JUDGE...hell they're lucky Dredd didn't set his lawbringer to "incendiary".

[theflames]

Really?! Wow that's depressing!

[northstarfan]

It's all meant to be over-the-top, for the most part. The DreddVerse somehow manages to combine grim & gritty with complete absurdity and make it more or less work.

[arilou_skiff]

Very much like 40K in that regards. (40K incidentally has their own ripoff Judges :p)

[quatoria]

Yeah, the Adeptus Arbites are pretty blatant. They even have similar kneepads and helmets in official art. I think that's meant to be a fond homage, though, not an actual swipe. Aside from the visuals of a combat Arbites, they aren't all that similar.

[sir_mikael]

I love what Kieron Gillen, who apparently wrote some Warhammer comics according to wikipedia, has to say about it.

[icon_uk]

Yeah, I remember being a kid and realising that Dredd was the uber-authoritarian face of basically a fascist state.. and yet it was SO over the top it was hilarious.

The closest comparison I can think of offhand is the adverts in the original "Starship Troopers" movie.

[shadur]

And yet underneath the utter hardass exterior Dredd manages to be a pretty damn kind and compassionate guy.

[q99]

Mind, Isocubes aren't necessarily horrible as jails go.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

I dunno if I'd call it trivial. He's impersonating law enforcement, law enforcement that has the ability to execute people on the street if they see fit.

You'd think that they woulda looked up the laws surrounding it first.

[wizardru]

This is the Dredd-verse. There are so many laws and some are so arbitrary that its almost pointless to investigate all of them. That said, it's pretty clear that since Mega City One is essentially a fascist state and the judges have such broad and arbitrary powers, it's virtually impossible to not get arrested if they want...and to live many people break the laws in hopes of never getting caught. Since so many can spend years and not have it happen, that's not surprising.

If anything, that only enhances the ideas behind the story. How many secret gay clubs existed (and exist) in places where homosexuality is deemed a crime? The heart wants what it wants and even the risk of death, torture or incarceration won't deter people from their needs or desires.

[q99]

Still, not impersonating a law enforcement officer is rather a big one, even for us.

And actually I get the impression it's not *that* hard to stay clean. A lot of people break something or other... but, like, they can do a complete sweep of a block, investigate everyone, and still have a good chunk left. Some mess up and break laws out of ignorance, but the Judges do stick to the written law, and going beyond that in turn can get a Judge arrested.

[theflames]

Oh I meant trivial in the sense of why and how -

Dressing up for fetish reasons.

But, the more I learn of this Dredd Universe, the more I realise 5 years might actually not be that long to these characters.

[mola_ram]

Considering the rumours that circulated regarding this story, it feels a bit like a let down.
I'll admit I was expecting a bigger story along the lines of judges no longer having to take a vow of celibacy anymore and actually being allowed to finally marry, and Dredd not as much comming out of the closet, as blowing the hinges off with a high ex round, before driving out of it on his lawmaster.

I've always had the impression that people in the Dreddverse had a pretty relaxed view on same sex marriage, considering that interspecies (aliens) relationships were allowed, but it's nice to see a story that confirms my theory.
The story do sound nice (well, not nice per see, but no doubt relateable to far too many homosexuals) and I'm looking forwards to reading it.

Also, as a symbol that he is comming out of the closet, I think it would have worked better if Taylor hadn't worn his judge helmet when he stepped outside, but holding his head up high.
(but that's a minor detail)