Here is the speech I did for English class :)

G.K. Chesterton once said: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” While Chesterton’s quote was originally written about fairy tales, I feel that it applies equally well to superhero comics. Despite what some of you non-comic readers may think, superhero comics are not childish stories lacking depth in both character development and in plot. In fact, they are the complete opposite: they are able to connect with readers on such a profound level that reading superhero comics actually saved my life.

When I was 14, I realized that I was gay. At first, this realization was anguishing for me to deal with. I didn’t have a single queer friend to talk to, and I could count on one hand the number of notable queer female characters in movies, TV shows, and books—almost none of whom had happy endings. I felt like I was the only person on an entire planet.

As a result, it was difficult for me to believe that I could ever achieve any form of happiness.

So I didn’t need anyone to tell me that dragons existed. I knew all too well that they did. But I didn’t believe that they could be beaten—until I started to read superhero comics.

The first superhero comic I fell in love with was Batwoman, which features a strong gay woman who is able to defeat both personal and universal dragons not in spite of her gender and sexuality but because of them. For the first time in my life, I had an ideal to strive towards in terms of how I should feel and act concerning my sexual orientation. I began to realize that if Batwoman could beat her dragons, who was to say that I couldn’t beat mine? The answer, I realized, was: only myself. So I engaged in battle, and years later, I am proud to say that I was victorious. I am significantly more confident and happy than I could ever have imagined myself being a few years ago—and it would never have been possible without reading about Batwoman and other superheroes.

I believe that superhero comics provide a means of deepening our understanding of reality, not of diminishing it. Although they are works of fiction, they often depict scenarios and moral struggles that parallel challenges that many of us have faced or will face in real life. For example, Batwoman struggling to decide whether it is worth it to work at a job that she loves at the expense of hiding a core part of her identity; Captain Marvel choosing to sacrifice her own life in order to preserve eight million others; and Spider-Man realizing that it is just impossible for him to save everybody.

But, more importantly, comics depict superheroes conquering these challenges. Sometimes this is achieved with the help of superpowers, but it is just as often achieved with judgement, reasoning, and belief in one’s self, allowing us to connect with superheroes despite our lack of superhuman abilities. Superhero comics show us that anything is possible by breaking the stereotypes and restrictions that are placed on us by society. This message is imperative, because we live in a world where many people are taught that nothing is possible: where innocent people of colour are arrested and imprisoned just because of their race, where girls are stripped of their right to an education, and where gay couples are prohibited from marrying, or are even killed. But in the world of superhero comics? Race and gender and sexual orientation don’t hinder a superhero’s quest to beat a dragon.

So the next time you find yourself searching for an activity with which you can occupy yourself, I urge you to pick up a superhero comic. It might not have as profound an impact on you as Batwoman did on me, but at the very least you will read riveting stories and gaze upon breathtaking artwork—and maybe in following Batman as he beats the dragons of Gotham City, you’ll learn something about how to beat your own dragons as well.