Mutant is the new gay; even with the departure of gay director Bryan Singer for Superman Returns, the X-Men series continues to flex its queer metaphorical muscle.(SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW)(Interview)

Publication: The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)

Publication Date: 23-MAY-06

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Ian McKellen remembers with a wry chuckle the first time director Bryan Singer pitched him the role of Magneto, the lead villain in the 2000 comic book movie X-Men. "I think he expected that I was going to consider it a not posh-enough job," the legendary Shakespearean actor and gay activist recalls, "so he had to set its moral purpose." Singer, who is also gay, argued that the X-Men--a persecuted minority of powerful mutants struggling to coexist with human society--were perfect stand-ins for the current struggles of LGBT people. "I thought he was right," says McKellen. "It's not just a fantasy story. It's a parable."

And how. In truth, the X-Men work as...

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