Phil Jimenez, an artist known for his work on Wonder Woman and the Amazing Spider-Man comics, says that many readers no longer want to see the effeminate stereotype of the gay man in comics. Instead, they want gay superheroes to embody normative behavior — to live as typical males. “As long as the dude is dude enough, then he’s acceptable,” he said. Mr. Jimenez, who was recently featured on an installment of the PBS Digital Studios series “First Person” that looked at queerness in comics, applauded efforts by mainstream publishers to reach gay and lesbian readers, saying it was a smart business move.

“Once you grab them, they are loyal customers,” he said.

That loyal fan base is seeking more visibility, which has led to the formation of advocacy groups like Geeks Out, a New York organization that celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender pop culture.

“The purpose of Geeks Out is to let the L.G.B.T.Q. community interact and let the industry know that we are here and have a voice,” said Joey Stern, the president and co-founder of the group, which last month organized Flame Con, the first L.G.B.T. comic book convention in New York.

“A big part of it was to offer an opportunity to give exposure to artists who were often in the background,” Mr. Stern said.

But Flame Con also served to cater to a growing interest among young readers for comic books that better reflected their world.