The following article contains spoilers from "Up At Bat" in DC Pride #1, on sale now.
A request for help from an old friend led to some interesting developments in Batgirl's life. In "Up At Bat" from DC Pride #1 (by Jadzia Axelrod, Lynne Yoshi, Tamra Bonvillain, Ariana Maher), Alysia Yeoh assisted Batgirl in tending to an injury she sustained while fighting Killer Moth, which led to Alysia taking on the supervillain by herself. But it is the end of the story that might have caught readers' notice.
Alysia had hinted throughout the entire story that she already knew who was behind Batgirl's mask, but rather than confront her about it, Alysia respected the hero's right to privacy. However, she did inform her friend that should she ever want to share her truth with others, Alysia was there for her. This hints that Alysia will support Batgirl if she decides to reveal her true identity to anyone outside the Bat-Family. On the other hand, the her use of the phrase "coming out" has a greater meaning in this particular book, and could hint at something much deeper for Batgirl.
Now, the most likely scenario is that Alysia has figured out that Barbara Gordon is Batgirl. She's interacted with the heroine enough times to probably pick up on her speech patterns or mannerisms. Adding to this, the two were roommates for a time, and though Barbara tried to be careful, when two people live that close to one another it is hard to keep secrets, especially ones that tend to come with bruises or colorful costumes and weaponry.
Multiple times throughout the story Alysia stated that the mask doesn't hide as much as she thinks. However, Alysia isn't the kind of person to force a confession out of another. As many readers will know, the term "coming out" refers to when a person of the LGBTQIA+ community reveals their sexual or gender identity, to someone they care about. It's a significant moment of trust between two people, and as such, is considered something that only the person coming out can decide when to reveal.
Therefore, Alysia, who probably had to hide her own gender identity for a time, would obviously respect the right to privacy that others have. There is nothing more impersonal and harmful than exposing another's secret without their consent. Given how dangerous Barbara's life is as a hero, Alysia would also know that exposing this truth, even between the two of them, could potentially put her in more danger.
So, it's likely that Alysia understands why Barbara would hesitate to share this side of herself with anyone else. Fans of Batgirl will know that this decision has caused her immense emotional turmoil in the past, especially since her secret prevents her from truly being open with some of the people she loves the most.
So Alysia's offer isn't just a way for her to know that there is someone she can talk to, it's also a way to tell her that she is not alone in struggling with that decision. If Alysia could make it this far in the world while living with her truth instead of hiding it, then so could Barbara, she just needs to open up to the right people. Fortunately, Barbara has a good friend in Alysia.
