Gail Simone has been known for fantastic storytelling with her work on Batgirl and Wonder Woman. She’s decided to not simply write about individuals trying to make positive changes in fiction, but has decided to make a change of her own. She has decided only to write comics which feature minorities.
Through her Twitter, Gail Simone has pledged to only write comics featuring people of color and LGBTQ. Her Twitter said,
I am not writing any more comics without LGBTQ and poc characters, period. It’s weird we have to even make that declaration.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
If you are a publisher and that’s a problem, hire someone else.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
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More importantly, if you hire talented LGBTQ writers and tell them writing queer characters is not allowed, you are doing everything wrong.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
And I say this again, support LGBTQ creators! Buy their books, talk about them on twitter. Fastest way to get more great work out there!
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
There is a dream harvest of ridiculously talented LGBTQ creators at the big companies right now. Buying their books will change EVERYTHING.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
I don’t want to take the oxygen away from LGBTQ creators who are dealing with this shit for real. But we need to support them, NOW.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
If the books out there that are TRYING don’t get support, publishers think only the status quo is viable commercially.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
And it makes it much harder for the next person to try.
Don’t let that happen.
— GAIL SIMONE (@GailSimone) December 8, 2016
Anyone who has read comics for a while knows there has been highs and lows in the comic book industry when it comes to representation of minorities. Many of the superheroes of color such as Miles Morales or John Stewart have counterpart characters who are Caucasian. There are also few mainstream heroes who identify themselves as LGBTQ.
Change has slowly started to come to the publishers though at least in regards to the characters. Recently, DC Comics confirmed Wonder Woman as being bisexual, citing her history and backstory as obvious evidence behind the declaration. Last year, it was revealed long standing X-Men member Iceman was gay. When questioned about it, Stan Lee, Marvel Comic’s chairman replied, “I don’t care what happens, as long as they tell good stories…and they do.”
Perhaps with Simone and other comic writers coming together, many characters will come to terms with their sexuality and more characters of color will get their own unique voice in comics with writers who have experience with dealing with these kinds of issues. It will be interesting to see what comes this pledge, but with any luck it will help to get the attention of higher up individuals in the comic industry. Stay tuned to Monkeys Fighting Robots for
