Aaron Fischer in Marvel’s The United States of Captain America
Marvel has introduced its first gay Captain America in a new limited comic series.
Part of Marvel’s 80th anniversary celebration of the debut of Captain America, The United States of Captain America will focus on Steve Rogers and his companions Falcon (Sam Wilson), Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes), and U.S. Agent (John Walker) as they venture out to find the Cap’s stolen shield, Entertainment Weekly reports.
While on the hunt, the foursome meet various people who have adopted Captain America’s name in order to defend their own communities from ne’er-do-wells.
One of those such people is Aaron Fischer, the “Captain America of the Railways,” a “fearless teen who stepped up to protect fellow runaways and the unhoused.”
The overall series is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Dale Eaglesham, with each issue featuring guest writers and artists to flesh out the world and characters.
Aaron will debut in The United States Of Captain America #1 and is written by Joshua Trujillo and drawn by Jan Bazaldua, both members of the LGBTQ community.
Design for Aaron Fischer — Photo: Marvel
The character is “inspired by heroes of the queer community: activists, leaders, and everyday folks pushing for a better life,” Trujillo said.
“He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten,” Trujillo added. “I hope his debut story resonates with readers, and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Bazaldua said she “really enjoyed designing him, and as a transgender person, I am happy to be able to present an openly gay person who admires Captain America and fights against evil to help those who are almost invisible to society.”
With the overall series, Cantwell said they hope to “explore what the idea of Captain America means at this precise moment — not just on the grand stage of the world — but to everyday and often overlooked communities throughout the United States.”
The United States of Captain Marvel #1 is set to debut on June 2, just in time for LGBTQ Pride Month, something Marvel noted in their announcement, saying they were “proud to honor Pride Month with the rise of this new LGBTQ+ hero.”
President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of former U.S. service members who were convicted of violating a now-repealed military regulation that criminalized sodomy.
The law in question, Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, stated that any person who engaged in "unnatural carnal copulation" with another person, regardless of sex, was guilty of "sodomy," with any form of penetration being "sufficient to complete the offense."
Those found guilty of engaging in sodomy could be "punished as a court-martial may direct."
While the law technically outlawed military members from engaging in oral or anal intercourse with any partner, the law was primarily used to punish gay and bisexual men.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Alabama hotel employee who was fired after his bosses learned he was gay and saw him dressed in a style that they felt was "feminine."
According to the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the employee, referred to as "D.A." in charging documents, was working as a night auditor at the Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel in Dothan, Alabama.
D.A., who identifies as gay and nonbinary but was assigned male at birth, initially wore clothing and dressed in a manner consistent with traditional male stereotypes when he was first hired.
Robert Davis pleaded guilty earlier this week to the murder of gay journalist Josh Kruger. He has been sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors claim Davis entered the 39-year-old Kruger's home in Philadelphia's Point Breeze neighborhood last October and shot him seven times before fleeing.
Kruger managed to call for help before stumbling outside his house and collapsing on the sidewalk. He was taken by police to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Earlier this year, Davis waived his right to a preliminary hearing and indicated that he intended to plead guilty to charges related to Kruger's death, as well as to charges of aggravated assault and illegal gun possession for an unrelated incident in which he fired a gun at someone at a SEPTA train platform last September. No one was injured in that incident.
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