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.
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.”
A gay police officer in California is suing the department, alleging that he was subjected to years of discrimination and harassment from superiors and fellow officers and was diagnosed with PTSD as a result.
In a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court, Sgt. Tyler Peppard, who joined the Oceanside Police Department as a recruit in August 2016, claims he was mistreated and even given negative performance reviews by his superiors because they objected to his alleged "lifestyle."
Peppard, a second-generation officer, was at first praised and recognized by his superiors as a high performer, but things changed when his partner "outed" him to other officers. At that point, Peppard says he noticed a shift in the attitudes of his co-workers and superiors.
Freddie's Beach Bar was targeted in an attempted arson after an unknown person intentionally set fire to the entrance in the early morning hours of January 9.
The Northern Virginia bar's owner, Freddie Lutz, told Metro Weekly that the bar had received a veiled threat from an anonymous caller the day before the fire.
"He basically said, 'We're going to fuck you up, we're going to fuck up people at the bar, and then we're going to go beat up women, whatever that means,'" Lutz said.
The same anonymous caller called back with a nearly identical message just hours after the fire was put out.
Eleven Illinois teenagers have been charged with felony crimes for allegedly assaulting two men. The teens, all males aged 16 or 17, reportedly lured the men to two separate locations in July using a gay dating app.
On July 8, around 9:45 p.m., a 41-year-old man reported to police that he'd been beaten by a group of teenagers earlier in the evening after arranging to meet someone in the parking lot of a local gas station. Upon arriving, he was approached by a group of teenagers who confronted him verbally and beat him while also damaging his car. The man told police he was able to flee the scene in his vehicle and was eventually able to get away from the teens, who followed him in their vehicles.
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