I am really happy about how much support this petition is gaining! While I post about it again for people who weren’t here yesterday, I just want to note something very important about this discussion.
There are a few very startling moments of homophobia in Gunn’s article and my attention was especially drawn to his description of Gambit as a “Cajun fruit” and suggesting that Batwoman (a lesbian) could be “turned” by Tony Stark.
Some people have been saying that we don’t have a sense of humor and the list was supposed to be funny. This type of homophobia is not funny, because it does lead to real, horrific violence.
In South Africa, gay women face the real horror of “corrective rape” - which is, if you don’t get it from the name, rape or gang rape of a gay woman to “turn” her, often accompanied by permanent injury. Nonprofit organizations focusing on the problem estimate that 10 women each week in South Africa are victims of corrective rape.Ten women a week.
Let me assure you that “turning” a lesbian is not a joke.
As for calling Gambit a homophobic slur, it stuns me that this could be considered acceptable by anyone. We know that many people lose their lives over homophobia. The brutal bullying that has resulted in a rash of suicides among young gay people starts with words like “fruit.” I am a queer woman and in high school I experienced and witnessed homophobic name calling. It is not fun. It is not a joke. It leads to violence and ostracism.
I really don’t care if Joss Whedon likes this guy (Joss Whedon is not the supreme feminist arbiter). I’m not saying that I know Gunn to be a homophobe or a sexist or to advocate sexual violence and degradation towards women and gay people. I’m saying that comments like this should not go unnoticed and accepted by the fandom or Marvel. Due to our efforts, the Hollywood Reporter has contacted Marvel, but received “no comment.” This progress - they now know that not only has this happened but that the fandom cares! - but in order to get more acknowledgment than that and real change, we need to create more pressure.
We are all so appreciative of Joss Whedon being at the helm of the Avengers. He and other MCU directors and writers have brought us women like Pepper Potts (freaking CEO HBIC), Peggy Carter, Natasha Romanov, Jane Foster (science genius), Sif, Maria Hill and more. I would love if the fandom would gather together and say “We loved these women and they are important to us, please don’t let them be degraded.”
So please reblog and sign.
snowghoul
blakekathryn
prguitarman
pixelskylines
titsay
jbbartram-illu
areudirty
annaxmalina
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