This week read about Ralph Fiennes standing up for Rowling and her anti-trans beliefs, a queer director receiving the Criterion Treatment for the first time, and a new gay Captain America character.
Voldemort Actor Plays Down Rowling’s Hate Speech
It’s no surprise that J.K. Rowling, best known for her creation of the Harry Potter series, has received a lot of backlash about being transphobic and how ironic it is that a villain would come to her aid. A movie villain that is.
Ralph Fiennes, the actor who plays Voldemort, has come to protect Rowling and her views, while other members of the Harry Potter cast have spoken out against Rowling.
“I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational. I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language towards others, disturbing,” Fiennes said in an interview with Telegraph.
Other actors, such as the popular and renowned Emma Watson, is in full support of the trans community and is making sure she voices it.
She said in a 2020 Twitter post, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”
Dee Rees Gets Criterion Treatment
Dee Rees. Photo via IMDb.
Dee Rees, the director of “Pariah,” gives the viewer a first-person point of view of the world through the eyes of a teenage Queer woman of color.
On top of receiving a lot of praise for the movie, Dee Rees has made history for being the first Queer woman of color to receive the Criterion Treatment, according to Out.
The film was released back in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Excellence in Cinematography award, according to Out.
Dee Rees’s track record isn’t just limited to “Pariah.” Out says Rees has earned Emmy nominations for writing and directing the HBO biopic “Bessie” starring Queen Latifah. Her next film “Mudbound” was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2016 Oscars, and won a Directors Guild Award, Independent Spirit Award, New York Film Critics Circle Awards and more.
Gay Captain America
Aaron Fischer, a gay teenager starring in the new Captain America comics. Credit: Marvel.
If you’ve been waiting for a major marvel character to step into the LGBT community, then wait no more. Marvel is introducing Aaron Fischer, a gay teenager who will star in “The United States of Captain America.”
According to the Guardian, Marvel is celebrating their 80th anniversary by releasing its new series which is scheduled to debut during Pride Month.
The comic storyline will have the new hero, alongside longtime friend Bucky Barnes, travel across the United States in search of his notorious shield.
This character is inspired by heroes and activists of the LGBT community.
Series Writer Josh Trujillo has high hopes for the new character. Trujillo said, “He stands for the oppressed, and the forgotten. I hope his debut story resonates with readers, and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.”
Marvel shows its support for the LGBT community, but that hasn’t always been the case.
The Guardian says, “Marvel reportedly had a ‘No Gays in the Marvel Universe’ policy in the 1980s and, in the 1990s, placed an ‘Adults Only’ label on any comics featuring prominent LGBTQ+ characters in response to conservative protests.”
As the comic universe changes, hopefully more characters will too.
