(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
An official with the American Family Association said executives at Marvel Comics need to hear from concerned parents over plans to introduce the first openly homosexual title character in a comic book.
Marvel Comics has announced that “The Rawhide Kid,” a Marvel character since the 1950s, will make his first appearance as a homosexual in a February release. In an Associated Press report, Marvel's editor-in-chief Joe Quesada states that while the character will not come right out and say he is homosexual, it will be “obvious through his actions and the things he says that his preference is men, not women.”
According to news reports, the new series pairs the original artist, John Severin, now 86, with Ron Zimmerman, a television writer — with credits appearing on 7th Heaven — and a frequent guest on the Howard Stern radio show. A CNN report says that based on information on Marvel's website, the tone of the series may be “campy.”
Randy Sharp is director of special projects for the American Family Association. He says there is no place for an openly homosexual title character in comic books.
“It's imperative that parents learn what Marvel Comics is now trying to do — and that is to infiltrate their children's lives with a message of homosexuality and to normalize it for the kids,” Sharp says. “There should be a safe haven for children, and homosexuality should not be able to penetrate that safe haven.”
Sharp is urging concerned parents to contact Marvel concerning its plans to transform the original girl-shy character into a homosexual gunslinger.
“That ought to send a message all across America that it's going to be dirty, deviant, nasty, and [supportive of the] pro-homosexual agenda,” he says. “Parents should be warned that Marvel Comics can no longer be trusted to produce a comic which is entertaining and yet safe for children.”
Marvel says it is planning six stories over six months. After looking at response to those issues, they will decide whether to continue production. Marvel already has several existing homosexual characters, such as “North Star” of the X-Men comic book series.
