By Jim Beard

Marvel Comics would like to congratulate the creative teams of AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE and X-FACTOR for their GLAAD Media Awards nominations. Both books fall under the “Outstanding Comic Book” category. 

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, “amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively,” as the organization says. “By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.”

Known as the “most visible LGBT gala in the nation,” the GLAAD Media Awards will be held in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco and will be attended by celebrities, corporations, and media professionals in support of GLAAD’s mission to “amplify the voice of the LGBT community and achieve full equality.” 

“We try very hard at Marvel to be inclusive of people of all backgrounds, all races, all religions and all orientations,” notes Tom Brevoort, Marvel’s Senior Vice-President of Publishing and editor of AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE. “And to make sure that a reader of any stripe can find a character that reflects their experiences within our stories.”

“Usually when you say, ‘It's an honor just to be nominated,’ that's code for prepping yourself for disappointment,” says X-FACTOR writer Peter David. “But in this instance, it genuinely is an honor considering that X-FACTOR was nominated and won last year. Not a convention goes by where a fan or fans comes up to me to tell me how much Rictor and Shatterstar's relationship means to them, and that always fills me with a sense of pride; and also a feeling of—to borrow a page from Spidey—great responsibility. I'm just glad that Marvel has consistently allowed me the latitude to explore these kinds of topics.”