Posted in: Comics | Tagged: donald trump, mark waid

Mark Waid To Use His Privilege To Create Safe Spaces At Comic Cons

If you're planning to unleash hatred or bigotry at your local comic convention, you'd better check that Mark Waid isn't on the guest list first, lest you have a table flipped on you.

Last week, Bleeding Cool told you about Champions artist Humberto Ramos's decision to stop going to conventions in "red states" – states which voted for Donald Trump – while Trump is president. Several other comics pros issued statements on the issue, with some like George Perez agreeing with Ramos, others like Tony Harris pledging to go to conventions in any state, and still more like Matthew Rosenberg saying he'll go to conventions in red states, but only under certain conditions. Now, Ramos's Champions partner, Mark Waid, has weighed in on the issue via Facebook:

In his post, Waid supports Ramos, and has some harsh words for anyone attacking him in response to his convention plans.

"I don't care if it's someone I've known for 20 years or someone I don't even know; no one has the right to tell ANYONE who's Not Like Them how to process this, how to feel, how to cope with their very legitimate fears," Waid wrote. "Straight white men don't get to lecture African-Americans. African-Americans don't get to lecture LGBTQ+ folks. Latinos don't get to lecture Muslims. And so forth and so on. That's just basic human compassion and empathy, and anyone who's ever been told by a stranger what they 'should' do at a time of grief and fear ought to comprehend how repellent that behavior is."

As for Waid, he will go to conventions in red states, but he'll be bringing his privilege with him, and using that privilege to create safe spaces. Waid wrote: "I've decided to use that privilege on the convention trail. I respect and agree with my friend Humberto's decision, but I'm in a different place, and after talking to my friends who are Not Like Me, I think it's a better use of my privilege to go to shows everywhere and help create safe spaces, as many of you already do (and thank you). It is pretty literally the least I can do."

Waid invites any fans or creators who are made to feel uncomfortable on the convention floor to come and find him, either to hang out, or to enlist his particular brand of services.

"If it's a fleeting thing, just come hang out. If, on the other hand, you can point out the aggressors, I will rain HELLFIRE on your behalf, I PROMISE you," Waid said. "Ask anyone. They'll tell you that I'll flip tables on bullies and creeps, and I'll have your back. And while I've never had to use it, I've got enough clout to have hatemongers flat-out thrown out of shows, and I am not above those sorts of nuclear options."

It looks like Waid means business. And it's not the first time he's threatened to flip over tables at a con either:

Yeah, it's kind of his thing.

Good for Mark Waid for taking a stand for what he believes in, in his unique, undeniably Mark Waid way.

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