Comics Writer Donates Pay for Inclusive 'Captain America' Title to Matthew Shepard Foundation

Openly bisexual Marvel Comics writer Christopher Cantwell stood up for justice the way Captain America would – though not by fighting bad guys with his fists. Instead, CBR reported, Cantwell donated his pay for writing duties on the 2021 miniseries "The United States of Captain America" to an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.

"Today I donated all I was paid to write THE U.S. OF CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 to The Matthew Shepard Foundation," Cantwell posted to Twitter on March 8.

In his post, Cantwell referenced the "hateful & hurtful Parental Rights in Education Bill," a measure advanced by Florida Republican state lawmakers that critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill because it would outlaw classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ people and topics.

The bill, Cantwell noted, "has passed the state senate & will soon be law," given that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has indicated his support for the bill.

A recent poll shows that the bill – and others like it – is opposed by a majority of Americans.

Cantwell further noted that entertainment juggernaut Disney had "financially supported every legislator behind the bill."

Disney stopped political donations following a public outcry over its financial support.

Of course, Cantwell doesn't have the kind of financial might that Disney can lend to political campaigns. But his contribution, like Captain America's iconic shield, has symbolic significance.

For one thing, the miniseries – published last June to coincide with Pride month – introduced out gay teen Aaron Fischer, the first openly gay character to take up the Captain America moniker.

For another, Cantwell's choice of charities speaks to his concern for LGBTQ+ youth – the very people Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill will, critics contend, harm.

Named for an openly gay University of Wyoming student who was murdered in a brutal hate crime in 1998, "The Matthew Shepard Foundation is an LGBTQ nonprofit," The Nerdstash notes.

"It runs education, outreach, and advocacy programs that help raise awareness for anti-violence."

The Florida bill, on the other hand, "bans public schools from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity," the site explains. "Many argue that this bill will have detrimental effects on LGBTQ+ youths."

Perhaps most importantly, Cantwell's donation and advocacy prompted others to speak up, too. Fellow Marvel writer Jordan Blum was inspired to take a similar stand.

Blum, the Nerdstash reported, "donated his profits from Spider-Bot Infinity to the same foundation. He took to Twitter to thank Cantwell for 'setting an example.'"

This isn't the first time a comics writer of gay superhero characters has made a high-profile donation to an LGBTQ+ group. Earlier this year, DC writer Tom Taylor, the writer behind a title starring a bisexual son of Superman, responded to online threats and hatred by making donations to an organization that benefits LGBTQ+ youth in the names of the trolls who harassed him.