Select LGBTQ+ Programming from Comic-Con @ Home 2021

San Diego Comic-Con is doing Comic-Con @ Home for the second year in a row.  Let’s run do a run down of some of the selected LGBTQ panels being offered this year.

As a note on which LGBTQ panels I’m including here, this will not be an all encompassing list.  There are many individual shows and properties that tackle LGBTQ+ themes, and I simply don’t know all of them well enough to recognize each and every related title. 

That said, I’m including panels that are broad in scope and tackle queer media and representation on a wider scale, instead of focusing on individual titles.  I understand not everyone reads the disclaimers, but this is an important one! Because I know that if my favorite show or content creator who touched on this theme wasn’t included, I might feel compelled to write a little comment asking why, too.  So I feel you, I see you, and I get it, but this is a broad list and not an all-inclusive one.

Please also note that times aren’t included on this schedule as it’ll vary by time zone.  If you click on the link to each panel, it’ll show it to you in Pacific and GMT, and then when you go to the main panel list for each day it’ll show it to you in your own specific time zone, which is super helpful!  The panels on this list are, however, listed in order so whatever time zone you are in should at least follow this list chronologically. 

Wednesday July 21st and Thursday July 22nd

No scheduled LGBTQ+ Content

LGBTQ Panels: Friday July 23rd

Gay Geeks and Where To Find Them

Luciano Vecchio (artist, “Love Life” in DC Pride #1), Danny Lore (writer, “ClothesMakeupGift” in DC Pride #1), Josh Trujillo (writer, United States of Captain America #1), Ray Lancione (CEO and board president of Qweerty Gamers), and RichyRich (cosplayer, co-host of The RichyRich & Westopher Show podcast) gather to discuss their most recent works and showcasing diversity in the LGBTQIA+ community and fandom. Moderated by Julian Jetson (stylist and host).

• What To Look Forward To: This looks like a very broad queer fandom related panel, so if that’s what you’re aiming for, this will be the panel for you. It looks like it covers comics, gaming, cosplay, and much much more.

Queer Horror

Horror films, TV shows, books, and comics have always attempted to bring us to the threshold of our fears and force us to come face to face with the “otherness” that exists outside of the mainstream. For those in the LGBTQ+ community, this sense of otherness is not only terrifying and titillating, it’s quite often also relatable. From James Whales’ Frankenstein to the oft-cited “gayest movie of all time,” A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, we’re posing the question: Does a queer horror genre exist, and if so what makes it different from mainstream horror? And how does the current social movement for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC diversity inform the creation of the horror comics, films, and television shows we see today? Join Prism Comics, moderator/filmmaker Michael Varrati (The Boulet Brothers Dragula, Unusual Attachment) and panelists Drusilla Adeline (Dead for Filth, Sister Hyde Design), Darcie Little Badger (Elatsoe, Strangelands), Terry Blas (Reptil, Dead Weight), Trinidad Escobar (Crushed, Bruhas), Joamette Gil (Power and Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology), and Steenz (Archival Quality, Heart of the City) as they explore the horror genre from a queer perspective.

• What To Look Forward To: There was a similar panel last year and it was well worth the time it took to tune in! Let’s be real, the LGBTQ community seems drawn to this genre, so it’s fun to really dive into it and discuss it.  Last year there was a lot of conversation about Hannibal, which thrilled me!  I look forward to seeing what gets brought up this year, and maybe discover something new.  I don’t really watch any of the content that’s name dropped in this blurb, so it should be mostly new to me!

LGBTQ Panels: Saturday July 24th

Hooray for Gay YA!

Whether it’s romance, thrillers, slice-of-life stories, or more, we LOVE queer stories! So we’re celebrating some of the best LGBTQ books that you can add to your bookshelf today! Join authors David Levithan (Dash & Lily), Victoria Lee (Lesson in Vengeance), A.R. Capetta (Rebel Robin), Trung Le Nguyen (The Magic Fish), in conversation with Buzzfeed Book’s writer and teen librarian Rachel Strolle and say hooray for more awesome gay YA! Produced by @GetUnderlined.

• What To Look Forward To: We love queer YA stories here at the Geekiary!  Just check out our book reviews section.  This might not be my particular wheelhouse as I focus mostly on TV and movies, but I know a lot of our readers are drawn to this topic, so you should check it out if that’s you!

Out In Comics Year 34: Mainstreaming

The comic world’s longest-running panel is back for its 34th year, delivering an online Zoom panel of epic proportions! The Comic Book world has become a celebrated part of the Pop Culture world, and being “Out In Comics” is more relevant than ever before. With more LGBTQ or LGBTQ-friendly writers, artists, directors, producers, actors, entertainers, and journalists working in the industry–how do they present diverse representation, characters, and storylines in comics, film, and television? In our politicized and sometimes polarized world, what kind of heroes do we need . . . behind-the-scenes, and on the page and screen? In a year when DC and Marvel both release PRIDE anthologies and queer representation is significantly noticeable, have we finally gone mainstream! Join our diverse all-star panel to celebrate and spotlight creators, comics, and fans as they discuss the past, present, and future, Out In Comics!

• What To Look Forward To: This is the OG queer geek panel.  Focusing specifically on LGBTQ themes in comics, this panel will almost certainly deliver insight on the topic from a particularly well-informed place.  This panel has been running just about as long as I’ve been alive, so if you’re looking for experts, this is the panel for you!

LGBTQ Panels Sunday July 25th

Comics Journalism 2021: Representation Matters

How do we promote greater representation in comics journalism? Whether making sure that writers from marginalized groups are heard, engaging with work from diverse viewpoints, or confronting institutionalized biases, comics journalists and editors have more responsibility than ever to make sure that their sites and staffs reflect the diversity of the comics audience and creative community. Join Heidi Macdonald, editor-in-chief of Comicsbeat.com, in conversion with Wendy Browne, publisher of the Eisner Award-winning Women Write About Comics (https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/) , and writer/editor Tiffany Babb (The AV Club, Panel x Panel, Shelfdust).

• What To Look Forward To: This panel doesn’t specifically list LGBTQ+ representation as a talking point, but seems to aim to cover representation in journalism overall.  As LGBTQ representation is a major aspect of the broader diversity conversation, I expect it to at least be touched upon a few times.  How much, I’m not sure, but either way it should be insightful.  

Final Thoughts

This is definitely a rather thin year as far as content goes, but these gems are still there and for that I’m grateful.  This will hopefully be the last year we’re stuck at home and we can get down with our queer selves in person in 2022.  For now, I’ll see you in the YouTube comments for these panels and look forward to re-united on the other side of it all.

Author: Angel Wilson

Angel is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. They earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. They have contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. They’ve also written for Friends of Comic Con and is a 2019 Hugo Award winner for contributing fanfic on AO3. They identify as queer.

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