Marvel’s Victoria Alonso And Xochitl Gomez On Bringing Hope And Visibility To LGBTQ+ Community With America Chavez

deadline.com:

Xochitl Gomez is shaking up the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her debut as LGBTQ+ Latina superhero America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, bringing with her the representation someone like Marvel’s Victoria Alonso would’ve relished seeing while growing up.“What it would’ve meant is to have had a tad more understanding of the person that I was and that I was growing into being was not invisible,” Marvel exec and Doctor Strange 2 EP Alonso, who shares a 9-year-old daughter with designer wife Imelda Corcoran, told Deadline at the film’s premiere Monday night in Hollywood.“I think visibility at any age is incredibly important whether you’re 10, 20, 30, or 80,” she continued. “To have your people and to have someone who says, ‘I am, and it’s OK.

I am, and I am powerful. I am, and I belong.’ I think any young adult could have that today, [specifically] the 42 percent of LGBTQIA adults that consider suicide or those that do it, would probably think twice that maybe they’re OK [as they are].

My hope today is that—as a small gift from a bunch of filmmakers that want to tell great stories—if there are any kids out there thinking even minimally that their lives are not worth it, I can honestly tell you their lives are worth it and we will celebrate it with them.”Alonso also addressed the recently announced ban of Doctor Strange 2 in Saudi Arabia due to a scene in the film that shows America’s two moms.“I understand that certain lands have certain rules and I live in a land where our rules are that of inclusion,” she shared. “And we will continue to fight for inclusion in every place, city, and state so that every kid that doesn’t see themselves can at least see a tiny little bit of who they can become.”Gomez