*Writer Tee Franklin is exploring black queer love between two women with her forthcoming comic “Bingo Love,” and it’s a theme that often goes ignored in the comic world… or any medium.
“Bingo Love” follows the fictional story of Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray, beginning from the time they fall in love as teenagers in 1963. Their love story extends all the way to 2030, per The Huff Post.
Franklin explained to The Huffington Post that some of her experiences as a queer woman of color inspired the story.
“I know that there are black women and men who have had to hide their sexuality due to the time era and I know that there are some that are still hiding it,” she said. “As someone who’s been married, sometimes you stay for the kids ― even though you know that the love is gone. Hiding your sexual orientation for decades and not truly being happy inside is what I wanted to touch on with this story.”
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Franklin created #BlackComicsMonth in 2015 to promote diversity in the white male-dominated industry, and she wants “Bingo Love” to serve as proof of how vital inclusion is.
“It’s rare in the comic industry to have two black women leads, especially written by a disabled, queer black woman,” she said. “Now to have these protagonists queer and older? This will never happen in the comics industry unless someone does it on their own.”
With her Kickstarter campaign, Franklin wants to raise at least $19,999 to pay for a creative team, and so far, she has already raised more than $16,500 in five days. She’s aiming to have the comic distributed before the end of the year.
“Love has no boundaries and it lasts forever. If there can be an Ellie and Carl from Disney’s ‘Up,’ there can be a Hazel and Mari in ‘Bingo Love,’” she said. “Once again, these topics aren’t discussed in comics and there definitely aren’t older queer black women around. But, you can have a Magneto who’s in his, what, 60s? 70s? The only superpowers Hazel and Mari have is the confidence to leave their past lives in their 60s and spend the rest of them together living their life to the fullest.”
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