Danielle Solzman
Avengers and Black Monday star Don Cheadle wore a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt on Saturday Night Live this weekend before introducing Gary Clark, Jr.
Being a transgender woman who moved to Chicago for improv and has friends working on SNL, Don Cheadle’s shirt made my night. This isn’t the first time in which someone used their platform for transgender rights. Most recently, Cecily Strong did so when Scarlett Johansson hosted the show back on March 11, 2017.
Cheadle’s act to show support of transgender rights certainly moves the actor up in my Avengers rankings. Okay, I don’t really have rankings. I’ll certainly make it a note to say hi to Cheadle if I ever see him at a film festival or comic convention. There have been a few Avengers to come through Chicago. Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, and Karen Gillan made a stop during ACE Comic Con Chicago in October. Ant-Man‘s Paul Rudd will be stopping by in March during C2E2 for the Clueless reunion.
I admire those celebrities who use their voice and platform to lift up marginalized communities. In this instance, Cheadle decided to use his voice to lift up transgender youth. This comes during one of the most trying times in our country–what with transgender rights being under attack and all. Please allow me to use this instance to plug must-watch documentary TransMilitary. This documentary shows what the transgender community is facing.
While War Machine may not be as big as Captain America or Iron Man, Cheadle’s gesture is a big one. I don’t know if Don Cheadle will ever read this but this transgender woman says thank you. Should Cheadle ever find his way to Chicago for C2E2, Wizard World, or even ACE Comic Con, I’ll be sure to say thank you in person.
