Gay History: Rememberg ROLLERINA: NYC's Fairy Godmother and Fierce LGBT Activist

Contents:

• GAY HISTORY: REMEMBERG ROLLERINA: NYC’S FAIRY GODMOTHER AND FIERCE AIDS/LGBT ACTIVIST
• HOLY ROLLER DIS: (GROWG UP GAY THE SEVENTI) PAPERBACK – OCTOBER 3, 2014
• THE QUEER IMPORTANCE OF DAZZLER, MARVEL’S DIS-INSPIRED, ROLLERSKATG SUPERHEROETHERE’S NEVER BEEN A MORE PERFECT TIME TO EMBRACE DAZZLER'S QUEER FANBASE AND TURBULENT HISTORY {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}COMICSBY IRA MADISON IIIJULY 28, 2016/3:52 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY IRA MADISON IIIJULY 28, 2016 / 3:52 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"THE QUEER IMPORTANCE OF DAZZLER, MARVEL’S DIS-INSPIRED, ROLLERSKATG SUPERHEROE","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-07-28T19:52:22.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-07-28T19:52:22.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"IRA MADISON III","ARTICLESECTN":"COMICS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS DONALD TMP NTU HIS URTSHIP OF WHE SUPREMACISTS AND HIS FEARMONGERG ABOUT THE PROGRSN OF CIVIL RIGHTS THAT BENEF BLACKS, LATOS, MLIMS, WOMEN, AND LGBT DIVIDUALS, WOULD BE EASY TO CLARE 2016 A TIPPG POT, THE LOWT PTHS TO WHICH OUR MORN SOCIETY HAS YET SUNK. AND A LOOK BACK AT THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE 1980 CREATN OF MARVEL'S SUPERHEROE DAZZLER REFLECTS A SIAR AMERI, ONE ALSO SIMMERG WH HATRED. HELPG TO FEAT CUMBENT PRINT JIMMY CARTER BY ELECTG RONALD REAGAN 1980 WERE THE TYPE OF DISAFFECTED WHE VOTERS TURNED OFF BY THE RISE OF DIS MIC. A STAPLE OF NIGHTCLUBS THE LATE '70S, DIS WAS LARGELY CELEBRATED BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN AND SUNG BY ARTISTS OF LOR. ITS DOMANCE ON THE AIRWAV ALIENATED STRAIGHT WHE MEN WHO PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ROCK MIC, WHICH CULMATED DIS DEMOLN NIGHT CHIGO ON JULY 12, 1979, WHERE A CRATE STUFFED WH DIS RERDS WAS BLOWN UP ON THE FIELD AT COMISKEY PARK, HOME OF THE CHIGO WHE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEFORE THAT NIGHT, DIS POPULARY HAD BEEN ENJOYG A METEORIC RISE. THE 1977 LLABORATN BETWEEN DONNA SUMMER AND GRG MOROR BIRTHED THE SGLE "I FEEL LOVE," THE FIRST DIS SONG TO BE BACKED ENTIRELY BY SYNTHIZERS, WHICH REVOLUTNIZED THE GENRE AND WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE CREATN OF TECHNO. THAT SAME YEAR, JAMAIN-BORN SGER GRACE JON RELEASED HER BUT ALBUM PORTFOL, PRODUCED BY TOM MOULTON. JON WOULD GO ON TO DOMATE THE DIS SCENE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WH THE SUBSEQUENT RELEAS OF '78'S FAME AND '79'S ME. THE MMERIZG SGER WOULD BEE THE MA SPIRATN FOR MARVEL'S ATTEMPT TO SH ON THE DIS CRAZE BY CREATG A SUPERHERO TANM WH CASABLAN RERDS, SO THEY ULD SELL TIE- IC BOOKS AND RERDS ALL AT ONCE. AND TH DAZZLER WAS BORN, FIRST SKETCHED BY JOHN ROMA JR. (SON OF LEGENDARY AMAZG SPIR-MAN ARTIST JOHN ROMA).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR DAZZLER, WHO ULD HAVE BEEN A POWERFUL IMAGE OF A BLACK WOMAN BATTLG FOR HER LIFE WHILE ALSO MANDG REGNN AS A DIS SGER, CASABLAN RERDS FERRED TO THEIR FILM DIVISN. FILMWORKS HAD BEEN ENTICED BY BO DEREK 10 AND THEY WANTED TO WORK WH HER, SO DAZZLER BEME A WHE WOMAN, MOLED AFTER DEREK. ACRDG TO ROMA JR.'S MORN MASTERS TERVIEW, HE WAS VERY DISAPPOTED BY THE CHANGE. "GRACE JON WAS A VERY POPULAR SGER AT THE TIME, AND I WANTED HER TO BE THE BASIS OF THE CHARACTER, BEE I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALISTIC. AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDN, BEME BO DEREK ... AND THAT'S WHEN I SAID, 'THAT'S . THEY'VE SOLD OUT FOR SOME WHEBREAD BLON CHICK.' SHE WAS VERY HOT AT THE TIME, BUT I THOUGHT SHE WASN'T AS REALISTIC A CHOICE AS GRACE JON WAS. ... IF I THOUGHT OF A NIGHTCLUB CHICK, THAT WAS GRACE JON."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE BO DEREK–SPIRED DAZZLER BUTED 1980’S UNNNY X-MEN #130 AMID THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA. MONTHS EARLIER, DIS DEMOLN NIGHT HAD OCCURRED AND THE GENRE'S POPULARY WAS BEGNG TO WANE. BUT DAZZLER'S SERI MARCHED ON, EVEN AS THE POTENTIAL FILM FELL APART DUE TO CREATIVE ISSU, AND DAZZLER #1 BEME THE FIRST IC BOOK SOLD EXCLIVELY TO IC BOOK SHOPS, SELLG OVER 400,000 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CREATIVELY, THE SERI WAS NEVER A JUGGERNT. IT WAS A LIGHTWEIGHT BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (THE MOVIE VERSN STARRG KRISTY SWANSON AS THE MORE AIRHEAD, LS-MTED-TO-SAVG-THE-WORLD SLAYER), WHERE FLIGHTY ALISON BLAIRE ED HER MUTANT POWERS OF TRANSFORMG SOUND TO LIGHT AND ENERGY TO PUT ON SPECTACL DURG HER SGG PERFORMANC. SHE RISTED BEG A SUPERHERO, FAVORG ADVANCEMENT HER SGG REER AND FDG LOVE, BUT SHE WOULD BEE ENTANGLED DRAMA EACH ISSUE SPE OF HER RISTANCE. THE SERI WOULD ONLY LAST 42 ISSU, ENDG MARCH 1986 AND PROMPTG DAZZLER TO BRIEFLY JO THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DPE BEG A RATHER SIGNIFINT SOLO TLE, DAZZLER REMAS A HUGELY POPULAR CHARACTER, PARTICULARLY AMONG QUEER MARVEL FANS. AT THIS YEAR'S SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON, I WAS EXCEDLY RMED BY MORE THAN A FEW IENDS THAT THEY ULDN'T WA TO PURCHASE A NEWLY ANNOUNCED MARVEL LEGENDS FIGURE OF DAZZLER HER INIC WHE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WANRED THE AISL OF THE NVENTN FLOOR, DIGGG THROUGH BACK-ISSUE BS TO FD ISSU OM DAZZLER'S SOLO N. HER GAY POPULARY HAD ALWAYS TRIGUED ME, BUT I NEVER FULLY UNRSTOOD UNTIL I READ MOST OF THE 42-ISSUE SERI. WHAT WAS ABOUT A WHE WOMAN SGG DIS MIC, SASHAYG AROUND ON ROLLER SKAT, THAT RONATED WH GAY FANS? THOUGH MARVEL OFTEN EMBRACED SOCIAL ISSU LIKE DGS AND RACISM THE '70S, THEY DIDN'T TACKLE GAY CHARACTERS OR THE AIDS EPIMIC ONCE H NEW YORK THE EARLY '80S. THIS IS, OF URSE, LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DISEASE WAS STILL RELATIVELY UNKNOWN THE EARLY '80S, AND CERTALY THE TIME THAT DAZZLER WAS NCEIVED. IT WAS A FULL YEAR AFTER THE SERI END THAT RONALD REAGAN FALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE AIDS CRISIS — AFTER THOANDS HAD DIED SILENCE. MARVEL DID ADDRS THE CRISIS THE EARLY '90S THE PAG OF ALPHA FLIGHT AND X-MEN, THE LATTER OF WHICH FEATURED THE FIRST STANCE OF THE POPULAR MUTANY AS AN ALLEGORY FOR HOMOSEXUALY THAT BEME PROMENT WH BRYAN SGER'S 2000S X-MEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS WAS A AFTER DAZZLER'S PROMENCE AS A CHARACTER. BUT THE REBIRTH OF DIS AS A POPULAR STYLE OF MIC, TRSILLY TIED TO THE EPER UNRSTANDG THAT WAS A CREATIVE HAVEN FOR QUEER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF LOR, HAS MA DAZZLER POPULAR TO THIS DAY. EVEN THOUGH HER STORI WERE NEVER TIED TO THE DIS SCENE AT LARGE, HER JOURNEY OF STGGLG FOR ACCEPTANCE OM A DISMISSIVE FATHER AND LONGG FOR THE LOVE OF HER MISSG MOTHER WAS SOMETHG THAT QUEER REARS, WHO ONLY YEARS EARLIER ULD HAVE BEEN ARRTED FOR SHOWG SIGNS OF AFFECTN TOWARD A MEMBER OF THE SAME SEX PUBLIC, NNECTED WH. EMBRACG YOUR SEXUALY HAD TO HAPPEN DARK, SWEATY NIGHTCLUBS WH DIS MIC BLARG, OR, FOR YOUNGER GAY MEN FAR OM THE METROPOLIS OF NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCIS, ULD OCCUR THEIR CHILDHOOD BEDROOMS, READG DAZZLER'S EXPLOS BETWEEN MORE BUTCH FARE LIKE X-MEN AND SPIR-MAN THAT WOULDN'T GET THEM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAY VISIBILY HAS E QUE A LONG WAY SCE PEOPLE BURNED DIS RERDS BASEBALL PARKS, BUT LIKE THE LATE '70S, TODAY’S POLIL CLIMATE IS JT AS PRICKLY, JT AS DANGERO. WH A GOP PLATFORM THAT NI BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS TO GAYS, LBIANS, AND TRANSGENR DIVIDUALS BY VOKG "NATURAL MARRIAGE" BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, CIDG WHICH BATHROOMS TRANSGENR PEOPLE N E, AND POTG TO NVERSN THERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOMOSEXUALY, THERE'S CLEARLY A CRISIS THAT REQUIR ACTIVISM OM LGBT PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI. PERHAPS 'S PERFECT THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF A DAZZLER FIGURE RELEASE OM MARVEL LEGENDS. SHE'S A SUPERHEROE THAT MARVEL AND S QUEER FANBASE HAS NEVER NEED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MARVEL HAS MA CREASED EFFORTS TOWARD DIVERSY, LNCHG A NEW BLACK PANTHER SERI WRTEN BY TA-NEHISI COAT AND A PANN SERI BY ROXANE GAY AND YONA HARVEY, MAKG THEM THE FIRST BLACK WOMEN THE PANY HAS EVER HIRED AS WRERS. SO 'S A DISTCTLY PERFECT TIME TO EMBRACE DAZZLER'S QUEER FANBASE AND THE HISTORY THE ORIGAL SERI WAS NEVER ABLE TO EXPLORE. AS I LEAFED THROUGH PAG OF OLD DAZZLER ICS, SEALED SCE THEIR IAL RELEASED THE EARLY '80S, I REALIZED I WAS BG THROUGH A B OF HISTORY THAT WAS EXCG BUT ALSO SPERATE FOR NTEXT. IN LI OF FULL-OUT RETURNG DAZZLER TO HER GRACE JON ROOTS, THE ABILY TO TOUCH ON STORI OF QUEER MEN AND WOMEN, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF LOR WHO FOUND SOLACE THE DIS NIGHTCLUBS THAT DAZZLER PERFORMED , ULD BE A BETIFUL LOVE LETTER TO THE GAY DIVIDUALS WHO'VE READ HER SCE HER 1980 BUT — AND ALSO TO NEW FANS LIKE ME WHO'VE DISVERED AN ADVERTENT GAY IN THE ANNALS OF MARVEL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

GAY HISTORY: REMEMBERG ROLLERINA: NYC’S FAIRY GODMOTHER AND FIERCE AIDS/LGBT ACTIVIST

4, 2021When Grace Jon was stttg around Stud 54 and Donna Summer rerds were playg at New York clubs, Empire Rollerdrome was htg s stri was the end of the 1970s, dis fever was full swg, and crowds of predomantly Black and gay Brooklyn had spent the dancg and skatg at Empire.

He skated mostly the gay neighborhoods, the Easter Para, Gay Pri march and popular dis’s like Stud 54 and was a fierce gay rights activist. Few plac this world foster a sense of muny and well-beg, but the Cy of Glendale and the Gay and Lbian Communy are privileged to have the hospaly of Domic Cangelosi, Owner/Operator and the MOONLIGHT ROLLERWAY ROLLER SKATING RINK. The ia origated after beg approached by numero members of the Gay and Lbian Communy.

HOLY ROLLER DIS: (GROWG UP GAY THE SEVENTI) PAPERBACK – OCTOBER 3, 2014

Cangelosi cid would be beneficial to both the Gay Communy and the skatg rk if he offered a Gay Skatg Night. Catskills Roller Dis ’23 – Big Gay Hudson Valley. Attentn eaks, sheiks, gays, geeks and untry hipsters of all the strip!

As the Edorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways wr, eds and do about a ln other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most vised LGBTQ news, arts and entertament webse now celebratg s 14th year as a media outlet.

Wh a history gog back s, roller skatg and s var gay nights ntue to offer up fun on wheels, both Redwood Cy and at a church on Fillmore Street. Although s signated "gay night" is on Tudays, David Mil, Jr., also known as "the Godfather of Skatg, " assured me that any of the several weekly nights, and even a new daytime slot, are more than gay-iendly. "I'm a b perpelexed by a 'gay night, '" he said.

THE QUEER IMPORTANCE OF DAZZLER, MARVEL’S DIS-INSPIRED, ROLLERSKATG SUPERHEROETHERE’S NEVER BEEN A MORE PERFECT TIME TO EMBRACE DAZZLER'S QUEER FANBASE AND TURBULENT HISTORY {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}COMICSBY IRA MADISON IIIJULY 28, 2016/3:52 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY IRA MADISON IIIJULY 28, 2016 / 3:52 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"THE QUEER IMPORTANCE OF DAZZLER, MARVEL’S DIS-INSPIRED, ROLLERSKATG SUPERHEROE","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-07-28T19:52:22.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-07-28T19:52:22.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"IRA MADISON III","ARTICLESECTN":"COMICS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS DONALD TMP NTU HIS URTSHIP OF WHE SUPREMACISTS AND HIS FEARMONGERG ABOUT THE PROGRSN OF CIVIL RIGHTS THAT BENEF BLACKS, LATOS, MLIMS, WOMEN, AND LGBT DIVIDUALS, WOULD BE EASY TO CLARE 2016 A TIPPG POT, THE LOWT PTHS TO WHICH OUR MORN SOCIETY HAS YET SUNK. AND A LOOK BACK AT THE EVENTS THAT LED TO THE 1980 CREATN OF MARVEL'S SUPERHEROE DAZZLER REFLECTS A SIAR AMERI, ONE ALSO SIMMERG WH HATRED. HELPG TO FEAT CUMBENT PRINT JIMMY CARTER BY ELECTG RONALD REAGAN 1980 WERE THE TYPE OF DISAFFECTED WHE VOTERS TURNED OFF BY THE RISE OF DIS MIC. A STAPLE OF NIGHTCLUBS THE LATE '70S, DIS WAS LARGELY CELEBRATED BY WOMEN AND GAY MEN AND SUNG BY ARTISTS OF LOR. ITS DOMANCE ON THE AIRWAV ALIENATED STRAIGHT WHE MEN WHO PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ROCK MIC, WHICH CULMATED DIS DEMOLN NIGHT CHIGO ON JULY 12, 1979, WHERE A CRATE STUFFED WH DIS RERDS WAS BLOWN UP ON THE FIELD AT COMISKEY PARK, HOME OF THE CHIGO WHE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEFORE THAT NIGHT, DIS POPULARY HAD BEEN ENJOYG A METEORIC RISE. THE 1977 LLABORATN BETWEEN DONNA SUMMER AND GRG MOROR BIRTHED THE SGLE "I FEEL LOVE," THE FIRST DIS SONG TO BE BACKED ENTIRELY BY SYNTHIZERS, WHICH REVOLUTNIZED THE GENRE AND WOULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE CREATN OF TECHNO. THAT SAME YEAR, JAMAIN-BORN SGER GRACE JON RELEASED HER BUT ALBUM PORTFOL, PRODUCED BY TOM MOULTON. JON WOULD GO ON TO DOMATE THE DIS SCENE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WH THE SUBSEQUENT RELEAS OF '78'S FAME AND '79'S ME. THE MMERIZG SGER WOULD BEE THE MA SPIRATN FOR MARVEL'S ATTEMPT TO SH ON THE DIS CRAZE BY CREATG A SUPERHERO TANM WH CASABLAN RERDS, SO THEY ULD SELL TIE- IC BOOKS AND RERDS ALL AT ONCE. AND TH DAZZLER WAS BORN, FIRST SKETCHED BY JOHN ROMA JR. (SON OF LEGENDARY AMAZG SPIR-MAN ARTIST JOHN ROMA).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR DAZZLER, WHO ULD HAVE BEEN A POWERFUL IMAGE OF A BLACK WOMAN BATTLG FOR HER LIFE WHILE ALSO MANDG REGNN AS A DIS SGER, CASABLAN RERDS FERRED TO THEIR FILM DIVISN. FILMWORKS HAD BEEN ENTICED BY BO DEREK 10 AND THEY WANTED TO WORK WH HER, SO DAZZLER BEME A WHE WOMAN, MOLED AFTER DEREK. ACRDG TO ROMA JR.'S MORN MASTERS TERVIEW, HE WAS VERY DISAPPOTED BY THE CHANGE. "GRACE JON WAS A VERY POPULAR SGER AT THE TIME, AND I WANTED HER TO BE THE BASIS OF THE CHARACTER, BEE I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALISTIC. AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDN, BEME BO DEREK ... AND THAT'S WHEN I SAID, 'THAT'S . THEY'VE SOLD OUT FOR SOME WHEBREAD BLON CHICK.' SHE WAS VERY HOT AT THE TIME, BUT I THOUGHT SHE WASN'T AS REALISTIC A CHOICE AS GRACE JON WAS. ... IF I THOUGHT OF A NIGHTCLUB CHICK, THAT WAS GRACE JON."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE BO DEREK–SPIRED DAZZLER BUTED 1980’S UNNNY X-MEN #130 AMID THE DARK PHOENIX SAGA. MONTHS EARLIER, DIS DEMOLN NIGHT HAD OCCURRED AND THE GENRE'S POPULARY WAS BEGNG TO WANE. BUT DAZZLER'S SERI MARCHED ON, EVEN AS THE POTENTIAL FILM FELL APART DUE TO CREATIVE ISSU, AND DAZZLER #1 BEME THE FIRST IC BOOK SOLD EXCLIVELY TO IC BOOK SHOPS, SELLG OVER 400,000 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CREATIVELY, THE SERI WAS NEVER A JUGGERNT. IT WAS A LIGHTWEIGHT BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (THE MOVIE VERSN STARRG KRISTY SWANSON AS THE MORE AIRHEAD, LS-MTED-TO-SAVG-THE-WORLD SLAYER), WHERE FLIGHTY ALISON BLAIRE ED HER MUTANT POWERS OF TRANSFORMG SOUND TO LIGHT AND ENERGY TO PUT ON SPECTACL DURG HER SGG PERFORMANC. SHE RISTED BEG A SUPERHERO, FAVORG ADVANCEMENT HER SGG REER AND FDG LOVE, BUT SHE WOULD BEE ENTANGLED DRAMA EACH ISSUE SPE OF HER RISTANCE. THE SERI WOULD ONLY LAST 42 ISSU, ENDG MARCH 1986 AND PROMPTG DAZZLER TO BRIEFLY JO THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DPE BEG A RATHER SIGNIFINT SOLO TLE, DAZZLER REMAS A HUGELY POPULAR CHARACTER, PARTICULARLY AMONG QUEER MARVEL FANS. AT THIS YEAR'S SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON, I WAS EXCEDLY RMED BY MORE THAN A FEW IENDS THAT THEY ULDN'T WA TO PURCHASE A NEWLY ANNOUNCED MARVEL LEGENDS FIGURE OF DAZZLER HER INIC WHE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I WANRED THE AISL OF THE NVENTN FLOOR, DIGGG THROUGH BACK-ISSUE BS TO FD ISSU OM DAZZLER'S SOLO N. HER GAY POPULARY HAD ALWAYS TRIGUED ME, BUT I NEVER FULLY UNRSTOOD UNTIL I READ MOST OF THE 42-ISSUE SERI. WHAT WAS ABOUT A WHE WOMAN SGG DIS MIC, SASHAYG AROUND ON ROLLER SKAT, THAT RONATED WH GAY FANS? THOUGH MARVEL OFTEN EMBRACED SOCIAL ISSU LIKE DGS AND RACISM THE '70S, THEY DIDN'T TACKLE GAY CHARACTERS OR THE AIDS EPIMIC ONCE H NEW YORK THE EARLY '80S. THIS IS, OF URSE, LARGELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DISEASE WAS STILL RELATIVELY UNKNOWN THE EARLY '80S, AND CERTALY THE TIME THAT DAZZLER WAS NCEIVED. IT WAS A FULL YEAR AFTER THE SERI END THAT RONALD REAGAN FALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE AIDS CRISIS — AFTER THOANDS HAD DIED SILENCE. MARVEL DID ADDRS THE CRISIS THE EARLY '90S THE PAG OF ALPHA FLIGHT AND X-MEN, THE LATTER OF WHICH FEATURED THE FIRST STANCE OF THE POPULAR MUTANY AS AN ALLEGORY FOR HOMOSEXUALY THAT BEME PROMENT WH BRYAN SGER'S 2000S X-MEN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS WAS A AFTER DAZZLER'S PROMENCE AS A CHARACTER. BUT THE REBIRTH OF DIS AS A POPULAR STYLE OF MIC, TRSILLY TIED TO THE EPER UNRSTANDG THAT WAS A CREATIVE HAVEN FOR QUEER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF LOR, HAS MA DAZZLER POPULAR TO THIS DAY. EVEN THOUGH HER STORI WERE NEVER TIED TO THE DIS SCENE AT LARGE, HER JOURNEY OF STGGLG FOR ACCEPTANCE OM A DISMISSIVE FATHER AND LONGG FOR THE LOVE OF HER MISSG MOTHER WAS SOMETHG THAT QUEER REARS, WHO ONLY YEARS EARLIER ULD HAVE BEEN ARRTED FOR SHOWG SIGNS OF AFFECTN TOWARD A MEMBER OF THE SAME SEX PUBLIC, NNECTED WH. EMBRACG YOUR SEXUALY HAD TO HAPPEN DARK, SWEATY NIGHTCLUBS WH DIS MIC BLARG, OR, FOR YOUNGER GAY MEN FAR OM THE METROPOLIS OF NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCIS, ULD OCCUR THEIR CHILDHOOD BEDROOMS, READG DAZZLER'S EXPLOS BETWEEN MORE BUTCH FARE LIKE X-MEN AND SPIR-MAN THAT WOULDN'T GET THEM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GAY VISIBILY HAS E QUE A LONG WAY SCE PEOPLE BURNED DIS RERDS BASEBALL PARKS, BUT LIKE THE LATE '70S, TODAY’S POLIL CLIMATE IS JT AS PRICKLY, JT AS DANGERO. WH A GOP PLATFORM THAT NI BASIC CIVIL RIGHTS TO GAYS, LBIANS, AND TRANSGENR DIVIDUALS BY VOKG "NATURAL MARRIAGE" BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN, CIDG WHICH BATHROOMS TRANSGENR PEOPLE N E, AND POTG TO NVERSN THERAPY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOMOSEXUALY, THERE'S CLEARLY A CRISIS THAT REQUIR ACTIVISM OM LGBT PEOPLE AND THEIR ALLI. PERHAPS 'S PERFECT THAT WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF A DAZZLER FIGURE RELEASE OM MARVEL LEGENDS. SHE'S A SUPERHEROE THAT MARVEL AND S QUEER FANBASE HAS NEVER NEED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MARVEL HAS MA CREASED EFFORTS TOWARD DIVERSY, LNCHG A NEW BLACK PANTHER SERI WRTEN BY TA-NEHISI COAT AND A PANN SERI BY ROXANE GAY AND YONA HARVEY, MAKG THEM THE FIRST BLACK WOMEN THE PANY HAS EVER HIRED AS WRERS. SO 'S A DISTCTLY PERFECT TIME TO EMBRACE DAZZLER'S QUEER FANBASE AND THE HISTORY THE ORIGAL SERI WAS NEVER ABLE TO EXPLORE. AS I LEAFED THROUGH PAG OF OLD DAZZLER ICS, SEALED SCE THEIR IAL RELEASED THE EARLY '80S, I REALIZED I WAS BG THROUGH A B OF HISTORY THAT WAS EXCG BUT ALSO SPERATE FOR NTEXT. IN LI OF FULL-OUT RETURNG DAZZLER TO HER GRACE JON ROOTS, THE ABILY TO TOUCH ON STORI OF QUEER MEN AND WOMEN, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF LOR WHO FOUND SOLACE THE DIS NIGHTCLUBS THAT DAZZLER PERFORMED , ULD BE A BETIFUL LOVE LETTER TO THE GAY DIVIDUALS WHO'VE READ HER SCE HER 1980 BUT — AND ALSO TO NEW FANS LIKE ME WHO'VE DISVERED AN ADVERTENT GAY IN THE ANNALS OF MARVEL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

"What's gay mic? But havg a gay night is, I gus, a way to say anybody n e to our events.

Roller skatg has long been a part of the gay scene, gog back to the 1970s.