Save Batwoman!

It’s shocking to think that in 2022, a Black lesbian superhero is still an extremely rare thing to see on our screens and in our comic books. Considering the powerhouses that Marvel and DC are, and the amount of superhero movies we’ve seen on the big screen in the last decade and a half, one might surmise that at least one such hero would be represented. The truth is, Black lesbian superheroes are not adequately represented at all. Then, Javicia Leslie was announced as Ryan Wilder, a character who would be donning the Batwoman cowl starting season two of the CW’s Batwoman television series. The casting was met with immediate backlash from many racist fans, but for Black women around the world, the casting was of chance for us to see ourselves represented on screen in a way we never thought possible. Javicia Leslie and Ryan Wilder have more than prove themselves worthy of the title of Batwoman. The shows weekly numbers prove that people are watching, people are paying attention, and people are loving this iteration of the superhero.

Unfortunately, it was announced on Friday April 29th that the CW would not be continuing the series, breaking the hearts of fans all over the world. But we’re not ready to say goodbye to this character. Ryan Wilder and Sophie Moore are some of the most important Black lesbian representation that we have gotten in years. This show has changed the lives of many fans. This show has brought people all over the world together and created bonds that never could have formed without the amazing cast pouring their hearts into these characters. So here’s what we’re going to do.

In order to get the attention of HBO Max and let them know that we’re ready for them to pick up Batwoman and give her a new home, we need to plaster our messages on digital billboards everywhere. With the funds we’re raising here, we will book digital billboards all over the world with fanart asking HBO Max to become Batwoman’s new home. The billboards will be projected near HBO Max and Warner Bros. headquarters in New York City, Santa Monica, California, and Seattle, Washington. But we’re not gonna stop there. This is an international fanbase, so the billboards need to be international as well. We want digital billboards proclaiming SAVE BATWOMAN in London, in Australia, Vancouver, in Montreal, New Zealand, South Africa, and everywhere else Batwoman fans call home. All of the funds will go to booking these billboards. HBO max won’t be able to ignore us when they see us on their daily commute to work, when they see us on their way home from the office, when they see us while jogging, when they see us in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus.

Batwoman is more than just a show, more than just a superhero. It’s the representation that queer women of color around the world have been asking for for decades. Ryan Wilder represents Black lesbian women who have been put through the foster care system, who have lost their parents, who have been to prison, who have been homeless, and who despite their trauma, despite everything that they’ve gone through to live their truth as the person they know themselves to be, have continued to fight not only for themselves, but for people just like them, and everyone else too. Sophie Moore represents Black Lesbian women in law-enforcement, those doing their best to fight for what’s right, those unsure of their place in that system, and those desperate to get out and take the fight to the streets. Batwoman is a superhero, Ryan Wilder is a superhero, Sophie Moore is a superhero, Meagan Tandy is a superhero, and Javicia Leslie is a superhero. Let’s show HBO Max that with Javicia Leslie’s Batwoman running for more seasons on their network, they’ll help our community and the world see that we are superheroes too.