New 'Wonder Woman' Comic Introduces Black Trans Amazon to the World

trans women in Wonder Woman and Batgirl comics
trans women in Wonder Woman and Batgirl comics

Wonder Woman says trans women are women!

In the latest issue of Nubia & The Amazons from DC Comics, the company has confirmed for the first time that yes, trans women can be Amazons, and are welcome on Paradise Island.

The new book, which focuses on Nubia’s time as queen of the Amazons, begins with a flashback to the day she first came to the island. We also meet some other new Amazons who joined the island that day through the Well of Souls, where women who were killed as a result of the violence of the “Man’s World” are reborn as Amazons.

One of those new warrior women is Bia, a Black trans woman. “I don't know how to explain it yet,” Bia says in the pages of the issue. “But this exact moment feels like my soul has desired it long before I came here. I am Bia!”

The comic’s writers took to Twitter to confirm what readers thought — Bia is a trans woman. “If you’ve read Nubia & the Amazons #1. The answer to your burning question is yes,” Stephanie Williams said. “There are trans Amazons. One of the newest Amazons is a Black trans woman.”

“We didn't want to make An Announcement because we wanted to introduce the character in an organic way, but it is not a secret!” co-writer Vita Ayala added. “We are glad people picked up on it, but if y'all hadn't we would have made sure to say it so it wasn't hand-[waveable] subtext!”

Williams also tweeted that Bia won’t disappear after one issue, and instead will have a role in the book. “As much as it is important for the Nubia & the Amazons miniseries to reintroduce Nubia and establish her definitive role in the DCU, it is also important to make clear that Themyscira is a place for ALL women,” she tweeted.

“Bia will have a role on Themyscira beyond just existing – she isn’t set dressing, she isn’t a box to tick, she is a fully-fledged character that is important to her community,” her tweets continued. “Just as Black trans women are important to us in real life.”

And rumor has it, another trans character could be coming to a DC property soon too! A new casting call for an “Untitled Warner Bros. Action Film” has people wondering if fan-favorite trans character Alysia Yeoh could be heading to a DC movie coming soon.

The casting calls for “an actor for the role of amid/late 20s, Asian American transgender woman.” This sounds awfully familiar to the description of Yeoh, who was introduced in the Batgirl comics by Gail Simone as Barbara Gordon’s roommate and best friend.

The Batgirl movie will star In the Heights actress Leslie Grace as the title character and is being written by The Flash writer Christina Hudson. Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing the film, which will premiere on HBO Max.

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