Professor John Palella contributed an essay on queer comics to the forthcoming book, Teaching LGBTQ+ History: Practical Strategies and Voices of Experience, edited by Stacie Brensilver Berman and Robert Cohen. His essay reflects his teaching philosophy and approach in Brown’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program.
When invited to contribute to the book, Professor Palella wasn’t initially sure he would write about queer comics. Instead, he began reflecting on his experiences as an educator working with LGBTQ+ social studies curricula. His exploration led him back to a core element of his teaching philosophy, which he calls “mirrors, windows, and magical portals.”
"Every student should see themselves in the curriculum," he explained. "Every student should learn about people different from themselves, and every student should be able to imagine a better world—or characters who represent who they aspire to be." For Professor Palella, comic book characters and narratives serve as powerful tools for guiding students through this framework.
One character who embodies this philosophy is Darkveil (Darnell Wade), a drag queen superhero who teleports through her magical fan. “As a mirror, Darkveil provides representation for LGBTQ+ students, particularly those in the drag and gender-nonconforming communities,” Professor Palella said. “For other students, she serves as a window into the vibrant culture of drag and the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. And as a magical portal, her teleportation power serves as both a literal ability and a symbolic gateway to self-acceptance and empowerment.”
Beyond representation, Professor Palella’s work highlights how queer comics enhance media literacy—the ability to think critically about the messages embedded in media. He challenges his students to apply these skills to characters like Mystique, the shape-shifting mutant from X-Men. "Mystique’s powers symbolize the fluidity of identity and the adaptability required to navigate oppressive systems as both a mutant and a queer person,” he noted. While the comics explicitly connect her powers to her LGBTQ+ identity, the films omit this narrative, raising questions about why certain stories are told while others are erased. By analyzing Mystique’s portrayal, Professor Palella encourages students to recognize bias, deconstruct dominant narratives, and critically engage with media representations of diverse identities.
Professor Palella incorporates these themes into activities in the MAT program, such as the “Iceberg of Identity,” inspired by Marvel’s gay hero, Iceman. This exercise helps students explore visible and hidden aspects of identity, fostering empathy and inclusivity in their future classrooms.
He also examines the evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its problematic history of erasing queer characters from its films. Loki, Valkyrie, Mystique, and Iceman—each with rich LGBTQ+ storylines in the comics—were straight-washed, or their identities were left ambiguous. However, 2021 marked a turning point with Marvel Voices: Pride, an anthology celebrating LGBTQ+ characters, and the introduction of Wiccan/Billy Kaplan in WandaVision.
By integrating queer comics into his pedagogy, Professor Palella prepares future educators to create inclusive classrooms where every student can see themselves, learn from others, and imagine transformative possibilities. “Through queer comic book characters, we open portals to empathy, understanding, and the celebration of identity," he said.
Teaching LGBTQ+ History: Practical Strategies and Voices of Experience will be available later this year.