David Miranda Kisses Glenn Greenwald in Graphic Protest Against Rio’s Mayor

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – David Miranda reacted to Mayor Marcelo Crivella, who asked for the confiscation of the comic book “Vingadores – A Cruzada das Crianças” (“Avengers – The Children’s Crusade”) from a stand at the Book Biennale.

On his Twitter account, Deputy David Miranda posted a photo kissing his husband, journalist Glenn Greenwald, alongside an image of the comic book.

In captioning the collage, David asked for less hatred from the Mayor: “Marcelo Crivella, take your hatred out of our way because we want to get through with our love,” he wrote, using the hashtag #LeiaComOrgulho (Read With Pride).

Collection of comics

Yesterday, at approximately 12 noon, public officials arrived at Riocentro, where the event is being held, for a reconnaissance operation aimed at finding “material that is inappropriate for children and adolescents.”

In the work of the Marvel Graphic Novels collection, written by Allan Heinberg and designed by Jim Cheung, two of the Young Avengers, Wiccano and Hulkling, are male lovers.

Subsequently, the Book Biennial filed a petition  at the Rio de Janeiro Court of Appeals requesting an injunction to ensure the event’s continuity in the city, which runs until Sunday, September 8th. The court granted the petition.

The measure was taken after the city’s mayor, Marcelo Crivella, asked for the confiscation of the comic book “Avengers – The Children’s Crusade” from a stand in the Biennial on the grounds of including “sexual content (inappropriate) for minors.” The Mayor also threatened to cancel the Biennal’s operating permit.

In a statement, the Biennial stated that it is maintaining its schedule for the weekend and that the judicial measure aims to “ensure the full operation of the event and the right of exhibitors to sell literary works on the most diverse themes.”