It’s been almost a decade since Iron Man first hit the big screens and took audiences everywhere for a ride. And what a ride it has been. But with the release of the newest trailer of Avengers: Infinity War, a startling realization has come to many LGBT fans and allies alike: the story that began with a man and a suit in a cave is now entering its final chapter. And there hasn’t been a single openly LGBT character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, there are only two references to LGBT people in the MCU to date. The first is a crude transphobic joke – based on a tired stereotype about trans people – made by Tony Stark taunting Col. Rhodes about “that lovely lady you woke up with, what was his name? Ivan?” Rhodes, not even wanting to be associated with the thought of a trans person, blusters and talks over Tony. The second reference to LGBT characters in the MCU found itself on the cutting room floor of the Black Panther editing bay, in which a Wakandan warrior expressed her love and concern for another warrior. And in a fictional universe where characters fall in and out of love all the time, this was the only relationship removed from the screen without explanation.

I write this petition with feelings of great pain and sadness, as well as with a deep sense of betrayal. I’ve been watching Marvel Studios movies since before there was a cinematic universe. I’ve been watching since the first and second X-Men movies used subtle metaphor to portray the feelings of fear, shame, and isolation that LGBT people feel when their voice is deprived of them, as they are forced to hide or even denied by their family members for living authentically. In fact, in a stinging twist of tragic irony, the Marvel Studios we know today has come to resemble the characters in the X-Men universe who struggled to accept the identities of the story’s heroines and heroes. Furthermore, the franchise-no-homo phenomenon isn’t limited solely to movies made by Marvel Studios. To date, the best LGBT people can expect from Star Wars is Admiral Holdo’s pink hair in The Last Jedi. The best we can expect of Disney Animation studios is two antelopes in Zootopia who argue in the same apartment. And finally, Pixar is ostensibly so nervous or ashamed of the LGBT community that it will not even touch the topic in humor.

In 2018, Marvel Studios will release its twentieth movie in the massively expansive shared storytelling universe. There has not been a single major or minor openly LGBT character on screen in twenty movies. Many in the LGBT community like myself have consistently paid hundreds and hundreds of dollars to discover to our horror that this story is ashamed of us. And that it is intent on erasing us. This is why it has become clear to many that unless LGBT people and their allies unite and speak up, it seems this story may draw to a close having skillfully left us out of it entirely. Production is not yet complete on the nineteenth and twentieth installments. Which means there is still time to begin to rectify our omission from the story.

So I’m asking anyone reading this who is either LGBT or counts themselves a friend and ally of the LGBT community to spread the word and demand change. We can be more than a joke and a cut scene in this universe. And by talking about it, we can fix it! Let’s stand in solidarity and respectfully request that Marvel Studios add-or-out four major LGBT characters in the MCU’s main cast. Not minor characters, major characters. They can tackle one new character per movie. They have a huge ensemble of characters to choose from. Many of them have had failed relationships, hidden struggles, and emotional demons. People in the LGBT community can attest to the fact that this has been the precursor to embracing themselves and coming out and would fit into many of the characters’ story arcs. There are also many characters with nearly undeveloped backstories. This can be accomplished! More importantly, I’m asking anyone reading this to hold firm to their belief that Marvel Studios should include everyone. And if Marvel Studios does not do this, to commit to refusing to see Marvel Studios movies in theaters until they do.

The bottom line is this: LGBT kids around the world will not feel normal unless their heroines and heroes show them that they are normal. LGBT kids around the world will not feel important unless their heroines and heroes show them that they are important. The beauty of capitalism is that it has always meant that our dollars give us a vote in what we buy. We get to decide, yes or no, whether or not something is good or needs to change. So let’s stand together and deliver our message of love and inclusion to the storytellers in the MCU. We don’t want to boycott an MCU movie. We want to watch and rewatch a movie that includes everyone! And while some people in the world might not be ready for a truly diverse cast of characters, as Tony Stark once said, “sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.”