Flavorwire

Move over, Willow (and Andrew) — there’s a new gay character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, and he’s breaking gender boundaries, too. Out reports that the Buffy comics, which picked up where the TV series left off and are now in the midst of Season 9, will introduce Billy, the first-ever male slayer, who also happens to dig men. So, why open the the sorority to men 20 years into the franchise? “It suddenly struck me: If being feminine doesn’t mean that you’re lesser, then liking guys also doesn’t mean you’re lesser,” said Jane Espenson, who has written for both the TV show and the comic book. “For very good reason, we’ve focused on the female empowerment part of Buffy, but I wondered, Did we leave something out? What if someone in high school is looking up to Buffy as a role model, and we’re saying: You can’t be a Slayer.” Billy will make his debut in Season 9 #14, and we can’t wait to meet him. Visit Out for more details on the character, and to preview some pages from the issue.