Trans Superheroes
Jan. 9th, 2018 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis article talks about trans superheroes. It raises a few good points and a lot of troublesome ones. TL;DR: Tell ALL the stories! So let's take a look ...
#1: Shape-shifters, or magic users changing appearance, are not transgender unless the default form they live in 99% of the time is transgender.
Well OUCH. That's a slap in the face for anyone who can't, doesn't feel safe, isn't ready yet, or otherwise hasn't taken up full-time presentation. It implies they're not really transgender if they don't. >_< A great big fuck no to that. You are transgender if your body doesn't match your gender identity.
I get that the point of this is wanting to show more variety of trans characters, but following it would have the opposite effect. Let's don't. Because I think we need stories about the stress of presenting in different ways, as much as we need stories about living full-time as your gender of identity. After all, most people go through the former before reaching the latter. And believe me, if you transform in any way to a different gender, you will have some very eye-opening experiences about it whether you meant to do that or not. Don't think that suddenly putting your penis on will get you out of a bashing, either.
#2: Your transgender superhero should not be tragic. They should not be an addict, or a prostitute, or any other “tragic trope.”
Tempting, isn't it? Let's tell stories about happy transfolk so people know that's possible. Certainly we need those, and there aren't many yet.
The problem is, trans lives often are tragic in a transphobic culture. Transfolk have higher rates of addiction, prostitution, and other tragedies compared with cis people. Erasing that does not seem like a solution to me. That's not to say that comics are handling these issues well very often. They aren't. But someone should.
#3: Your transgender superhero is not the comic relief for other characters or the audience. They can, of course, be humorous – but not intrinsically so.
I would tilt this a little: they should not be funny because transgender is treated as a joke unto itself. Many people are intrinsically funny; they are comics, clowns, and other entertainers. That's fine. You'll see a higher proportion of them not just among transfolk but any oppressed group, because humor is a defense mechanism. It can keep you alive. But let's honor that as a survival skill, not just a throwaway gag.
#4: Creating a transgender superhero that is killed off counts for nothing. Nowt. Nada. Zip.
True in that it does nothing for the continuing representation in the character cast. However, part of equality means getting to do all the stuff that other character types can do. That includes dying, and especially, heroic deaths. Look at the giant pile of trans corpses in comics and you'll see mostly hopeless causes, not people who threw themselves into a wormhole to save the world. I should add that trans deaths hit hardest when that's the only trans character in the plot, which is almost always the case. Most tropes can be undermined with plain old diversity. Add more trans characters and it stops being as dire when one of them dies -- especially as a hero.
#5: Having characters swap brains or bodies does not count. The transgender character has to have been born transgender; it can’t be an accident.
Once again, that's pretty hard on people who discovered their nature later in life, particularly if it came up after a triggering even such as they needed to take hormones for something, and let's not forget that occasionally someone gets into an accident and learns things about their body that had been hidden from them before. I reiterate: transgender means your body doesn't match your identity. That can happen in a variety of ways. In a superpowered context, body swaps, hostile transformations, etc. almost always produce trans characters. They want their original sex back, because they don't feel comfortable with the new one. However, the body and its hormones have their own pull, which can modulate gender and other experiences, which usually just contributes to the shear but occasionally someone finds it enlightening. This can lead to very trans stories indeed, if you look at what it would actually be like instead of playing it for laughs.
#6: The focus of the comic book story should not be all about gender. The hero should be a normal, well-rounded character as they are normal.
That's called background parity. It's a great thing and we do need it. But that's not all we need. Transfolk have unique experiences based on their sex/gender dynamics, and we need to tell those stories too. Certainly the characters should be well-rounded, but that doesn't mean their story (or some of their episodes) can't focus on gender. I mean, come on, a huge proportion of cis-het stories are about gendered themes, chiefly mate selection. Equality means everybody gets to do all the things!
#7: A transgender superhero needs to be a main character, have agency, and not perpetually be a background character or a sidekick.
I agree with this as a definition for main characters, which we do need. However, anyone can play any role. For diverse representation, we need trans superheroes, supervillains, sidekicks, minions, police, EMTs, firefighters, reporters, relatives, background characters, and so on.
#8: Transgender superheroes should not be dressed in a way that shows they are transgender. Clothing in and out of uniform should be normal, mainstream superhero clothing.
Yet another round of erasure, which is especially unpleasant for all the trans and genderqueer folks out there who are still trying to figure out what their "normal clothing" even is. Among the common options are: Dress in masculine styles. Dress in feminine styles. Dress in things that shout your transness because you are sick of hiding it or just want to be an activist. Make up a style unique to you as a way of expressing your gender. So let's take two of my trans soups: Calliope's wardrobe is a riot of pink-white-blue with a good handful of things that say "transgender" on them. Hyperspaceman simply dresses in masculine clothes, and deliberately picked a cape name with -man. Two trans characters, who are actually nothing alike other than being trans and having superpowers. That's diversity in action.
Also, look at how much of this whole article aims to make trans characters invisible as trans. You know what happens when people pass 100%? They merge into the wider stream of men or women. You can't clock them as trans. Which is actually fantastic for them if that's what they want, as many do, but it does bupkis for the visibility of trans characters. People have asked about dress mode and pronoun use among the Marionettes in particular. Why do the butch women in men's clothes and female pronouns stick out, for instance? Because the actual transmen tend to be indistinguishable from the cismen around them. The folks who mix it up a bit are more identifiable as some flavor of genderqueer.
#9: The hero’s villains/opposing force should not be gender or sex related. No one called ‘Codpiece’ ever again, please.
That's a nice fantasy. By all means write it. The problem is, being trans makes you an asshole magnet. I imagine this will be the same with superheroes and supervillains. Jackasses who sexualize their supervillainy will be drawn to pester superheras and female supervillains, and probably also trans ones. At least until they try it with Fortressa and she punches them in the pelvis, or Hyperspaceman and he dumps them an Islam-held island in the Maldives, or Calliope and she goes, "Oh look at the time, I'm too busy to deal with this!" and abandons them to Vagary's mercy. Or am I the only one who fantasizes about throwing some pervert's nuts under a bus? Somehow I doubt that.
#10: A transgender superhero should be a positive character. With almost no positive representation in the media for transgender people, this is vital.
I do agree that we need many more positive portrayals of trans characters, including superheroes. However, if you write them without flaws, they're going to be Mary Sue/Marty Stu/Marion Sam.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying that I don't have the patience to wait 20-30 years for society to hike through the whole spectrum of identity literature before they get to the good part. I don't want to faff around with the pendulum. I just want to see trans characters DO ALL THE THINGS.
#1: Shape-shifters, or magic users changing appearance, are not transgender unless the default form they live in 99% of the time is transgender.
Well OUCH. That's a slap in the face for anyone who can't, doesn't feel safe, isn't ready yet, or otherwise hasn't taken up full-time presentation. It implies they're not really transgender if they don't. >_< A great big fuck no to that. You are transgender if your body doesn't match your gender identity.
I get that the point of this is wanting to show more variety of trans characters, but following it would have the opposite effect. Let's don't. Because I think we need stories about the stress of presenting in different ways, as much as we need stories about living full-time as your gender of identity. After all, most people go through the former before reaching the latter. And believe me, if you transform in any way to a different gender, you will have some very eye-opening experiences about it whether you meant to do that or not. Don't think that suddenly putting your penis on will get you out of a bashing, either.
#2: Your transgender superhero should not be tragic. They should not be an addict, or a prostitute, or any other “tragic trope.”
Tempting, isn't it? Let's tell stories about happy transfolk so people know that's possible. Certainly we need those, and there aren't many yet.
The problem is, trans lives often are tragic in a transphobic culture. Transfolk have higher rates of addiction, prostitution, and other tragedies compared with cis people. Erasing that does not seem like a solution to me. That's not to say that comics are handling these issues well very often. They aren't. But someone should.
#3: Your transgender superhero is not the comic relief for other characters or the audience. They can, of course, be humorous – but not intrinsically so.
I would tilt this a little: they should not be funny because transgender is treated as a joke unto itself. Many people are intrinsically funny; they are comics, clowns, and other entertainers. That's fine. You'll see a higher proportion of them not just among transfolk but any oppressed group, because humor is a defense mechanism. It can keep you alive. But let's honor that as a survival skill, not just a throwaway gag.
#4: Creating a transgender superhero that is killed off counts for nothing. Nowt. Nada. Zip.
True in that it does nothing for the continuing representation in the character cast. However, part of equality means getting to do all the stuff that other character types can do. That includes dying, and especially, heroic deaths. Look at the giant pile of trans corpses in comics and you'll see mostly hopeless causes, not people who threw themselves into a wormhole to save the world. I should add that trans deaths hit hardest when that's the only trans character in the plot, which is almost always the case. Most tropes can be undermined with plain old diversity. Add more trans characters and it stops being as dire when one of them dies -- especially as a hero.
#5: Having characters swap brains or bodies does not count. The transgender character has to have been born transgender; it can’t be an accident.
Once again, that's pretty hard on people who discovered their nature later in life, particularly if it came up after a triggering even such as they needed to take hormones for something, and let's not forget that occasionally someone gets into an accident and learns things about their body that had been hidden from them before. I reiterate: transgender means your body doesn't match your identity. That can happen in a variety of ways. In a superpowered context, body swaps, hostile transformations, etc. almost always produce trans characters. They want their original sex back, because they don't feel comfortable with the new one. However, the body and its hormones have their own pull, which can modulate gender and other experiences, which usually just contributes to the shear but occasionally someone finds it enlightening. This can lead to very trans stories indeed, if you look at what it would actually be like instead of playing it for laughs.
#6: The focus of the comic book story should not be all about gender. The hero should be a normal, well-rounded character as they are normal.
That's called background parity. It's a great thing and we do need it. But that's not all we need. Transfolk have unique experiences based on their sex/gender dynamics, and we need to tell those stories too. Certainly the characters should be well-rounded, but that doesn't mean their story (or some of their episodes) can't focus on gender. I mean, come on, a huge proportion of cis-het stories are about gendered themes, chiefly mate selection. Equality means everybody gets to do all the things!
#7: A transgender superhero needs to be a main character, have agency, and not perpetually be a background character or a sidekick.
I agree with this as a definition for main characters, which we do need. However, anyone can play any role. For diverse representation, we need trans superheroes, supervillains, sidekicks, minions, police, EMTs, firefighters, reporters, relatives, background characters, and so on.
#8: Transgender superheroes should not be dressed in a way that shows they are transgender. Clothing in and out of uniform should be normal, mainstream superhero clothing.
Yet another round of erasure, which is especially unpleasant for all the trans and genderqueer folks out there who are still trying to figure out what their "normal clothing" even is. Among the common options are: Dress in masculine styles. Dress in feminine styles. Dress in things that shout your transness because you are sick of hiding it or just want to be an activist. Make up a style unique to you as a way of expressing your gender. So let's take two of my trans soups: Calliope's wardrobe is a riot of pink-white-blue with a good handful of things that say "transgender" on them. Hyperspaceman simply dresses in masculine clothes, and deliberately picked a cape name with -man. Two trans characters, who are actually nothing alike other than being trans and having superpowers. That's diversity in action.
Also, look at how much of this whole article aims to make trans characters invisible as trans. You know what happens when people pass 100%? They merge into the wider stream of men or women. You can't clock them as trans. Which is actually fantastic for them if that's what they want, as many do, but it does bupkis for the visibility of trans characters. People have asked about dress mode and pronoun use among the Marionettes in particular. Why do the butch women in men's clothes and female pronouns stick out, for instance? Because the actual transmen tend to be indistinguishable from the cismen around them. The folks who mix it up a bit are more identifiable as some flavor of genderqueer.
#9: The hero’s villains/opposing force should not be gender or sex related. No one called ‘Codpiece’ ever again, please.
That's a nice fantasy. By all means write it. The problem is, being trans makes you an asshole magnet. I imagine this will be the same with superheroes and supervillains. Jackasses who sexualize their supervillainy will be drawn to pester superheras and female supervillains, and probably also trans ones. At least until they try it with Fortressa and she punches them in the pelvis, or Hyperspaceman and he dumps them an Islam-held island in the Maldives, or Calliope and she goes, "Oh look at the time, I'm too busy to deal with this!" and abandons them to Vagary's mercy. Or am I the only one who fantasizes about throwing some pervert's nuts under a bus? Somehow I doubt that.
#10: A transgender superhero should be a positive character. With almost no positive representation in the media for transgender people, this is vital.
I do agree that we need many more positive portrayals of trans characters, including superheroes. However, if you write them without flaws, they're going to be Mary Sue/Marty Stu/Marion Sam.
So I guess this is just a long-winded way of saying that I don't have the patience to wait 20-30 years for society to hike through the whole spectrum of identity literature before they get to the good part. I don't want to faff around with the pendulum. I just want to see trans characters DO ALL THE THINGS.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-01-10 05:06 am (UTC)I feel like a lot of the article's rules are based around tokenism - it's a trend to include diverse characters so that the writers look like they're writing diversity, and then kill or torture them because it's "edgy" instead of like... Not being an ass and committing to it. But local trends are to write some pretty self-indulgent horror fic, which is fine until it becomes *the only thing* in most adult-oriented fiction.
There's also the headache of people arguing back and forth about a bait in switch in The Magicians (spoilers) which led the audience to believe that - holy shit, a pedophile is going to be the main villain, how often does that happen? to... Oh no, the villain is *really* the kid he abused, who is now shady af in adulthood. Johnny was pissed about that. It's easy to see the logic and where that character development could have happened, but it is such a shitty thing to do to real life survivors.
Mainstream media sucks at showing positive portrayals of underdogs. I can sympathize with the article author for steering people in that direction, because there are not enough good representations at all, but your solutions hit the problem where it lies. If you want something to be representative instead of entirely fluff or sadfic, you need to write the entire spectrum, or at least show pieces of it.
A decent way to do that is to look at population estimates, too - this is what the population statistics are for this area, if you're basing it on a real-life setting, or else... model real-life and tweak based on how the culture and people likely would have developed and do world building. But it seems like the art of world building got lost among the habit of writing what's been shown to sell instead of creating genuinely new fiction. :/
>> That's a nice fantasy. <<
And it can be hilarious to make an underdog character poke fun at various villainous forces they're at odds with in society. The thing is that those can feel excessive if the entire character is based around fighting those things, or the author sucks at balancing serious issues with humor.
>> Yet another round of erasure, which is especially unpleasant for all the trans and genderqueer folks out there who are still trying to figure out what their "normal clothing" even is. <<
At least locally, if you're familiar with the cues you can spot genderqueer people by style. They have their own clothing, hair, color schemes, etc. just like women and men do. Some people intentionally dress to fit their subculture, especially if they want to signal it to other people who might have it in common. There are a few people on the local campus who wear They/Them/Their and the Transgender/Nonbinary symbol on t-shirts.
Likewise, at the convention a few people went to last weekend, it can be really easy to pick trans women out of the crowd - and distinguish them from people who are genderqueer versus crossdressing - then there's that along with the genderqueer people who were only noticeably queer because they chose to show it through their accessories. There are differences. It's okay to *show* them, because how else are people supposed to see how to take someone *at face value* instead of thinking that trans people are invisible or that someone doesn't look masculine/feminine enough to count as a real guy/girl?
>> but it does bupkis for the visibility of trans characters <<
It's like "Dumbledore is gay" all over again. It doesn't count as representation if the audience needs to be informed after the fact. So far Paranatural (with RJ), Monsterkind (with Loise), and PragueRace (various, but Untamo and Miko are the starring examples) have done good with including trans and nonbinary characters without making it a primary characteristic. PragueRace is great with that because it actually treats being trans or nonbinary as background traits that come through in other parts of the story. And I'm sure these authors aren't the only ones who do this.
Good examples of trans characters do exist in comics... Just not what you'd find on bookstore shelves.
>> #5: Having characters swap brains or bodies does not count. The transgender character has to have been born transgender; it can’t be an accident.
Once again, that's pretty hard on people who discovered their nature later in life <<
They're also missing a huge opportunity to let cis readers imagine how their lives would change if that happened to them. Sure, you get the initial reactions that most people think about, but... Then what? Now you have a character who's used to being a different sex than the body they now inhabit. The extent of that change surpasses most people's ability to predict how they'd react to it - they're going to be blindsided and hunting for solutions for the most simple things that now no longer work for them, and discomfort aside. That creates a ton of unique issues along with overlap for stuff that trans people deal with. You get to show a cis person what it's like to be treated as a different gender. You can even play with gender fluidity there, if the character happens to like aspects of their different body or has the ability to change it.
>> #1: Shape-shifters, or magic users changing appearance, are not transgender unless the default form they live in 99% of the time is transgender. <<
The phrasing in that one is confusing as heck to me. Transgender is an identity, not a fixed state of being... It's also dismissive of gender fluid or multi-gender people who *might* be uncomfortable with their form some of the time but not all of the time or even not most of the time. Someone can identify as transgender but not live 99% of their life as the pinnacle of transgender experience. For some people it really matters; for others it doesn't. I imagine the same could be said to shapeshifters who routinely change their sex but whose gender may or may not change with it - and even if someone isn't transgender, routinely being mistaken for a different gender can have its own overlapping issues.
I get the feeling that the author has some idea of a transgender story that... isn't. There *is* no universal experience of transness. :/ And the experiences are there have a lot of overlap with other life experiences related to dissonance between expectations/desires and reality.
They're going to end up with another queer subgenre at a different polarity than the *current* examples, and not a diverse spectrum.
- Gray
Thoughts
Date: 2018-01-11 07:19 am (UTC)I agree.
>> it's a trend to include diverse characters so that the writers look like they're writing diversity, and then kill or torture them because it's "edgy" instead of like... Not being an ass and committing to it. <<
Apparently, most people can't see the things I do. I don't know why, the pattern repeats with every new trait. But they don't see it, so I spelled it out for anyone who needs a guide.
The way to avoid tokenism is twofold:
1) Instead of just one person with a trait, include several. They will be happier and more effective.
2) Put them in a position of some power. Then they can actually accomplish things.
>> But local trends are to write some pretty self-indulgent horror fic, which is fine until it becomes *the only thing* in most adult-oriented fiction. <<
Yeah, that's a problem.
>> There's also the headache of people arguing back and forth about a bait in switch in The Magicians (spoilers) <<
That show creeps me out. I do not like its power dynamics at all.
>> which led the audience to believe that - holy shit, a pedophile is going to be the main villain, how often does that happen? to... Oh no, the villain is *really* the kid he abused, who is now shady af in adulthood. <<
This does not surprise me.
>> Johnny was pissed about that. It's easy to see the logic and where that character development could have happened, but it is such a shitty thing to do to real life survivors. <<
The statistics seem to run about two-thirds of survivors breaking the cycle of abuse, and one-third continuing it. The threat is very real; it happens; and the outcome is horrible. You have people who were never given a chance at a healthy life, who are damaged in crippling ways, turning around and hurting other people. And then the "justice" system just punishes them more for being broken. Hell, they charge people who prostitution who are not legally old enough to consent to sex. >_< It fixes nothing.
>> Mainstream media sucks at showing positive portrayals of underdogs. <<
Sadly so.
>> I can sympathize with the article author for steering people in that direction, because there are not enough good representations at all, <<
Just because something is tempting, doesn't make it a good idea. Look at how Israel is treating Palestine. It's the Jews' first chance to be on top in centuries, and they're milking it for all it's worth. Tempting, absolutely, but that doesn't make it okay to build a wall with which to oppress people. And it's the same thing. It's PDSD on a society-wide scale.
>> but your solutions hit the problem where it lies. If you want something to be representative instead of entirely fluff or sadfic, you need to write the entire spectrum, or at least show pieces of it.<<
Yep.
>> A decent way to do that is to look at population estimates, too - this is what the population statistics are for this area, if you're basing it on a real-life setting, or else...<<
I totally use demographics to select character ethnicity, languages, etc. I tend to represent the more common disabilities within a group first. For something like handedness or sexuality, assume that the statistics hold true, but I only write it down if I notice it. I have a handful of lefties mentioned, but something like 10% of people are left-handed, so I know I haven't listed them all. Doesn't mean they aren't there.
>> model real-life and tweak based on how the culture and people likely would have developed and do world building. <<
When I set out to do worldbuilding, I build it from the ground up. This is apparently rare, but it's the only way to get something really solid. That means if someone asks me a question about how superpowers work in Terramagne, I can usually answer it or derive an answer, because I've thought about how these things work.
>> But it seems like the art of world building got lost among the habit of writing what's been shown to sell instead of creating genuinely new fiction. :/ <<
Alas, this is true.
>> And it can be hilarious to make an underdog character poke fun at various villainous forces they're at odds with in society. <<
Yep.
>> The thing is that those can feel excessive if the entire character is based around fighting those things, or the author sucks at balancing serious issues with humor. <<
What I like to do is wind them up and let them go, because it doesn't take long before such characters run into the logical consequences of their actions. This can be entertaining. I mean, look at Fortressa. She's already embarrassed herself by saving a jerk and by letting someone bribe her into stopping a nuclear reaction. How long do you think her "punch first, ask questions later" approach will last before she hits the wrong person?
>> At least locally, if you're familiar with the cues you can spot genderqueer people by style. They have their own clothing, hair, color schemes, etc. just like women and men do. Some people intentionally dress to fit their subculture, especially if they want to signal it to other people who might have it in common. There are a few people on the local campus who wear They/Them/Their and the Transgender/Nonbinary symbol on t-shirts.<<
Often true, yes. Do you really think superheroes will be less inclined? Especially after seeing that this subculture tends to plaster its affinities across the chest of the uniform? Queenie may not have named himself, but he certainly chose the triangle-pink color of his uniform.
>>There are differences. It's okay to *show* them, because how else are people supposed to see how to take someone *at face value* instead of thinking that trans people are invisible or that someone doesn't look masculine/feminine enough to count as a real guy/girl?<<
Not to mention Hefty liking pink and wearing gay unicorn t-shirts because he looks like a fireplug with a head, and if he didn't flag himself, nobody would know. He wants them to know gay men can look like that, be cops, and be happily married.
>> It's like "Dumbledore is gay" all over again. It doesn't count as representation if the audience needs to be informed after the fact. <<
I think that's the one justifiable example I've heard. No teen wants to hear about their principal's sex life. Uckies uckies uckies! It would be totally inappropriate to include that. (A gay student would have been advisable.) However, when someone proposed a wrong storyline, Rowling backed up Dumbledore instead of going along. That's a good thing.
>> So far Paranatural (with RJ), Monsterkind (with Loise), and PragueRace (various, but Untamo and Miko are the starring examples) have done good with including trans and nonbinary characters without making it a primary characteristic. PragueRace is great with that because it actually treats being trans or nonbinary as background traits that come through in other parts of the story. And I'm sure these authors aren't the only ones who do this.<<
Yay!
>> Good examples of trans characters do exist in comics... Just not what you'd find on bookstore shelves.<<
There are webcomics that are brilliant, like Young Protectors.
>> They're also missing a huge opportunity to let cis readers imagine how their lives would change if that happened to them.<<
That's the whole point of transformation fiction in furry genres. It's quite popular. The old SCABS series has some of the best, and it touches on everything from species dysphoria to gendershifting to ageshifting, plus of course discrimination.
>> Sure, you get the initial reactions that most people think about, but... Then what? Now you have a character who's used to being a different sex than the body they now inhabit. The extent of that change surpasses most people's ability to predict how they'd react to it - they're going to be blindsided and hunting for solutions for the most simple things that now no longer work for them, and discomfort aside. <<
Yeah, it's really rough. It's hard even if you want it, just from all the new stuff you have to learn. If you don't want it, then it's a nightmare.
>> That creates a ton of unique issues along with overlap for stuff that trans people deal with. You get to show a cis person what it's like to be treated as a different gender. You can even play with gender fluidity there, if the character happens to like aspects of their different body or has the ability to change it.<<
Yep.
Also parallel experiences occur -- like Calliope melting down over the realization that primal soups get treated pretty much like transfolk do. Ouch.
>> The phrasing in that one is confusing as heck to me. Transgender is an identity, not a fixed state of being... <<
Yes, exactly.
I think the author meant that it shouldn't count if the character is said to be transgender but spends a lot of time presenting as their assigned-at-birth gender. Trouble is, lots of transfolk do that. Cal uses Calvin as the secret identity, and that works -- but it doesn't negate the stress of faking a masculine identity. No wonder Vagary worries about this, but at least he understands that it's not his decision and he doesn't have a right to nag Cal about it. The one part of their relationship that is NOT fucked up is the gender dynamic, which is usually the most fucked up part of a trans/cis relationship.
>> It's also dismissive of gender fluid or multi-gender people who *might* be uncomfortable with their form some of the time but not all of the time or even not most of the time.<<
Good point.
Come to that, I think that Cal might be able to make some peace with the Calvin side, but I'm not sure this is the way to go about it.
>> Someone can identify as transgender but not live 99% of their life as the pinnacle of transgender experience. For some people it really matters; for others it doesn't.<<
Yep.
>> I imagine the same could be said to shapeshifters who routinely change their sex but whose gender may or may not change with it - and even if someone isn't transgender, routinely being mistaken for a different gender can have its own overlapping issues.<<
True.
Over in the Blueshift Troupers, they change sex sometimes. Their orientation and gender identity may stay the same, or may change. And that doesn't bother them! They just roll with it, same as they do with changes in ability or shape or color. Sometimes they get a trait they don't like, but they deal with it, because they know it isn't permanent. It's just an experience they're having.
... actually, that's how I cope with being morphlocked in a body that doesn't suit most of my preferences. I am not my body. It's just something I'm wearing for a while. Having it on doesn't make me any less myself, even though it doesn't fit all that well. I have been many things; I can deal with this.
And for that, people tell me I'm not "really" genderqueer. Well, if they want to be wrong, it's their choice. I'm not going to pick up the pieces if they break their reality tunnel when they see me jump up and hit things.
>> I get the feeling that the author has some idea of a transgender story that... isn't. There *is* no universal experience of transness. :/ And the experiences are there have a lot of overlap with other life experiences related to dissonance between expectations/desires and reality.<<
So very true.
>>They're going to end up with another queer subgenre at a different polarity than the *current* examples, and not a diverse spectrum.<<
That's what I think too.
It's one reason I love crowdfunding so much. When I have lots of fans giving me prompts, I'm not just writing from my own perspective anymore. I can incorporate the very real experiences of other people, who aren't all writers, and thus expand the range of representation.
I don't think it's an accident that I attract a lot of trans, genderqueer, and other QUILTBAG folks.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-01-12 05:58 am (UTC)Gonna need to save that guide.
It's really strange. I know friends who've had people rear up and start snapping after they pointed out the bad points in modern trends to tear down heroes and follow the theme of "you can't have anything nice and I, the writer, am going to destroy all of it, because that's the way the world is". When you criticize something people like they will fight with you, even if the criticism is legitimate. It's like you can't have a civil conversation about it, with the other party pointing out things they disagree with or like instead of immediately going on the defensive, which helps... absolutely nothing.
>> That show creeps me out. I do not like its power dynamics at all. <<
It's ugly. It's like the writers decided that "queer" means orgies and angst, then amped it up to 11. Full of racist tropes, non-consensual mind-wiping, on-screen SI, on-screen rape, murder, sexual abuse, etc... It's... Ugh. The magickal schools genre has *so much* potential for beauty and they just wiped their asses with it.
>> I think that's the one justifiable example I've heard. No teen wants to hear about their principal's sex life. Uckies uckies uckies! It would be totally inappropriate to include that. <<
Fair point. :/ Having it mentioned would be completely out of place, and it's good of her to correct a storyline... But I still think it's cheap of Rowling to get credit for including a queer character with no indication that he's actually queer in the canon.
>> The old SCABS series has some of the best <<
SCABS as in... webcomic, weblit? I have never heard of it. o-o
>> like Calliope melting down over the realization that primal soups get treated pretty much like transfolk do. <<
Meanwhile there are more than enough people who will start throwing bricks if you even try to compare types of discrimination with real parallels... To the extent that even trait-having people will insist they're not oppressed because they aren't specifically targeted and saying they are takes attention away from other marginalized groups. :|
>> I think the author meant that it shouldn't count if the character is said to be transgender but spends a lot of time presenting as their assigned-at-birth gender. <<
I can count three genderqueer friends who do that off the top of my head. Those three are also non-binary, so it's already impractical for them to try to have the same conversations and fights with everyone they come out to. :/ People get binary trans more than they do enbies. Enbies are unicorns; most people are convinced they don't exist.
>> No wonder Vagary worries about this, but at least he understands that it's not his decision and he doesn't have a right to nag Cal about it. <<
\o/ Yay Vagary! That's one boundary he is good at!
>> Come to that, I think that Cal might be able to make some peace with the Calvin side, but I'm not sure this is the way to go about it. <<
Can I ask what problems there are with it, for Cal?
>> ... actually, that's how I cope with being morphlocked in a body that doesn't suit most of my preferences. I am not my body. It's just something I'm wearing for a while. Having it on doesn't make me any less myself, even though it doesn't fit all that well. I have been many things; I can deal with this. <<
Sounds like it works well for you. Kind of like non-attachment, applied to the body instead of other physical things?
I think that's how some people come with being here. It's mixed, since most aren't practiced with that and don't have... you know, experience. Or at least any they remember having. It sounds better than freaking out about things not being perfect. Me, I just try to stay in the present and not stress myself out thinking about it.
>> Well, if they want to be wrong, it's their choice. I'm not going to pick up the pieces if they break their reality tunnel when they see me jump up and hit things. <<
[[snrk]] Borrowing that. It sounds like you're speaking from experience.
>> I can incorporate the very real experiences of other people, who aren't all writers, and thus expand the range of representation. <<
\o/ When someone's too short to hop the fence, give them a boost! :D
>> I don't think it's an accident that I attract a lot of trans, genderqueer, and other QUILTBAG folks. <<
No accident. :) People will come running when they find somebody producing stuff they actually like. And writers who not only do it well but take requests and listen are rare... As I'm sure you know. ;)
- Gray
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-01-12 09:10 am (UTC)It's fine to have antiheroes. They're interesting. But few people want a steady diet of them. It's not fine to make all characters antiheroes and ban classic heroes.
>>It's ugly. It's like the writers decided that "queer" means orgies and angst, then amped it up to 11. Full of racist tropes, non-consensual mind-wiping, on-screen SI, on-screen rape, murder, sexual abuse, etc... It's... Ugh.<<
Yeesh.
>> The magickal schools genre has *so much* potential for beauty and they just wiped their asses with it.<<
I think the idea of vulnerable young people appeals to the worst in some folks. They like the virtual rape or child soldier motifs. >_< I myself do not.
The closest thing to a super school in Terramagne thus far is what the Marionettes have for all their kids. Anyone attempting to hit a mob compound would be so much shark food. And the cops? Would be busy elsewhere.
>>Fair point. :/ Having it mentioned would be completely out of place, and it's good of her to correct a storyline... But I still think it's cheap of Rowling to get credit for including a queer character with no indication that he's actually queer in the canon.<<
Hence why I said it would've been better to specify a queer student.
>>SCABS as in... webcomic, weblit? I have never heard of it. o-o <<
Weblit, and I'm pleased to see that it's still up.
>> Meanwhile there are more than enough people who will start throwing bricks if you even try to compare types of discrimination with real parallels...<<
Painfully true. But it's a routine part of literature to deal with difficult truths at a safe remove. It just works better if you do it mindfully than accidentally or as a gag.
>> To the extent that even trait-having people will insist they're not oppressed because they aren't specifically targeted and saying they are takes attention away from other marginalized groups. :| <<
Yyyyeah.
>> I can count three genderqueer friends who do that off the top of my head. Those three are also non-binary, so it's already impractical for them to try to have the same conversations and fights with everyone they come out to. :/ People get binary trans more than they do enbies. Enbies are unicorns; most people are convinced they don't exist.<<
Yeah, that's a challenge.
>> \o/ Yay Vagary! That's one boundary he is good at! <<
It really is, and I think it holds up hope for their relationship.
>> Can I ask what problems there are with it, for Cal? <<
Cal grew up as Calvin, a boy, which didn't really fit, so he repressed the dysphoria and tried really hard to be a guy, as some transfolk do.
Then the tornado happened and suddenly there was the gendershifting. Changing into Calliope made it impossible to ignore the dysphoria -- Cal is much happier as a woman.
But there's still a whole life's worth of Calvin, which makes a bulletproof cover identity for Calliope. It's safe. It's familiar. Living as a man, however, puts a lot of strain on Cal inside. That also makes it harder to expand life as Calliope.
That whole history plays into the conflict because Cal is "doing" Calvin without fitting into the body or role any better. An 8-hour workday is a LOT. Asshole transphobe coworker does not help.
Yet underneath all that, gendershifting is an outward manifestation of humanity's dual nature. A man has an inward feminine spirit, the anima; a woman has an animus. Gendershifters can make both forms fully manifest. There's just enough difference between Calvin and Calliope to make me suspect that if Calliope could make peace with her animus -- accept that Calvin is a real part of her -- it would be more comfortable. Wearing him as a costume is safe from people cracking the cover, but not the healthiest life choice overall. And figuring out how to make that change is hard, especially with her plate already full of gender coaching in general and couples therapy on top of that.
>> Sounds like it works well for you. Kind of like non-attachment, applied to the body instead of other physical things?<<
That and impermanence. It's where I am now, but won't always be. I've been other things; I will be again.
>> I think that's how some people come with being here. It's mixed, since most aren't practiced with that and don't have... you know, experience. Or at least any they remember having. It sounds better than freaking out about things not being perfect. Me, I just try to stay in the present and not stress myself out thinking about it.<<
Good point.
>> [[snrk]] Borrowing that. It sounds like you're speaking from experience. <<
Yep. People have a tendency to see boobs and make certain assumptions that aren't true. As long as it doesn't cause trouble, I ignore it; in most situations, it's not actually important for anyone to know my gender. But if they start trying to dictate what I can or can't do based on the shape of my meat, I can and will take a wrecking ball to their reality tunnel. Or just not nerf myself, which amounts to the same effect in the end.
>> \o/ When someone's too short to hop the fence, give them a boost! :D <<
Exactly. What a scribe's for, really.
>>No accident. :) People will come running when they find somebody producing stuff they actually like. And writers who not only do it well but take requests and listen are rare... As I'm sure you know. ;) <<
Sooth. It's why I recommend niche marketing. There's a lot of territory that just isn't written much, which means very low competition.