Inspiration Point: The Princess

[ozaline]

The Princess is a cute webcomic about a young trans girl, name of Sarah. It's adorable, funny and serves as a pretty good primer on trans issues.

Here are a few pages.













It's a lot like Neko's post with the "there's a word for it," and there is a genderqueer character in this story too. I think using a younger cast benefits it a lot when it comes to some of the 101 intro to trans issues bits, because it keeps it from feeling condescending, plus it has some great jokes that wouldn't work with an older cast.

Comments

[kamino_neko]

This series is so good.

I need to get back into it...I lost track of it a schoolwork-induced-hiatus or two ago.

[deh_tommy]

If I may be so ignorant, are Children of Sarah's age wise or mature enough to know or believe for certain that they are transgender, or to decide if they are comfortable with transitioning to another gender?

[ozaline]

It depends on the person of course, but yes kids are coming out earlier and earlier. There was an 11 year old trans girl on the cover of McClains magazine a year ago, and there was a recent court case over a 4-year-old in Medicine Hat ( http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/medicine-hat-judges-ordered-4-year-old-not-to-wear-girls-clothes-in-public-1.3816829 ).

You of course will always get people who say they can't know what they're talking about, and will chide the parents for letting them express themselves... but I think kids are a lot more self-aware than we give them credit for... and the concept is floating around in society, and if kids know that what they're feeling is a thing, they might be able to express that really early.

[q99]

Definitely yes. I mean, think of the first comic, "there's a cloud over her head when she acts like a boy...". That's not a wisdom or maturity thing to begin with, that's just how their basic emotions *are*.

Iirc, gender identity is believed to form around 3.

[deh_tommy]

Thanks for telling me, since I'm generally ignorant of the psychological differences between boys/men and girls/women.

[q99]

This is great! I hadn't heard of it, but it reminds me a bit of another comic I read, Assigned Male.

[ozaline]

Out of Assigned Male, Validation, and The Princess; I like the Princess best.

[q99]

Validation's a bit different than the other two, having an adult protagonist rather than a kid.

There's also Rain, which is my favorite.


Transgirlnextdoor is something of a diary comic, random moments/thoughts from the rl writer.

[icon_uk]

"There's a WORD for us?" - I wonder how many people can recall the exact moment that a realisation like that struck them.

I was aware of the concept of being gay from an early age, but back in my day, you only really had the effeminate gay guy on the TV sitcom to relate to, and in the real world Government Ministers had to resign if they were discovered to be gay, because it was felt it compromised them from a security standpoint, so it was pretty much a negative association.

It took a long time to realise that you didn't have to be effeminate to be a gay man.

[lb_lee]

I know I can remember my realization moment, and it's that one very minor trans guy character in 'How Loathsome.' Total lightbulb moment for my wee trans self back in high school!

[leoboiko]

raises hand o/

[lb_lee]

Oh maaaaannnn I totally had the Princess in my trans comics talk too! :D It went well, by the way.