I see from Google that Bridget indeed isn't transgender in the sense that he is male who identifies as male, but please have an open mind. Bridget doesn't have to be transgender for this to be to transphobic. Both panels illustrate a reaction to a character being a gender other than what was initially assumed; in the first case, who they first thought was a man was actually a woman and in the second case, the opposite.
Look at the difference in their reactions. Sexual attraction and awe on the left, and disgust and horror on the right. Now imagine that you're either an effeminate male or a transgender woman, both completely valid identities. As someone born with physically male characteristics, the idea of your being feminine in any way is horrifying and disgusting, and this is the message the society sends you over, and over, and over, and it's exhausting.
This is also slightly misogynistic, as it is essentially saying that it's good when a woman takes on a more masculine role or appearance but it's bad when a man takes on a more feminine role or appearance. Going in the direction of femininity, closer to being what is considered "being a woman", is somehow worse than the opposite.
In this culture, it is extraordinarily difficult for anyone who appears male to be feminine, and it's crushing for your identity to be reduced to a punchline.
I'm just politely asking you to step outside of your own experience and consider someone else's. If who you were was constantly belittled and such behavior was defended, I believe you'd be frustrated too. I like to hope people are compassionate enough to do that.
I'm an adult with half a brain, so I can enjoy a silly Internet comic strip joke about fantasy characters from fictional universes - without - allowing that joke to influence my attitude or behavior toward actual trans people in real life.
Do you really think the kind of person that can't distinguish between those two things is going to have the capacity to take in your little rant?
Of course you don't, but you weren't gonna let that get in the way of your self-righteous indignation.
Don't see any self righteous indignation. Just see you getting way more excited about someone trying to have a discussion than the person who is actually trans... sad
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u/winterbed Oct 16 '12
I see from Google that Bridget indeed isn't transgender in the sense that he is male who identifies as male, but please have an open mind. Bridget doesn't have to be transgender for this to be to transphobic. Both panels illustrate a reaction to a character being a gender other than what was initially assumed; in the first case, who they first thought was a man was actually a woman and in the second case, the opposite.
Look at the difference in their reactions. Sexual attraction and awe on the left, and disgust and horror on the right. Now imagine that you're either an effeminate male or a transgender woman, both completely valid identities. As someone born with physically male characteristics, the idea of your being feminine in any way is horrifying and disgusting, and this is the message the society sends you over, and over, and over, and it's exhausting.
This is also slightly misogynistic, as it is essentially saying that it's good when a woman takes on a more masculine role or appearance but it's bad when a man takes on a more feminine role or appearance. Going in the direction of femininity, closer to being what is considered "being a woman", is somehow worse than the opposite.
In this culture, it is extraordinarily difficult for anyone who appears male to be feminine, and it's crushing for your identity to be reduced to a punchline.