Discord Comics
A collection of Queer LGBT* Comics by Tab Kimpton
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alright i know that this comic is pretty old and that no ones going to see this comment but this is really bothering me
hinting to the readers that a character is trans by saying that there’s “something off about them” and that the main character can basically notice that they’re trans is seriously not cool. Especially how it’s being handled with Charlie.
There’s a general stereotype that all trans people have “characteristics” of their assigned gender that people can easily notice, and that they’ll basically never pass for their true gender; this way of thinking is extremely detrimental to trans people, many of whom commit suicide due to believing that they’ll never truly pass for the gender they know themselves to be.
This way of introducing trans people into the narrative, stating that there’s something off about them that sets them apart from others of their gender, only serves to strengthen these horrible stereotypes.
I’m cis so I can’t speak much this, but the way I figure, the way Amber talked about Tom was “like a great secret hovering in the air,” and I’ve actually felt that way about many people and it does feel like there’s something off about them. Because there’s a secret they’re keeping, and sometimes you can tell if it’s a secret similar to yours. And those that feel themselves to be outcasts attract one another. You could put me in a room full of “normal” people with one fellow weirdo, and I’d gravitate to the weird one every time. (I use the word “weirdo” affectionately, since there are a lot of ways of being “Other” and no way am I going to try to list them all.)
So, while Charlie’s physical characteristics may be what is being noticed here, for me, it’s more an intuitive sense of Otherness. Maybe that’s what Amber picked up on, and the reference to the Adam’s apple just told her what the secret was.
Tl;dr: There’s more to passing than just the physical. You also need to not seem like someone with a secret.
It’s been a few years. And now, speaking as someone trans, I can honestly say that I DON’T pass. Like, at all. If I don’t wear a pronoun pin, people use female pronouns. Since I work in customer service, this REALLY sucks.
One thing that I think has to be realized is that Tab’s characters are all PEOPLE, and people have flaws. People do stupid shit and transphobic shit and that is all very very real. These problems happen in real life, that’s what makes them so relatable. So, yeah, Amber does stupid shit. Because not only is she a person, she’s also a teenager. And as someone else said, this was written awhile back.
So I see what Tab is trying to do, and I think (he? she? they?) succeeded very well. I have loved these comics to pieces since I first read them, and I always will. I hope the stories I eventually write are this good.
ok, the above anon may have a point but honestly, I get that you weren’t trying to offend anybody tab, so, please don’t feel bad about it, Honestly though I didn’t even consider it until the adams apple thing.
Yeah, this comic is a bit off. I also noticed a lot of mysoginy comments from protagonists in the previous chapters. But it can’t be helped now. Those stories are from 2006. And by art skill and story’s quality I would say author was 12 at the moment.
…just realised that comment was kinda ageism’ish. Sorry.
I meant I came up with art and story’s of such bad quality (with offending jokes and lines, awful representations, etc) when I was around 12. So from here I’m judging.
I don’t know. Some people can tell and some people can’t. Some Trans people always pass and some people never pass. I feel no harm in representing this in the story. Also almost every character in Tab’s stories has problematic parts to them and great parts to them. I really appreciate that about Tab, I think everything gets handled in a really human way.
I am cis passing currently, but I will never pass for my actual gender. That’s a reality that can be represented to.
Just an interesting tidbit from a cis woman… There are times I don’t pass for my birth gender. When I was working at a corner store, both me and my cis male coworker were constantly mistaken for the opposite gender. I would be asked about “the girl who works cash register”, and I would squint and ask if they meant me. They would blink and go “Oh… No, the other girl.” I would then ask if they meant the manager. Eventually I figured it out and corrected people ahead of time. I would be called “sir” more often than “mam”, and Chris was just the opposite.
The only thing that’s changed now is my hair. But I like shorter hair because longer hair is itchy and messy.
i’m a cis girl and i cut my hair short in high school (very much like. after puberty.) and i got mistaken for a boy constantly, it’s hilarious how people base gender so entirely on hair and clothes
just a general response to a lot of the comments her: I feel like it’s important to realise that there’s a difference between the author’s opinion and the characters’ opinion. eg obviously the author isn’t homophobic but jamie is a character that begins by being super offensive! bc he’s a character and that’s an intentional choice!
like here, amber (who was raised by rich, privileged parents) is having thoughts that are reflective of her environment and her ignorance, which doesn’t mean the author thinks this way at all <3
As a trans guy that took a long time and many years of hormone therapy to pass, I remember once going to a book signing by Ryan Sallans (awesome guy, look him up) and asked how to deal with people misgendering you. He told me, that most people don’t misgender or even make uncomfortable observations coming from a place of malice. That was nearly ten years ago and that lesson was absolutely vital to surviving my transition. That is the vibe I get from Amber here. I don’t think she means anything negative here and the way she phrases her own private thoughts do no damage to Charlie, at all. It’s all in how we outwardly treat people that matters the most.