Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT

WCDT 2887-2891 (2-6 February 2015)

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Baphomet:

--- Quote from: efrumttr on 06 Feb 2015, 08:53 ---I think you missed his point competely. Think about it like this: why did Jeph create Claire? Why did he introduce a transgender character into the comic? Just because? If that's the case, then okay. But if Jeph is trying to send a larger message about trans acceptance or to raise awareness of transgender issues (which I at least think it's obvious that he is), then to portray Claire's life as we've seen it so far is more questionable. No, we don't need super dark comics where super bad things happen to Claire. But this is what I was trying to put my finger on in my post yesterday: it's been too easy. It's not representative of what life is like for the majority of transgender people. The question then arises as to whether that's helpful to his larger goals, because if people who don't have any experience with transgender people or the transgender community read this comic, they don't even get a hint of those issues.

--- End quote ---

In regards to Jeph's point in creating Claire, not necessarily speaking to you in particular:

Obviously I can't speak for Jeph, and am not claiming to. But I think that just having a trans person as an important character in a piece of (relatively) popular media is enough of a point. Especially in a relationship with the protagonist(?). Obviously trans people in real life face serious discrimination. But a lot of what's helped curb that discrimination against other historically discriminated-against groups has been representation.  Discrimination isn't a binary state, it's a scale. There are people who are active in it, and those who have a negative reaction simply because of cultural norms but haven't ever really thought about it. Just having trans people show up in a public, positive way helps slide that scale a little bit farther. The more a person in the "shallow" end encounters the idea of trans people just existing and not being crazed deviants, the more they're likely to overcome their cognitive dissonance when, say, a friend comes out as being a trans person later. Then that's one more person publicly having the idea that being trans is okay, and potentially one more incident of exposure for another person down the road. Over time, progress is made.

Obviously this is a sensitive issue, and there's also the problem of tokenism. That problem is compounded because it comes from "the other side" from discrimination. If you want to find a reason to be offended, you probably can regardless on where you stand re: trans people. I am no expert on the subject, but my gut feeling is you need a certain degree of cultural saturation before including a trans person becomes tokenism. Focus on the struggle for an issue so out of the public eye might even be counterproductive. I don't know where that line is or how to judge when we've reached it, but I don't feel like we have yet.

Is it cold in here?:
Global Moderator Comment Claire has never said whether she's had bottom surgery. She doesn't exist, but respecting her privacy is a good way to practice being decent toward real trans people. So, since she hasn't said, we shouldn't ask.

Endellion:

--- Quote from: MooskiNet on 06 Feb 2015, 06:37 ---
--- Quote from: Endellion on 06 Feb 2015, 06:36 ---
--- Quote from: MooskiNet on 06 Feb 2015, 06:15 ---
--- Quote from: Endellion on 06 Feb 2015, 06:13 ---
--- Quote from: osaka on 06 Feb 2015, 05:58 ---I just want to comment on how excellence has been goddamn achieved with Claire's hair. And then move along.

--- End quote ---

Would you call that a blow drive-by comment?  :claireface:

...

(K, one hell of a stretch but something called out for a pun. Probably the mention of Claire)

--- End quote ---

[AFTERGLOW]
Claire:   Well, I guess you're not a bicycle.
Marten:  Huh?
Claire:   You weren't too tired.
 :clairedoge:

--- End quote ---

Oh, nice one. I'd suggest we pun in tandem but I lack the wit to do that.

--- End quote ---

Don't backpedal on me now!

--- End quote ---

I'll try wheel hard to keep up.

(fever riddled brain equals long delay)

Technetium:

--- Quote from: SugarSparkle on 06 Feb 2015, 12:02 ---
--- Quote from: Technetium on 06 Feb 2015, 08:08 ---I kind of have an issue with how the whole story with Claire has gone. What makes the Martin-Claire relationship edgy/gutsy/controversial/interesting/etc is that trans people face a lot of problems that they shouldn't have to. At least in real life they do. I guess what bothers me is that Claire's existence in this comic, so far, is like a fairy-tale reality for trans people. Everything seems to be going the way that most trans people would want but few actually see (everyone she wants to be friends with accepts her, her family accepts her, the guy she pursues accepts her). Is this fair to the trans community? I am not trans or any other part of the LGBTQ spectrum, so I'm approaching this completely from the outside, but if I were to instead consider a different group that I belong to that is discriminated against (although I won't pretend it's anywhere near to the degree what trans people face), I would have a problem with a story about another character identified as being in that group and where the story basically wiped away all the struggles that members of that group face. By creating a story (again, I'd refer to it as almost being a fairy-tale) where a trans character never is shown having to actually deal with the kinds of injustices that real trans characters face, doesn't that cheapen those struggles?

I guess in the bigger picture of the comic, it seems like Jeph mainly creates characters that he likes and would want to be friends with. Homophobia, transphobia, racism... these things are essentially absent from the world of QC simply by the fact that they don't appear in any of the comic strips. Has there ever even been a single background character that didn't appear to be accepting of other ethnic groups or gender types? I can understand why he would want to create characters that he himself genuinely likes, but it kind of detracts from the whole idea that Claire or this relationship is particularly special, and makes her brother's reaction about her telling Martin about her gender type kind of silly. Why would her brother explode with that kind of over-protection if the characters live in a world where everyone is accepting?

That said, I like this comic and a happy ending like this can be nice in a kind of sugary way, I just wish sometimes the comic would approach these issues in a more challenging way.

--- End quote ---

But why should trans-issues be highlighted in everything? Not all trans-people have those issues. And I think it doesn't help those that choose to transition to see every single problem they may potentially face be focused on in every medium, as if that's how it will go. That's why many people are scared to do anything about their gender issues. I would love to see movies, shows, or read books or comics that have trans-characters that are 'normal' and blend in and aren't focused on because they're trans. This is what most trans-people want; to just transition and blend in. Most of us don't want to stick out. I also feel that expressing the need to see trans characters struggle and face problems merely perpetuates stereotypes. Not all of us have the issues you may think we do. I personally have had a smooth transition, my family has been accepting, all my friends have been accepting, in fact people from my past that I've contacted since have been supportive. I'm not only completely passable everywhere I go, but I'm also quite attractive (or so I've been told quite often). I know I got lucky in a lot of ways, but I think a lot of other trans-people have been in my situation. Many pass and blend in (or go 'stealth'), but you don't hear about that very much. Even in the trans-community, those in my position are often shunned or we're swept under the rug and not talked about. I like Claire and her story so far because it's more relatable to my life than most other trans-themed tales that I've heard or seen. I think it's completely fair that optimistic stories be told alongside the tragic or difficult stories. Smooth transitions aren't just fairytales, just as passability and acceptance aren't myths.

--- End quote ---
This was definitely interesting to read. I have always gotten the impression that the trans community is essentially "the most discriminated against minority group" currently. Similar to the #yesallwomen thing that was going around a while ago, I would have had no problem believing a #yesalltrans meme that said that virtually all trans people have faced extensive discrimination. Quite interesting to hear that that's not the case.

Alright.

explicit:
The only surgery I care about her getting is lasik, because she's cuter without glasses. I guess contacts work, but apparently they're scary. (I can't find the page, it's in there somewhere)

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