So like, there's been a whole Thing going around comic book spaces because a writer for DC comics, herself a trans woman, had wanted to do a storyline where Conner Kent came out as a trans woman. And there's a lot to discuss around that but there's one thins in particular I find...interesting.
Whenever a character in a long running medium is written to come out as queer, there's about 5-6 stock phrases that get repeated. "Why change an existing character? Why not make a new one that's always been trans?"
And I always find that so fucking funny.
For 34 years, there was this character. They were always written mostly as male, they had stereotypical male interests, there was honestly some tiny details you could find to support a trains reading here but you'd have to really do a close read of the entire character's history to notice them, and they were an author and had some interesting things going on but admittedly were a bland character.
Then after 34 years, right before their 35'th birthday, all of a sudden they come out as trans and start taking hormones and changed her pronouns and name and her entire story changed radically, and now she's in polyamorus relationships and has a primary love interest of a British trans woman and why couldn't they have kept the character the same why did she have to change all of a sudden?
I'm that character. That's my story.
Trans people often had lives before we realized we were trans. We often had stories before we knew that. And so often in media we only see trans people who always knew they were trans from a very young age, and that is some trans people, but not all of them. For many of us, there were minimal signs early in life unless you were really paying attention, and we often deal with real world people saying the same things except about our lived experiences.
So yeah. In my mind, now and forever, Conner Kent's egg just is waiting to crack.
(Also at some point I might write my first ever fanfic and do a crossover universe where I ship Connie Kent and Trans Spider-Gwen, we'll see.)
i know it's preaching to the choir on cohost dot org, but for cis people who have that reflex to jump to "why do they have to be trans suddenly? there were no signs!" about a character they like and become resentful of the authors responsible - look, get on your knees and thank those authors, because they're giving you the gift of an opportunity to work through these messy feelings with a fictional character and get over yourself, so that when a non-fictional person in your life comes out you don't hurt them with the same kind of noise
I really, really, really wish that Conner Kent story had been written. Kon's been my favorite Super from the jump and young me would have loved it. Hell, young me may have realized I wasn't cis sooner. I would like future kids to see a story like this.
