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So You're Cis And Want To Write Trans Characters: A Thread
Rule #1
SINCERITY
No trans/NBi character will be believable or authentic without proper sincerity on your part. Unless you truly WANT to have gender nonconforming and trans representation in your show, all trans characters will fell like charicatures
SINCERITY
No trans/NBi character will be believable or authentic without proper sincerity on your part. Unless you truly WANT to have gender nonconforming and trans representation in your show, all trans characters will fell like charicatures
Rule #2
VARIETY
Trans and non-binary genders make up more than Male and Female combined, or even doubled. The way they're perceived by others in their world should have the same amount of variety. Its not just MtF and FtM. There's SO much more
VARIETY
Trans and non-binary genders make up more than Male and Female combined, or even doubled. The way they're perceived by others in their world should have the same amount of variety. Its not just MtF and FtM. There's SO much more
Rule #3
RIGHT TO EXIST
Your trans characters don't need to explain or discuss their transness unless it's critical to their character development or the plot. If one of those things is true >>>
RIGHT TO EXIST
Your trans characters don't need to explain or discuss their transness unless it's critical to their character development or the plot. If one of those things is true >>>
Rule #4
HIRE A CONSULTANT
If you're writing about a character who is openly trans and whose transness is critical to the story, hire a transgender sensitivity consultant! This is non-negotiable!
HIRE A CONSULTANT
If you're writing about a character who is openly trans and whose transness is critical to the story, hire a transgender sensitivity consultant! This is non-negotiable!
Rule #5
AUTHENTIC SELF
The world isn't just "trans" and "cis". I highly encourage you as a cis writer to explore what gender means to YOU and how YOU feel pressured by societies expectations for your gender. Think about ways you want to have explored your expression in the past.
AUTHENTIC SELF
The world isn't just "trans" and "cis". I highly encourage you as a cis writer to explore what gender means to YOU and how YOU feel pressured by societies expectations for your gender. Think about ways you want to have explored your expression in the past.
Rule #5 (cont):
AUTHENTIC SELF
I give this advice to a lot of cis creators. Odds are there is some way they've felt constricted by societies "gender boxes"! I encourage cis ppl to play with the way gender is expressed not just through trans characters but cis characters, too!
AUTHENTIC SELF
I give this advice to a lot of cis creators. Odds are there is some way they've felt constricted by societies "gender boxes"! I encourage cis ppl to play with the way gender is expressed not just through trans characters but cis characters, too!
Note that this is just MY opinion. Different trans people will have different experienced from each other and will need different kinds of consulting if you want to write a character based off that experience. A trans man and a man have VERY different experiences ditto with women
(Trans man and CIS man i ran out of space!!!)
I bet y'all thought I was gonna have some easy advice, didn't you? Just some "add these pronouns" advice? WRONG! I require INTROSPECTION and PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!!
This thread is NOT here to tell you to message trans people asking for free advice but rather to have you be introspective and HIRE A CONSULTANT
I might add that I myself am NOT a transgender media consultant, but you CAN pay people who are! https://twitter.com/dallas_hawthorn/status/1362744087892414468
I might add that I myself am NOT a transgender media consultant, but you CAN pay people who are! https://twitter.com/dallas_hawthorn/status/1362744087892414468
Please don't even offer me money for this! I am just one trans person who isn't trained to do sensitivity work! There are so many people out there who ARE and who are ALSO trans and you can AND SHOULD hire them! Just because I'm trans doesn't mean I'm an expert activist!
One final Post Script:
Not every single trans/NBi person will be able to relate to the trans characters you write. That's ok! That's a good thing! We KNOW that gender is unique, and your characters should be too! If your trans character is universally relatable, you did it wrong
Not every single trans/NBi person will be able to relate to the trans characters you write. That's ok! That's a good thing! We KNOW that gender is unique, and your characters should be too! If your trans character is universally relatable, you did it wrong
