I mean, I know this isn't speaking for myself, but last I checked the Trans Girl Tamaru headcanon wasn't met with open arms from everyone. Isn't that just more ignorance? Couldn't that easily be part of an overall problem?

Also imo Trans Tamaru implies a Trans character can't be their own character. They have to be a pre-existing character, if we apply this to the real world it means a Trans person irl can't make it without the help of a cis person. See how offensive that sounds? So there, before you generalize try looking for pieces of the puzzle and understand the story.

That's my piece. Thank you for listening. Also not gonna deny that there are probably actually bigots who hate Trans Tamaru but they're most likely a minority.

Hmm, you're right. Well, I do disagree with a few points, but overall I made this entry to speak for myself. There's really only so much I can say about that issue. I guess that was insensitive of me. I'll remove that point from the entry.

Thank you for the reply.

cripes tek sorry but i gotta say something to this response im sorry, i hope its still relevant since it involves representation and im kinda speaking from my own pov as a trans person so thats what it all revolves around but yeah sorry for the impending wall of text

Okay I have a problem with this statement here. I've kept this quiet for a while but I'll say it now, I don't like the Trans girl Tamara thing. Why? Because I'm a close minded bigot? No not even close. My reason is the evidence supporting it is incredibly flimsy and had some shotty reasoning (Tamaru's name sounds feminine? So does Takua). it also used nonexistent evidence as well. How do we know Tamaru's body build is more feminine or masculine? All the matoran bodies in MNOG II looked the same only varying in color. How do we know Tamaru tried to make his voice sound feminine? The rest is pretty much fanfiction. To see people embrace something because "OMG A TRANS CHARACTER!!" And ignoring how weak the case for the headcanon is just make it worse.

Also imo Trans Tamaru implies a Trans character can't be their own character. They have to be a pre-existing character, if we apply this to the real world it means a Trans person irl can't make it without the help of a cis person. See how offensive that sounds? So there, before you generalize try looking for pieces of the puzzle and understand the story.

alright look pal as the trans person who came up with the trans tamaru headcanon im at an absolute loss as to why youre feeling the need to nitpick so hard at that specifically. since this is an entry about representation i think im going to put in my two cents, as a trans person

> Why? Because I'm a close minded bigot? No not even close. 

im going to stop you right there and tell you that its not really your place to decide whether or not youre being a good person in this regard because if you just up and decide "oh, im a good person already" then it shuts you out from learning to be an even better person.

anyway that said

> My reason is the evidence supporting it is incredibly flimsy and had some shotty reasoning (Tamaru's name sounds feminine? So does Takua). it also used nonexistent evidence as well. How do we know Tamaru's body build is more feminine or masculine? All the matoran bodies in MNOG II looked the same only varying in color. How do we know Tamaru tried to make his voice sound feminine? The rest is pretty much fanfiction.

youre uh. yeah youre using headcanon material to sit there and shut down a thing thats ... a headcanon ... ? you might think the canon reasoning used is flimsy but? i didnt?

also, you cant say tamaru DIDNT do those things. because its all headcanon. fanfiction. we can argue til the cows come home but the fact remains that you cant prove these things didnt happen, and yet youre still adamant on it

> To see people embrace something because "OMG A TRANS CHARACTER!!" And ignoring how weak the case for the headcanon is just make it worse.

have you ever considered that maybe a lot of the people supporting the headcanon were trans people? we get like almost no positive representation at all? nobody cares about evidence because the headcanon literally isnt hurting anyone

ans also, relying on "visible evidence" for someone being trans, even a fictional character, is kinda really bad? because youre sitting here relying on tropes and stereotypes on how trans people should act and thus are basing your entire opinion on that.

> Also imo Trans Tamaru implies a Trans character can't be their own character. They have to be a pre-existing character, if we apply this to the real world

this is literally the most rotten tripe ive seen all week tbh. just because someone headcanons an existing character as trans it doesnt magically make them a different character

youre literally saying "if we apply this to the real world" when buddy guess what, it already does. let me get real irl personal here: i distinctly remember like. a couple weeks ago? i literally heard my mom crying in the other room because she still thinks that because because my brother and i are both trans, she had to "bury her kids". she literally thinks we somehow replaced her old kids or something and like were entirely new people. everyone else in my family is also particularly dead set on calling me by my birthname and referring to me as male because ill always be "their little boy" to them. as if i am an entirely new person

i hate to tell you this pal, but that thing literally happens all the time in real life to trans people everywhere

anyway, i also hate the fact that youre implying its on the shoulders of people seeking representation to just make their own, because  (1) that doesnt always work because someone doing that usually ends up attracting hate from the majority and  (2) it should already be up to the creators of popular content to do that as well, because then more people will see it and be able to relate to it than if an independent creator saw it. obviously there are a few exceptions but for the most part, thats what happens

i could sit here and make trans ocs all the live long day, and thats all fine and dandy, but ultimately its still entirely up to me to make my own representation, which shouldnt have to happen. especially since ultimately, my ocs arent part of anything. at all.

meanwhile, fitting tamaru into a trans narrative, which honestly isnt that hard considering theres barely any actual canon info because tamaru is such a minor character, is better and more satisfying for a lot of people because its an existing and familiar character, so we can feel more like were a part of a story with characters like us

> it means a Trans person irl can't make it without the help of a cis person

newsflash pal, i can attest to the fact that this literally happens in real life but it isnt because were weak and helpless and try to fit our experiences into fictional characters, its because cis people like to screw us over at absolutely every turn, from major things like yknow, killing us and leaving us homeless and denying us proper care, to minor like trying to speak over us when we try to talk about our experiences and yelling at us when we try to identify with a character because cis writers cant be bothered to give us any proper representation, thus leaving us absolutely alienated and feeling like we dont belong

> See how offensive that sounds? So there, before you generalize try looking for pieces of the puzzle and understand the story.

yeah that. that is offensive brah and i dont know what youre trying to prove by pulling out something that actually happens and using it to shut us up. it sounds like the person who needs to learn to look at things before generalizing is you, especially since this is an entry about wanting to find representation, and thats exactly what this original post is about?

at least thats what im getting out of it god sorry again tek good solid entry very relateable but that comment got to me sorry again because it felt like it missed the entire point of the entry sorry for the absolute wall of text

@Caesar Zeppeli

There is no need for an apology to me. You are entitled to your opinion as a trans person the same way I am entitled to my opinion as a gay person. I was honestly hoping someone like you would add in a different perspective to the debate. I'm a firm believer in speaking for myself, and I did mention that was the overall goal for this entry. While I personally see evidence to suggest I'm nonbinary on some level (which can be considered within the transspectrum), I also think that I am not personally binary trans. Basically, I didn't think it was my place to speak over binary trans people; I believe they are capable of speaking for themselves. That is why I decided to remove that point from the entry.

I was going to add another blog entry with my thoughts on Dumbledore's representation as a gay character in Hary Potter and explain why as a gay man I personally don't find it offensive (the argument is similar to yours. I'll jot down my thoughts at a later date).

While your tone of text can come off as aggressive, I also greatly value your input as a trans person and the creator of the headcanon. (Again, sorry if this is tedious, but this is a subject I feel I should handle with care).

Thank you for your reply.

Well this should be fun. Where to begin?

> Why? Because I'm a close minded bigot? No not even close. im going to stop you right there and tell you that its not really your place to decide whether or not youre being a good person in this regard because if you just up and decide "oh, im a good person already" then it shuts you out from learning to be an even better person.

youre uh. yeah youre using headcanon material to sit there and shut down a thing thats ... a headcanon ... ? you might think the canon reasoning used is flimsy but? i didnt? also, you cant say tamaru DIDNT do those things. because its all headcanon. fanfiction. we can argue til the cows come home but the fact remains that you cant prove these things didnt happen, and yet youre still adamant on it

have you ever considered that maybe a lot of the people supporting the headcanon were trans people? we get like almost no positive representation at all? nobody cares about evidence because the headcanon literally isnt hurting anyone

ans also, relying on "visible evidence" for someone being trans, even a fictional character, is kinda really bad? because youre sitting here relying on tropes and stereotypes on how trans people should act and thus are basing your entire opinion on that.

anyway, i also hate the fact that youre implying its on the shoulders of people seeking representation to just make their own,

at least thats what im getting out of it god sorry again tek good solid entry very relateable but that comment got to me sorry again because it felt like it missed the entire point of the entry sorry for the absolute wall of text

There are a few small nitpicks I feel with some points overall, however one point has hopefully been made clear here: Generalizations can be dangerous.

I think Scanty was right in speaking up. I mentioned in my blog post I was speaking for myself. While writing the entry I gave a weak point. It was not my intention to imply that everyone who disliked the headcanon was bigoted or being transphobic.

My original point was that the fact it was made into a larger issue of tokenism was a sign of poor trans representation on the whole. It was a weak point and one that was poorly represented on my part.

However, Scanty, from what I could tell the main issue Caesar Zeppeli had was that your argument unintentionally implied that every person who is trans had a problem with the headcanon.

I think Caesar Zeppeli was right in speaking up.

And, yes, I believe I did recall some backlash from trans people on this site who took issue with the headcanon. I apologize for opening old wounds.

This, in my opinion, is where the concept of Tokenism gets tricky. I can see why adding Trans Girl Tamaru to the canon could potentially be an issue (S&T has its own system for adding story ideas to the main story, and the headcanon would need to meet the criteria for the Story Squad, I believe, or to get a confirmation from Greg, the main artist). However, for a headcanon, I believe that fits in the realm of fanfiction and anything goes.

In either scenario some people will agree with it, and others will disagree. The main reason it gained so much attention, in my opinion, is the poor representation of trans people on the whole.

Thank you for being open minded about this mate. You're probably one of the first people to do so. Sorry I didn't mention that the first time.

However, Scanty, from what I could tell the main issue Clover had was that your argument unintentionally implied that every person who is trans had a problem with the headcanon.

Personally I think she got it from the same place you got the notion that I thought every person who disliked the headcanon was transphobic and bigoted; intuition.

Sometimes it can be right, and sometimes it can be wrong.

At any rate, I disagree that the issue was over when I removed the point from the entry. You told me not to make a generalized statement because it could be considered offensive (even if it was not my intent to do so). You also did make a generalized statement which was taken the wrong way.

It happens. We're human. We all have our own issues to work past on some level.

Just because my family is problematic, that doesn't mean I won't come around eventually and that doesn't mean I don't love them. Just because someone says an insensitive phrase, that doesn't mean they can't be forgiven.

I have admitted to being ignorant, many times in this entry. I may still even be transphobic and arguably bigoted on some level myself. I am still unlearned in many aspects of gender studies, and so I will probably make many more insensitive remarks to other trans people before my life is over. Personally, I would rather admit that I am problematic and work to fix it even in a small way than try to use the benefit of the doubt to say I was never offensive to begin with. Because, if someone else says they felt offended by a word, that is their own opinion. It is up to them to decide if they were offended in the first place. When someone is offended by me, I do not get to decide that I did nothing wrong.

On some level, that was the point of this entry.

That said, there are still issues with what we have both said. I was speaking for Caesar Zeppeli by using my intuition. I'm sure she might have more to add to the discussion.

(Also, I asked a trans friend of mine. Transsexual is a term that could actually be considered dated. I was told "trans binary" and "fully trans" can refer to trans people on the gender binary. Nonbinary (what I currently identify with) can be considered "trans spectrum." I altered terminology above to match this as I was told they are generally considered less offensive.

At any rate, Caesar Zeppeli, if you have any more issues with anything that was said, please feel free to speak up.

I do not want to speak over anyone here. It was pointed out that it was insensitive of me to remove my comment before a trans binary person expressed whether or not it was offensive. I should have explained my case better when the issue came up. I apologize.

I'm gonna say this flat-out -- The Trans Tamaru headcanon hurt nothing and no one. It made a lot of transgender fans (myself included) feel a lot more included and, to be honest? It was really cool when the idea caught on in some circles, it kinda made me feel more comfortable in those groups of people because there wasn't this immature decrying over "omg a trans character???  IN MY MEDIA??? HOW BOUT NO???" which, I'm sorry, but that's really all this boils down to anymore.

So yeah, whine and throw a tantrum over the existence of a trans headcanon because you can't personally stomach it. I don't care if some people don't like it? It's harmless, it's fun, it feels nice to have a character you can be like "yeah, I totally like this idea and it gives me a place in the world."

I mean, it's ridiculous to sit down and urinate on someone's parade because you don't like it for... what reasons? Flimsy evidence... ? Seriously, get your head out of S&T and take a breath of fresh air.

I'm all for a discussion on representation and how media has lagged behind social consciousness, and how that in turn can hurt those marginalized by society.

I'm not for a discussion on how a headcanon that some people have and created to find representation for themselves in a piece of media is wrong, especially coming from the perspective of someone who's never had to search out for representation. Whether "all trans folks" like the Trans Tamaru headcanon or not (and the whole "my trans friends didn't like it so it's dumb" thing is so akin to "well my black friend said I can say it soooo you being uncomfortable with my use of that word is wrong too" that it's uncomfortable and frankly sort of inappropriate. People aren't props for your argument. One could say those folks aren't your sheild. ).

We're not going to have a conversation about whether you like someone's headcanon in a blog entry on BZP. No more replies about it from here. We are not going to do this. Period. People are entitled to their headcanons, and they are entitled to finding representation and safe spaces without someone telling them to get lost because it reduces the number of cis folks in something or some other appaling argument. Nope. Not happening. And if it continues past this comment there will be disciplinary action.

I feel as if my major problem with most forms of representation that I've seen is that they tend to latch onto the minority part and make it a huge part of who the character is.  Like it's always "This person is gay and also X" and not "This person is X and also gay."  And even that last one irritates me because I feel as if putting any emphasis on the gay part tends to make it a focus point of a character, which I can't really relate to because being gay isn't the end all be all of my existence.

Or this could just be my internalized homophobia.  Who knows.

Nigel: LGBT+ literature is a great way to go. As far as your parents are concerned, I think hearing about how other people have dealt with this kinda thing could be a big help.

(also, depending on where you live, you can find community support structures to help you through this. It's always good to have someone there for you)

I feel as if my major problem with most forms of representation that I've seen is that they tend to latch onto the minority part and make it a huge part of who the character is. Like it's always "This person is gay and also X" and not "This person is X and also gay." And even that last one irritates me because I feel as if putting any emphasis on the gay part tends to make it a focus point of a character, which I can't really relate to because being gay isn't the end all be all of my existence.

 

Or this could just be my internalized homophobia. Who knows.

@Paleo - Thanks. I've been seeking support in my own way for a little while now. As you can clearly see, I still have quite a ways to go in terms of figuring things out. Thanks for the tips.