Frank Miller put a trans woman character in Dark Knight Returns, a demonized butch Nazi named Bruno with swastika tattoos on exposed breasts and buttocks… Yeah.
This stems from a transphobic conspiracy theory in conservative circles, holding the trans rights movement to have Nazi origins. While in reality, Nazis attempted to exterminate trans people under the label of “homosexual” and considered trans science rooted in Jewish degeneracy, American conservatives wrote decades later about trans science not existing until Nazis invented it as an exercise in horrific medical abuses. They then characterized the modern ‘70s trans movement as a Nazi movement. Contemporary TERFs accepted this idea, too. Frank Miller ended up sticking it in a Batman comic as an illustration of gothic horror.
The animated adaptation tried to clean it up by removing the lines indicating Bruno is trans and sticking her in pants that cover the buttocks. Now, it’s a cis woman demonized for being butch, still a Nazi, still with swastika boobs. Yeah, not much of an improvement.
There’s a good reason why we don’t talk about Bruno.
Still bothered by the US cultural idea that men can only be non-romantically intimate with one another in war-like or competitive circumstances.
I’m pretty quiet about the fact I’m a transman usually, but holy shit I need to tell you about the culture shock I’m going through because it’s blindsidingme.
There’s a huge sense of social isolation that comes with being perceived as male, because now people are subconsciously treating me as a potential predator. Allstrangers, no matter their gender, keep their guard up around me.
It made me realize that there is no inherent camaraderie in male socialization as there is in female socialization—unless, of course, it’s in very specific environments. And the fact I don’t amnbiently experience this mutual kinship in basic exchanges anymore is an insanely lonely feeling.
You know how badly this would have fucked my mind up if I had grown up with this?
It is 4:30am and I’m mourning the loss of a privilege I didn’t even know I had.
Anyway, I’m going to figure out how to navigate this. Don’t know how yet, but I’m gonna.
Absolutely, because it’s an extremely sticky issue.
Frankly, this is something I would’ve never understood without living the experience.
It’s now blatantly clear to me that most cis men probably experience chronic emotional malnutrition.They’re deprived of social connection just enough for it to seriously fuck with their psyches, but not enough for them to realize that it’s happening and what’s causing it.
It’s like they’re starving, but don’t know this because they’ve always been served 3 meals…except those meals have never been big enough.
This deprivation comes from all sides of aisle, by the way.
In the case of women: When I’m out in public and interact with women, all of them come off as incredibly aloof, cold, and mirthless. I have never experienced this before even though I know exactly what this composure is—the armor that keeps away creepy-ass men.
As someone who used to wear it myself, I know this armor is 100% impersonal. Nobody likes wearing it, and I can say with absolute certainty that women would dump the armor in favor of unconditional companionship with men if doing this didn’t run the risk of actual assault. (Trust me when I say women aren’t just being needlessly guarded.)
But I only have a complete understanding of this context because I’ve experienced female socialization. If I hadn’t, I would’ve thought this coldness was a conspiracy against me devised by roughly half of the human population. Even now, with all that I know about navigating the world as a woman, I’m failing to convince my monkey-brain that this armor isn’t social rejection.
And as for male socialization? Again, it seems taboo for a man to be platonically intimate with men for reasons I have yet to fully understand, but I think it boils down to a) the fact society teaches boys that it’s not okay to be soft with each other, and b) garden-variety homophobia. Our media only shows men being intimate with one another when they’re teamed up against a dire situation, and I’d bet real money it’s a huge reason why men gravitate toward activities that simulate being teamed up against an opposing force.
But men are not machines of war. Yes, testosterone absolutely gives you Dumb Bastard Brain, but that just makes you want to skateboard a wagon down a hill or duct-tape your friend to the wall, not kill someone.
The human species looks so much colder standing from this side.
I can see how men might convince themselves that their feelings of emotional desperation is personal weakness as opposed to a symptom they’re all experiencing from White Imperialism. Because this human connection, this frith, is as essential for our wellbeing as water is.
So sick. How sick. I want to destroy this garbage.
your regular reminder that patriarchy hurts everyone
[Image description: an ao3 author’s note that says “I was supposed to write 15 page uni essay on mental illnesses so instead I wrote this. But let’s be honest it’s almost the same thing.” End image description]
Part of me wants to apologize that on the rare occasion I update this blog it’s with another of these explainers on trans issues, but then I remember that’s literally what I originally made the blog for. Anyway, today’s subject is how transphobic bigots have divorced themselves so thoroughly from reality that it’s not worth it to try and meet them in the middle and have some sort of argument.
“These copper ingots,” the devil said, “are of sub-par quality.” “You accepted them as payment,” the merchant said, “the deal is done.” “Very well. I will uphold my end of the bargain,” the devil said. “Your name will live forever.” “That is all I ask,” said Ea-nasir.
Tumblr’s sincere commitment to never let Ea-nasir die is genuinely amazing
i drew ororo in her new stunning Dauterman’s design!
[image: digital art of Ororo Munroe from Marvel. She’s squatting with her forearm resting on one knee, a knife held in her other hand and her head held high. Her white hair is styled into a sort of mohawk and she has large gold lighting bolt earrings. She’s wearing a cropped long-sleeved shirt with golden spikes on her knuckles there’s a lighting bolt across her chest and x-men logos on the shoulders. She wearing close-fitting pants that rest just above her hips with small cut-out details and black boots. end ID]
A woman dressed in a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt holds her cat as she take part in an embroidered shirt parade in central Kiev, Ukraine, on May 27, 2017. Gleb Garanich
