So, lets talk about Krem and classism. Fandom tends to focus heavily on Krems backstory and trauma as an issue of transphobia, and while that is true, the reason why it got as violent and dangerous as it did was in great part due to his status as a poor soparati.
I mean; lets be clear; punishment for being trans in the military was not slavery; it was a heavy fine. A fine that Krem, being very poor, had no chance of paying and therefore was given the choice between slavery or death. This is an excellent example of the ways in which the criminal justice system effects poor people way harder; Krems punishment is slavery or death. A rich trans persons punishment would be a fine and a discharge.
We also see this difference with Maevaris; she was allowed to marry a man, which implies that she is legally recognized as a woman and given rights that are exclusively given women. This is a right that is explicitly, and violently, denied Krem and we can only assume the reason for that is Maevaris social standing.
This is also the reason why I disagree that Dorian and Krem’s stories are fundemantally similar. To me, Dorians story is largely a personal tragedy of family abuse and unaccaptence. Krem’s story is largely one of systematic, state-sanctioned violence and inescapable poverty. They’re both queer, and they both left Tevinter for reasons related to it, but that’s about as far as the similiarities go.
