#transmasc retellings

[genderkoolaid]

Wait. Transmasc Shrek rules actually. Fiona turning into an ogre at night could be a metaphor for only feeling safe enough to be yourself in isolation. The overhearing scene is denying transmascness by burying it in anti-man rhetoric. This rules

Do you see my vision!!!! Fiona transmasc icon real

#the 2nd movie where he gets turned human = him getting turned cis #but fiona prefers him as a trans man #m. #ask box #transmasc retellings

[transmascissues]

does anyone want to hear me rant about how jekyll and hyde can function as an allegory for how trans manhood is portrayed as an evil contagion that twists pretty, mild-mannered women into violent, deformed monsters? because i’m not even done reading it yet and i already have so many thoughts about the parallels between how hyde is described and how trans men are seen.

#im actually planning on writing a transmasculine retelling #but obviously i have to finish reading it and sorting through my thoughts first #i am. going feral i have so many thoughts #transandrophobia #transandromisia #transmisandry #virilmisia #virilphobia #anti transmasculinity #transmascphobia #trans men #transmascs

[garbagequeer]

if taylor swift was smarter she would sell testosterone as merch and she would call it swfit t. you know like t swift. but also like swiftie. @taylorswift can we make it happen

#taylor swift #logic of this post: #i was thinking how it's weird i saw people earlier be like there's no butch women who write shit persephone and hades lesbian retellings #even though we've all met that 50 year old butch #and i was like it's like if you said there's no butch swifties which i the 20 year old equivalent of the persephone retelling butch #when if you meet a butch swiftie that's the most butch lesbian ever AND she'll kill you over your lover opinions #and you can see how butch leads to transmasc butch leads to swift t. #thing

[knittedbond]

can more people read the raven tower so that i'm not fucking dying alone here

#GUYS. READ THE RAVEN TOWER!!! #hamlet retelling pov:rock. transmasc recipient. labor politics #semicolon #it is really really good ann leckie is a masterful writer. yet again

[writinglittlebeasts]

what in the god damn

#or #im in the brainstorming stage of a (wait for it) transmasc beauty and the beast retelling #(i know i KNOW I KNOW) #so i was like hey wait you know who's definitely trans? cinderella i wonder if i could read one of those #life if one exists that i can read right now its fucking inspired #like * and what in the world #transphobia / #perhaps??? i dont fucking know

[a-kind-of-merry-war]

I just pre-ordered these and I have come here to YELL ABOUT THEM

We've got...

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa, a YA transmasc retelling of Pride and Prejudice

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock, which is a queer horror with Frankenstein vibes about two dudes and their plant daughter

More Than a Best Friend (published as Don't Want You Like a Best Friend in America) by Emma R Alban, a historical sapphic best-friends-to-lovers story described as Bridgerton but with lesbians, with parent trap vibes

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland, queer pirate adventure with OFMD vibes (Alexandra also wrote A Taste of Gold and Iron, which I really enjoyed and is also the only author in this list I know for sure is on tumblr, hello @ariaste)

#books #queer books #lgbt #lgbt books #book rec #bookblr

[fredbydawn]

I love transmasculine horror fans and the ways we choose which horror characters are also transmasc

like Herbert West is trans cuz he’s a funny little guy who’s kinda queer coded to begin with and cuz Re-Animator is a Frankenstein retelling and there’s such a rich vein of queer and trans readings of Frankenstein

and then Ash from the Evil Dead is trans just cuz he slays absolute penis

#re-animator #reanimator #the evil dead

[transbookoftheday]

🏳️‍⚧️📚 Trans Book Challenge 📚🏳️‍⚧️

Mission:

Read a minimum of one trans book per month for the entirety of 2024 in order to help form the habit of reading and supporting trans books and trans authors.

How it works:

Just read one trans book every month in 2024, and review it and/or talk about it!

Can't decide which books you want to read? Just open transbookoftheday.tumblr.com (on desktop) and click here:

If you're a fast reader, you're welcome to read more than one trans book per month!

Here are some optional prompts if you want to diversify your reading even more:

Read a trans book by an author of color.

Read a transfem book.

Read a transmasc book.

Read a nonbinary book.

Read a trans nonfiction book or memoir.

Read a trans poetry book.

Read a trans picture book or children's book.

Read a trans book with a disabled main character.

Read a trans short story, anthology, novella or graphic novel.

Read a book featuring a t4t relationship.

Read a trans retelling or a historical trans book.

Read a trans book in your favorite genre.

Happy trans reading! 🏳️‍⚧️📚

#trans book challenge #trans books 365 #trans book of the day #trans books #queer books #bookblr #booklr

[sunflowers-and-a-tardis]

i read quite a lot. and, as a transmasculine person who struggles with my mental health, i have a few books to recommend to other transmascs, or really just trans people in general.

“hell followed with us” by andrew joseph white — a dystopian about a future where a cult destroys everything in an attempt to "cleanse" the earth, and a trans boy who is slowly turning into a monster, his autistic soldier boyfriend, and their eclectic collection of queer friends must rescue the few survivors and try to salvage the world.

“self-made boys” by anna-marie mclemore — a retelling of “the great gatsby” where nick and gatsby are both trans boys attempting to remake themselves into the men they were always meant to be.

“the sunbearer trials” by aiden thomas — a transmasc demigod with wings competes in a competition with eleven other demigods, where losing means death and winning means glory.

“cemetery boys,” also by aiden thomas — a trans boy, in an attempt to prove himself to his family, attempts to solve a mystery, but accidentally ends up summoning the wrong ghost in the process.

“both can be true” by jules machias — a genderfluid middle schooler and her unlikely companion rescue a dog from being put down and learn about themselves and each other in the process.

“the many half-lived lives of sam sylvester” by maya macgregor — an autistic, nonbinary teenager moves across the country, only to find themself in a house where, several years ago, a murder was committed...and it just so happens that their special interest lies in solving murders just like that one

if there are any others that you know of, please tell me about them! i would also love to read more books with transfemme protagonists. anyway, i hope at least one person enjoys these books as much as i did. i know they helped me feel seen. representation matters. and, as always, i love you, trans people. trans rights are, and always have been, human rights.

#trans book recommendations #transmasc #book recommendations #queer books #pride #trans rights are human rights #reading #comfort #please check trigger warnings #take care of yourself

[traeumenvonbuechern]

Which books would the Hallowoods characters read?

Happy HFTH season 4 day! I'm so excited for the new episodes, and I want to celebrate by recommending some books I think some of the main characters would love.

Diggory Graves - Unwieldy Creatures

I have a feeling that Diggory might be interested in a nonbinary Frankenstein retelling...

Percy Reed - The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

A transmasc protagonist, ghosts, a t4t love story - Percy would relate to this book so much.

Nikignik - This Is How You Lose the Time War

Even aside from the whole Bigolas Dickolas thing, I think Nikignik would really love this book. It's an epic, complicated, super emotional love story, written in a way that almost feels like poetry - I have a feeling that Nikignik would like that.

Lady Ethel Mallory - Lady Susan

It's short, it's funny, it's a classic, it's from the perspective of the villain and said villain uses the title "lady"? Lady Ethel would love this book.

Riot Maidstone - Gideon the Ninth

It's about a butch lesbian with a sword. That alone would probably convince Riot to read it, but I think she would love the story, too.

Olivier Song - Infinity Alchemist

This book is about an alchemist who is rejected by the magic school he tried so hard to get into, and one of the love interests is genderfluid - Olivier might relate to it a little too much.

Clara Martin - The Grimoire of Grave Fates

It's a murder mystery set at a magic school that moves around the world, and it's told from 18 (!) different perspectives. I think Clara would love reading about all these different types of magic and trying to solve the mystery.

Polly - Good Omens

Polly reminds me so much of Crowley sometimes - to quote this post, they're both "demons sent on a celestial audit of earth and catching more feelings than they signed up for" - so Polly would probably either love or hate Good Omens, no in-between.

Yaretzi - The Salt Grows Heavy

I can't really explain why I think Yaretzi would like this book, but she would. Something about the main character being a murderous mermaid, probably.

Mort - All Systems Red

Mort would definitely want to be friends with Murderbot.

Hector Mendoza and Jonah Duckworth - Silver in the Wood

This is my go-to "Read this if you like Our Flag Means Death" book because the main characters remind me a lot of Stede and Ed, but the book also reminds me so much of Hector and Jonah, especially with the magical sentient forest setting.

Zelda Duckworth - The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher

This book is about a 83-year-old Chosen One who has to save the world armed with nothing but gumption and knitting needles - I think Zelda would enjoy that.

Mx. Morrell - What Moves the Dead

I think a fungal horror book with a nonbinary protagonist would be perfect for Mx. Morrell.

Danielle O'Hara - Pet

Pet is about a trans girl who has to reconsider everything she's been taught and save her friend with the help of a terrifying creature - everyone should read this book, but I think Danielle would especially like it.

Book titles:

Diggory Graves: Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai

Percy Reed: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Nikignik: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Lady Ethel Mallory: Lady Susan by Jane Austen

Riot Maidstone: Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Olivier Song: Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

Clara Martin: The Grimoire of Grave Fates, edited by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen

Polly: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Yaretzi: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Mort: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Hector Mendoza and Jonah Duckworth: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Zelda Duckworth: The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson

Mx. Morrell: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Danielle O'Hara: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

#hello from the hallowoods #hfth #unwieldy creatures #the spirit bares its teeth #this is how you lose the time war #lady susan #gideon the ninth #infinity alchemist #the grimoire of grave fates #good omens #the salt grows heavy #all systems red #silver in the wood #the remarkable retirement of edna fisher #what moves the dead #pet #long post #booklr #bookblr #book recs

[genderkoolaid]

I saw your post about transmasc story retellings and I got thinking about other famous stories that can be interpreted transgender-ly (any if you think hard enough I guess lmao) and now I'm thinking about Beauty and the Beast as a transmasc allegory.

Belle and Beast represent the two options for a transmasc--- Belle symbolizes the option to continue pretending to be cis. To stay a weird girl, still doing girlhood wrong, of course, but ultimately brushed off as merely eccentric. To live a safer and more acceptable life, but one spent trapped and limited, longing for something more.

Beast, on the other hand, is the option to come out/transition. You're free, but you're lonely. Your body is yours, but to anyone else it is twisted and unnatural and disturbing. Society shuns you, simultaneously afraid of and disgusted by you, and every so often some brutish idiot decides you're a predator and leads all the villagers and their torches and pitchforks to your doorstep to "protect" people from you.

Anyways!! Yeah. Thinking way too much about this now. So, there's one suggestion!

Anon I love this very much but it did make me think:

Using this interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, the Shrek movie is about cracking your egg & coming out by falling in love with a trans guy which allows you to get over your internalized shame & embrace "ugly" transmasculinity

#m. #ask box #transmasc retellings

[danggirlronpa]

On Transfem Chihiro

Over the years running this blog, one of the most consistent asks I've received is regarding whether or not my inclusion of Chihiro as a girl is correct or not. I've been told that it's deeply meaningful for some people. I've been told that I'm an idiot and it's the biggest problem with my blog by others. So now, as I'm finally building out an FAQ, it seems like a good time to lay out my reasons for including Chihiro on this blog and how it personally connects to me.

Chihiro gender discourse has been around since Trigger Happy Havoc was initially released and translated. There's nothing I can say about this that hasn't already been said somewhere; as such, I ask everyone to have patience as I say things that have probably been said by 50 other people before. I know. They're right. Good for them.

However, I will not be fielding conversations about this. I am not setting out to argue with people; I am explaining the reasoning behind a blog policy. (This will also briefly discuss transmasc Chihiro headcanons, for purposes of thoroughness.)

This post will consist of three lists: a list of reasons why people generally headcanon Chihiro as trans; a list of reasons why they specifically headcanon Chihiro as transfem vs transmasc; and a brief refutation of popular reasons why people insist trans Chihiro is a bad headcanon.

For our purposes, I will be using they/them for Chihiro throughout this post; this is not in any way a commentary on which Chihiro pronouns are 'correct' or better, but a gender neutral convenience. Apologies for the really long paragraphs. I just like hearing myself talk.

Reasons People Headcanon Chihiro as Trans

Chihiro presents as one gender, but is "secretly" another. This is fairly obvious, and also the crux of the whole thing. Anything from here has a certain degree of reading between the lines, but this is explicitly canon. Where the discourse stems from is the reason Chihiro presents as a different gender, but it is an inarguable fact that they do present as a different gender - and obviously, that lends itself to a trans interpretation.

The secondhand retelling of Chihiro's story. Chihiro's portrayal as 'a boy who adopts girly traits' is never once stated from Chihiro's own mouth. The primary account of it comes from Monokuma, who is perhaps one of the least reliable narrators in Danganronpa, and who in the very same scene presents Mondo's survivors guilt as Mondo "murdering his brother," and should obviously be taken with a HUGE grain of salt. The only time when we see Chihiro come firsthand is in the School Mode alternate universe - in which the exact conversation is not explicitly lain out, but instead brushed over by Makoto's summary (after Chihiro briefly explains that their body is different from how they've been presenting). As such, the "canon" of Chihiro's gender is in fact very fluid, and as it's so deeply connected to gender and presenting differently from their assigned gender, there is an obvious thread to trans identities. The only definitive knowledge is that Chihiro has, when alive, gone by she/her and presented as a girl.

Real-world transphobic connections to Chihiro's death. The "trans panic" defense is a legal strategy that attempts to excuse murder of trans people under the justification that the murderer was shocked and/or disturbed by the victim's gender; in most famous examples, the assaulter is described as 'blacking out' and doing it in a 'fit of rage.' This has an obvious connection to the way Mondo reacts when Chihiro tells him about their secret, as he says he "felt something break", and who explicitly states he blacked out before murdering Chihiro and came to with them on the floor, covered in blood. In addition, historical trans people have often only been outed after death, and have then posthumously been treated differently from their actual gender despite living as that gender all of their lives. This is similar to the invasive way that Kyoko reveals Chihiro's secret after their death, and the way that the entire cast immediately starts treating them as a boy.(Disclaimer: this is not an argument that any THH characters are transphobic; rather, it is an argument that real world transphobia was used by the THH writers to emphasize Chihiro's gender.)

Gender roles. This is briefly addressed before, but Chihiro's preoccupation is never presented as being with 'boys vs girls' (except by Monokuma, who, again, Grain Of Salt); it is presented as being 'strong vs weak.' Chihiro never says 'I want to be strong like a man,' just 'I want to get stronger.' There is an argument to be made that Chihiro's internalized toxic masculinity plays a part in their inability to recognize they identify as a girl because they are a girl, rather than out of 'weakness'; there is an argument that Chihiro's desire to become strong actually plays into internalized masculinity in that they conflate 'I'm actually a trans boy' and 'boys are stronger than girls.' Either way, there is no reading of Chihiro's perspective on gendered strength that is truly disconnected from transness.

Conclusion: There are many reasons that Chihiro can be interpreted as a trans character which do not contradict canon, and, in fact, it is an extremely likely reading of the character for people who are closely connected to transness in the real world.

So, Transfem or Transmasc?

The reason people often headcanon Chihiro as transfem (AKA a trans woman, or MTF in old-timey terms) is because this aligns most closely with Chihiro's actual presentation in the games. Chihiro goes by she/her when they are alive; they are visibly feminine, including in ways that only possibly be intentionally done to emphasize their femininity, such as posture; it is indicated several times that they have a flat chest and a penis. Additionally, a very large number of trans women really enjoy computer coding, which was definitely not intended but does lend itself to the interpretation.

The reason people often headcanon Chihiro as transmasc (AKA a trans man, or FTM in old-timey terms) is because of the way others treat Chihiro in the games. It can be difficult and even triggering for people to see Chihiro's friends, including ostensibly good people, actively calling a trans girl "he/him" and a "boy"; as such, the easiest way to remove this issue is by interpreting Chihiro, not as a trans girl who comes out as having been a trans the whole time, but as a trans boy who still isn't out to their friends (and potentially hasn't even realized they're trans yet themselves).

These interpretations are both perfectly valid. Neither of them are actively transphobic. They conflict with each other solely in that it isn't possible for both to be canon at the same time. However, many people who believe strongly in one side can feel uncomfortable or even be directly triggered by the other, due to the perception of "misgendering" a comfort character and the feeling that their own interpretation of the character is being disrespected. As such, it is perfectly normal to see both sides avoiding each other.

This blog puts forth the perspective of transfem Chihiro because it is what the blog owner most closely identifies with, and it is more popular in the fandom. This is not a commentary on transmasc Chihiro headcanons! If transfem Chihiro bothers anyone, this blog is carefully tagged, and will happily add more tags at request. However, I will not be fielding discussions about it.

Common Arguments Against

Now, if you've kept up so far, you may still have some common arguments to bring up. Here's some responses to save you from heading into my inbox!

Actually, Chihiro is a commentary on a specific gendered trope in Japanese media!: This is like saying that because drag queens exist in the USA, headcanoning any American character as transgender is disrespectful to them. Japan has a number of trans people who face discrimination every day in a country that has no anti-LGBT discrimination laws and has had regular reports from the Human Rights Watch over the years that are increasingly worrying. My gender and sexuality studies have largely been Western, and I do not claim to have thorough knowledge of Japanese relations to gender; however, acting as though Japanese people cannot be trans is both racist and reductive.

But Chihiro says "I'm a boy!": The context in which Chihiro says "I'm actually a boy" is, 100% of the time, with no exceptions, when they are coming out as trans. For a transmasc reading, this is fairly obviously connected; for the more popular transfem reading, as a teenager in Japan, Chihiro likely does not have in depth knowledge of transness or LGBT terminology. It is very likely Chihiro has no words to describe their experience except "I'm a boy, but I want to be a girl" or "I want to be a boy but I'm not." This is a well-documented phenomenon among real world trans youth, too - people often use language that people in the community consider offensive simply because they have no other words to describe their experience. That does not make the experience less valid.

But the Danganronpa writers have said Chihiro's a boy!: 1. Look up 'Death of the Author.' 2. The writers also have not said that Kyoko and Makoto are dating, but this is near universally agreed on amongst friends as the most 'canonical' interpretation. That's what headcanons are.

I just don't like it! It just makes me mad!: You're transphobic. Consider why it bothers you so much that people want a character to be trans. Is there a valid logical reason? If not, why is this your instinct? Is it a good instinct? Is it possible you are hurting people around you by blindly acting on it?

In Conclusion

This is my official, catch-all, "Chihiro is on this blog and you can't do anything about it" post. My current policy is that every time I receive in ask against trans Chihiro in my inbox, I add a post that is specifically about Chihiro being trans to the queue. I will keep doing that. And I will @ you. With a smiley face. I will not respond in any other way. ✌️

#chihiro fujisaki #trans chihiro #faq #this is long but ive been meaning to make it for Ages and i have. quite a bit to say #with this done hopefully i'll have the faq up within the next couple days too!

[metalscoops]

Fic Author Self Recs

Favourite five fics that you've written, stealing this from @bigdumbbambieyes cos I wanna do this

1. Sexy Single

Steve and Billy have been fucking around for a few months since Billy graduated. No matter how much Steve knows he's hurting himself by keeping it going, he just can't stop. It doesn't matter if Billy doesn't love him back... right? He can deal with it.

This is one of my absolute favourites, it was only supposed to be 2k of them hooking up and then it turned into 13k of Steve angsting everywhere.

2. Either Die A Hero (or don't die at all)

Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove get stuck in Hawkins Police Station overnight during the apocalypse (zombie not upside down) and they have to fill their time somehow

This fic fought me every step of the way while I was writing it but oh my god I'm so proud of it now, it's some of my favourite smut I've written, I love it so much.

3. Don't Look Behind

Steven was not strong enough to not look at what he wanted (Orpheus and Eurydice retelling)

I love this fic and I want more people to see how sad it is ehehe (it has a happy ending I promise)

4. Magic in Your Veins

Stevie and Billy get hit with some strange pollen? spores? something from a weird fleshy flower in the Upside Down and season two ends very differently when they have to fuck or they'll die. t4t - transfemme Stevie, transmasc Billy

I love this fucking fic so goddamn much, its so hot and I love them. I really want to write a continuation

5. In Perpetuity

No link yet cos I'm still writing this and not publishing but god I love this universe and characters so fucking much I couldn't resist. This is mine and vio's (@vampiyahs) vampire/werewolf AU with Stefano and William set in the 1880s. It'll be out soon(ish).

tagging @adelacreations @squishyace @nerodmcdevilslayer and anyone else that wants to do this!!

#stranger things #harringrove #my writing #fanfiction #fanfic #fics #writing

[drill-teeth-art]

My comic Good Bi Gender is really blowing up more than I expected and traveling outside my usual circle. And that’s awesome, and I’m very glad it’s resonating.

But I’m genuinely wondering how many people who are more unfamiliar with my work read it and went to check my blog only to discover I post transformers fanart for my wip of a fan version of a series literally every day.

BUT. In genuine seriousness. I’m really thrilled my comic is resonating with so many. People who are transmasc and bigender and tons of people in the tags who aren’t those identities who still connected so much. It genuinely means the world to me. And it genuinely means a lot that the comic is circulating as much as it is. The comments and tags on that comic. I’ve literally just been reading through them all this morning, and it’s a wild and amazing feeling to see how many people are all so connected in this.

So. For anyone who saw that comic and gave my blog here a follow and doesn’t know much about transformers (which I mostly post art of) but is curious about my work, I’ll post a summary of what I’m workshopping. Because it’s basically a retelling of the story of transformers my own way since transformers was the first “boy” thing I liked growing up and is very significant to me.

And also, I might post more gender stuff now too. I have a series of illustrations I’m not done with yet about my gender I was on the fence about sharing, but maybe now I will.

But anyway. Thank everyone who liked my comic. Thank everyone who reblogged my comic. Thank everyone who left tags and comments about how much the comic meant. Because that means the world to me.

#otto thoughts

[belpheg0r-luna]

Retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a transmasc main character Oliver Bennet.

Go read it! It's great fun <3

#most ardently #gabe cole novoa #a pride & prejudice remix #remixed classics #pride and prejudice #jane austen #oliver bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #mr darcy #mr bennet #queer retellings #queer stories #queer art #trans character #trans characters #transgender #trans representation #trans artwork #belphegor luna

[crossdreamers]

Like The Illiad, but with transgender gods and goddesses

Over at Mastodon Jaeylyn reports on a new transgender novel retelling the The Iliad by Homer.

"Wrath Goddess Sing (Maya Deane) – A very loose retelling of The Iliad where Achilles is #transgender & the world is populated with transmen & #trans women (including gods). Achilles had fled to Skyros, a trans sanctuary, to escape the bigotry of the mainland. They hunt her down to join the war on Troy and, upon discovery, the gods transform her to have the body of a cis woman. Her lover on Skyros, seeing Achillies as no longer one of them, spurns her and Achillies agrees to join the war. There the mythos ties into transmasc Amazonians, Egyptian gods and, somehow, talking horny dolphins. As it goes on, it deviates more and more from the letter of The Iliad but keeps Achilles’ rebellious nature as she takes on the gods themselves for their bullshittery."

"A graduate of the University of Maryland and the Rutgers-Camden MFA, Maya lives with her fiancée of many years, their dear friend, and two cats named after gods. She is a trans woman, bisexual, and fond of spears, books, and jewelry." (Maya Deane website)

Read more about the book over at Amazon.

#transgender #trans #lgbt #queer #lgbtq #transgender litterature #queer fiction #the illiad #homer #culture