Evil hare and OtGW Chapter 4 enthusiast

I discovered fanfiction in 2017, and I was almost exceptionally offline before then, so my earliest encounter with the fandom concept of genderbending was actually in fanfiction, in a couple of older and fairly large fandoms. And the majority of what I found in those spaces was one half of a ship between two men being made into a woman often with the explicit point of making the ship straight, and it was always the more physically diminutive of the two characters that was genderbent. For obvious reasons, it put a bad taste in my mouth regarding the trope.

In the interim, I've read better fics and seen much more thoughtful genderbending that I've enjoyed, but there are other fanfiction tropes that also play with gender that have their own equally cavernous pitfalls, and I'm self-aware enough to know that I give the others more grace because I encountered them later, when I wasn't still so green in fandom and had a healthy layer of skepticism built up. Additionally, I generally prefer characters being explicitly or implicitly trans to being traditionally genderbent. All that to say take my further thoughts with a grain of salt, because I don't know that I would consider myself a fan of genderbending in general.

Alright, now this is interesting, the thought only occurred to me while I was mulling over this ask, are we sure Enoch doesn't have a gender?

Fundamentally, I think you're right, the Beast doesn't have a gender. There's really not much to change superficially when genderbending the Beast. Her design isn't very gendered, particularly since I consider her antlers to be branches rather than true antlers, so let's assume they're not going anywhere. Her voice is the main point of contention. Personally I'm inclined to keep Ramey's voice instead of making her an operatic soprano or alto, but that's simply personal taste, because I've grown very attached to his voice over the years.

Therefore, the only thing that has ultimately changed is her gender, and even so I propose to you Over the Garden Wall would be perfectly identical. Because between the voice and the antlers, the Beast would be assumed male by the cast, and would still be referred to with the same pronouns, and I do not think she would hold to the concept of gender strongly enough to correct anyone. Gender is a social concept, it can be an element of your identity, but that's predicated on there being a cultural definition of gender in the first place, which she simply does not have. Ultimately, unless we change her voice, or give her some sort of dramatically sexually dimorphic traits, there isn't enough gender to bend to change the story in any substantial way. But even if we changed enough to effectively genderbend her, I'm scratching my head trying to imagine what actually changes, maybe some slight changes in her hunting patterns and victim profile, but that's all external, I don't think her character changes much, because I don't think the way she interfaces with the world changes much.

However, Enoch is very much a part of a social group, one which certainly is bringing ideas of gender to the table since it consists of a bunch of dead New Englanders. There's two obvious schools of thought* here. One in which Pottsfielders either have their own unique concept of gender or do not have any concept of gender anymore, because they're all just skeletons now, where I would argue Enoch would be similarly genderless, much like the Beast. Or, one in which Pottsfielders bring their lived ideas about gender and sex into their afterlife (with perhaps a bit more wiggle room naturally involved because, again, skeletons). In this case, Enoch still might not have a gender personally, but he definitely understands gender in the social context of his Pottsfielders. He is definitely presenting himself to them a certain way, and that way definitely skews masculine. He could present himself as a maven or wisewoman, but he's styling himself as a magistrate (well, the head of the Pottsfield Chamber of Commerce anyway). Therefore, I think we can reasonably make the case that Enoch would change noticeably.

She'd remain the head of Pottsfield but in a more matriarchal capacity, so while the fundamentals of her position would be the same, the stylings of it would shift. I don't think it'd be a huge departure from character in any particular way, but it would certainly change the flavor of the interactions. Additionally, since the maypole is fabricated, I think we would see some elements of it changed to reflect a more feminine presentation. The maypole might have some kind of bonnet (Though, Pottsfield actually seems pretty progressive regarding women's head coverings). Maybe a lace collar or a shift on the maypole as well (and maybe the catskin, depending on if you subscribe to collared Enoch as he is now). I admit I'm also partial to a lace veil, though I confess, that's mostly the mental picture rather than any specific historical context I'm drawing on.

As to what this would change between the Beast and Enoch: I've given it some thought, and I do think something would be different, namely:

Enoch would propose to the Beast on Bachelor's Day every four years. I'm a little torn between the Beast bringing her gloves which is the older traditional refusal, or giving Enoch a fur coat (presumably the Beast's own), which is a far more modern refusal gift from what I understand. Any way I imagine the whole exchange would be very flirtatious the whole way through.

Oh, here's a thought, maybe both. It becomes habit, most years the Beast brings gloves, until one year she gives her fur coat instead and the next year she has nothing to give at all, so I guess they'll have to get married!

See now that I've typed it out that actually does sound very fun, I will have to revise my opinion again. Thank you so much for the question, I had a very good time mulling it over!