To all the terfs/radfems/"gendercrits"/transphobes who've hated on this comic before…
specifically: @echoictwistofdarkness, @pussnbootz, @radbudgie, @rozenn, @kihci, @rave2dajwitu, @hypnictwitch, averageordinaryeverydayweirdo, @flowerlygirls, @thebluehue22, @nonenosome2, @thewizardbixie, @female-eren, @ambessas, @sharp-rosee, @underliv, @clit-a-cola, @soulbouquet, @glassphemy, @parisgellarwasaterf, @michellezagenda, @blorbortion, @apogeeofflair, @blackswallowtailbutterfly, @saintsinner-asstral, @angrysoprano7, @whiteofwinter, @terfjawn, @germananon, @fastwalker, @whatsittoyabub, @incrediblue, @cronehaggington, @theonceandfutureharpy, @nyquilchan, @sefarious, @gloomyrelaxing, @thedecadeisover, @xxactlyperfect, @glittersoda, @sadwomanbehavior, @erikaforreal, @unsentimentaltranslator, @benyw, @ilovegirlssomuch123
Hello. Hi. It's OP. Normally I would just ignore and block, but I can't help but shake the feeling that the sudden onslaught of y'all swarming to this post to hijack a joyful, personal expression of gender to platform your own miserable distaste is somehow related to the current US administration and overall backlash against Trans people globally. All I'm saying is I posted this comic in 2021 and anyone who is brave enough to wade through the notes can see that the past 3 weeks has produced more transphobic comments than the last 4 years. I guess that's what happens when a post breaks containment.
Anyways. I'm not really interested in debating the validity of my existence, nor do I want to platform terfs on my very own blog by responding to each of you directly. Idk, I just don't think sharing things that make me miserable or upset is a productive use of my time? Maybe you terfs and radfems feel differently, considering how many times you've reblogged my comic. But hey, I guess 21K+ notes is 21K+ notes, amirite?
So I'm bringing back the 2013 call out post, which conveniently doubles as a block-list. And while I am not going to defend my gender or experience of it, I *will* defend my artwork. As an unemployed person with two fine art degrees, I have the time and the spirit is more than willing to weaponize my MFA. And I do love a good critique, especially in response to so many bad ones.
Initially, I wanted to give a good faith response to the many bad faith reads. But it really all boils down to one core point: this comic? Is about ME and MY lived experience. Are you a cis woman who also felt that makeup and dresses wasn't for you, but ultimately still feel strongly in your womanhood? Amazing! That's super cool! I love that for you! You should write a comic about it! I think that would certainly be more personally fulfilling than ranting to me about how my comic didn't cater to your experience, because I am not trying to cater to your experience. I am talking about MINE. And for ME continuing to identify as a woman or gnc woman didn't feel right for me.
This comic is not a how-to guide. Nowhere does this comic state "this is how YOU will know you're genderfluid." This is not a Buzzfeed-style "10 ways to know you're not a woman!" listicle. Nowhere do I equate womanhood with solely makeup and dresses. It is not even mentioned by text in the comic. I illustrate "conventional feminine attractiveness" with a version of me with long hair, makeup, jewelry, and (presumably) a dress. Because that's what "conventional feminine attractiveness" is defined as in the US. Look at any reality tv show. In turn, these "conventional woman" standards (from wiki, quotation marks "that writers place around a word or phrase to signal that they are using it in an ironic, referential, or otherwise non-standard sense" are called scare quotes, as illustrated in panel 5. "Scare quotes may indicate that the author is using someone else's term, similar to preceding a phrase with the expression "so-called"") are clearly the ones set by the patriarchal and sexist society that is the US. "Push the boundaries of what it means to be a woman" is in response to that "conventional" messaging pushed out to all of us by said society. Several butch women have understood this as evidenced by the notes. You would understand this too if you practiced an ounce of actual critical thinking skills, and the lack of such display makes me question the cognitive validity of the term "gender critical"
What I find especially ironic is that in reblogging the comic to add your unnecessary vitriol and poorly thought out thesis statements, the existence of panel 4 directly negates any claims that I am "only rejecting womanhood bc I don't want to wear makeup" (paraphrasing) or similar conclusions that wouldn't hold water in a 10th grade English class. The character, myself, is stated to be "revisiting things I had questioned for a while." Those questions are represented in short-hand because this is a comic, an artform built around short-hand in both imagery and text. "Maybe… I'm not entirely a woman" suggests that the label, while perhaps sufficient for a time (as evidenced by the above text "and that worked! for a little bit") is no longer completely accurate. This is followed by the more pertinent question: what does it mean to be a woman anyways? Beyond "conventional feminine attractiveness" or "conventional woman standards" as established in previous panels that the character of myself struggled to achieve, what does it actually mean? If we strip the gender roles and stigma and society, even biology, what does it mean? And does it fit your personal identity? Many people consider this question and circle back to an answer that reaffirms their own womanhood. That's beautiful. For me, and many others, it routed to a different answer that exists beyond or separate from it. That's also beautiful. Some people come to one conclusion and then years down the line change their mind. That also happened to me. Isn't it beautiful that so many people can be presented the same question and come up with a litany of answers that are all correct because they are true to the individual? Isn't it great that there are questions out there where there isn't only one exact answer? Isn't it freeing to know today's answer could be different from tomorrow's or yesterday's, and that you aren't beholden to stagnation for the sake of consistency? Aren't you grateful to live in a world that isn't subjugated to the same confines and certainty as math? Wouldn't that be so dull and boring? (math nerds don't come for me ily and you scare me)
Ultimately, in a world where patriarchy and sexism constantly tells women how to be and what they are and how they should be, I find it so hilariously ironic that so many of you radfem women (presumably) are on your blog crying about how terrible men are for doing this to you while simultaneously going into my notes to tell me (someone y'all think is a woman) how to be, what I am, and how I should be. Are you the type of person who constantly weaves in traffic with no turn signal? Because staying in your lane and basic consideration for others seems impossible for y'all.
At the end of the day, if you didn't like the comic, I'll tell you what I tell my cats when they try to eat my pizza: Not for you. Move on. Make your own comic. Donate money to a women's shelter. Stare at a wall for 45 minutes. Because I don't care that you don't like it. It isn't for you. The gworls who get it, get it. And most of those gworls don't use she/her pronouns.
kaledo-art
dededos
origamiaround
annaxmalina
vaporwave
kianamaiart
discoholicmusic
