TADC EP 9 SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!
okay im going to say it. hyperfixating on jax possibly being transfem is stupid. this post is long, but if you're getting mad already, PLEASE READ THE WHOLE MESSAGE BEFORE COMING FOR ME.
imo, the whole point of this show and these characters is to observe how humans interact with themselves and other humans when forced to look their trauma in the face, with nowhere to run. jax is a perfect example of this. he runs and he deflects, realizes he cant, and eventually he consumes himself.
so in a way, trying to assign any type of logical "canon" to these characters is pointless. it's not about who they may become, it's about who they have been and who they are now.
i don't disagree that it's very likely that a lot of jax's internal conflict may be because he's trans, and i think for a trans person, he would be amazing representation of that. i think if that's how you view jax then that's what you got from his arc, and that's all you. you are completely valid in your read of the character.
however, nothing was actually explicitly said that confirms or denies jax's gender identity. all that was said was that he has a complicated relationship with both femininity AND masculinity because of his parents, and implied that he associates opening up about his history as being "soft".
personally, i relate to jax a lot. he's one of the characters that i have truly been shaken by, because oftentimes it was like looking in a mirror. and for me, that insight on his character had nothing to do with gender at all; instead, i saw it as i see it in myself-- him masking the parts of himself that he deems vulnerable with the cocky exterior that doesn't let anything in or out. to me, ribbit putting the bow on him was her saying "you're okay with me, you dont have to wear the exterior, you can be soft, and be silly, and feel the things you haven't allowed yourself to feel." and yes, maybe the thing that he needs to feel is the reality that he's trans, but for me, it wasn't, and that's my perception of him based in my own experiences with similar emotions.
all i'm saying is that maybe jax is trans, maybe he isn't, but specifically with this show, i genuinely don't think it matters. what matters is what YOU got from it. if you're a trans person who saw your own experience reflected in jax, then that's your view. if you're like me, with a fucked up family life and complex relationships with vulnerability and anything other that stoicism, then you might view jax the way i did. all i'm saying is that both perceptions of jax's character are equally vaild, because both messages land.
and just to be clear, the identity of trans characters in other media is NOT UP FOR DEBATE. if it's canon it's canon, and those characters and the representation they provide need to be respected. jax is an entirely different situation because this show is SO specific.
in conclusion lol, im gonna keep using he/him pronouns for jax because that was used in the show, and if you see other people doing the same, then just like, be a nice human and don't jump down any throats. i certainly won't be commenting when i see people use she or they pronouns for jax.
part of the reason this show got so big is because the messaging about trauma and mental struggles and how it affects someone is SO important to people, myself included. for a lot of people it's the first time we've really seen ourselves expressed plainly, without the need for labels or boxes, but just as messy, complex and growing humans with histories and feelings. we have to remember to respect each other's experiences.
love yall, love this show, love this character. if you made it this far ty for reading lmfao