*:･ﾟ✧🏳️⚧️ COMBATTING TRANSPHOBIA IN THE RPC IN 2025 because these are some icky vibes
HEY FOLKS , WE NEED TO TALK! get comfy because this is a long post with important stuff in it , that will briefly discuss examples of transphobia we've spotted in the rpc. just a heads up that this includes some quotes of transphobic things that have been said.
as a trans person who is also friends with a lot of other trans people in the rpc , we've been seeing quite the uptick of incidents of transphobia in the community for a few months now. a lot of it has been going on in fantasy fandoms , but it's probably because we're in those most that we see it the most and this isn't isolated to just those.
it's an issue that's more prevalent recently , and it's something that we think needs to be pointed out and most importantly actually tell you our suggestions for what you can do to help make and keep the rpc safe for trans people. our rights are being attacked tenfold right now and finding safe places in real life and online is getting harder and harder. please don't contribute to that and try to help us in making it better.
i won't be calling anyone out on this post , going into specifics , mud-slinging or name calling. that won't solve any problems or let anyone move forward. the key to being better is giving people room to learn from their accidents , screw ups and mistakes , and reflect on how they can better that behaviour for the whole community to benefit. i won't be taking questions or responding to messages unless it's to chat about moving forward with these intentions.
*:･ﾟ✧ WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON? i'll tell ya!
roleplayers have been fetishising other people's trans characters like they're sexual oddities and not people. focus on a character's genitals , asking if a character's genitals are ' normal ' or not ( heads up , trans people's are as normal as everyone else's ) , treating trans people and muses as if their gender is ' fake ' , or pushing fetishes related to topics like pregnancy or periods on them without their consent.
conversely , writing nsfw rp involving trans characters is not always inherently fetishistic ---- some roleplayers have been telling them it is. trans people can be sexy , have sex and enjoy sex , and they should be able to write and discuss this material as openly as everyone else does. implying that trans people just having sex lives is fetishistic and shouldn't be allowed can contribute to the shame that some of us feel about our bodies and us having healthy , normal desires that a lot of people have.
roleplayers have been equating gender to genitals in and out of character. not everyone of the same gender has the same genitals , and not everyone with the same genitals has the same gender. neither invalidate the other and phrases like ' she has what every women has ' or ' he's just like all men ' when talking about muses that are cis or trans aren't helpful and can make us feel dysphoric.
roleplayers have been openly mocking trans people who have said they don't want to be approached by people who write harry potter content. it's mean-spirited , implies our feelings and boundaries are an over reaction , and doesn't extend any empathy. it ignores the point we're making that we're just asking to not have to interact with material written by an active oppressor of our rights.
trans roleplayers have been including rhetoric in their roleplay that reflects transmedicalist beliefs , that trans people should adhere to strict gender roles , and stereotypes that people are trans because they're groomed to be. these are stereotypes that people use to attack us , discredit us , and police our gender expression. our own community isn't perfect and we need to challenge and talk about internalised transphobia as much as external.
*:･ﾟ✧ BUT WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT? i'll tell ya that too!
nsfw writing with trans muns & muses. if you aren't sure it's probably best to ask the other mun how their character refers to their genitals and other parts of their body , and what words the mun would like you to use in your prose as well. it may be helpful to ask what the character's body is like and how sex works for them , and some muns appreciate if it's discussed a neutral , informational way.
make sure to discuss any kink topics that are to be avoided before talking about them in depth or suggesting scenarios , especially ones that may be linked to gender presentation and reproductive processes. all these things go a long way in keeping your rp partnership comfortable , learning about differing experiences , and avoiding dysphoria for trans muns.
harry potter in the rpc. if you write harry potter content the best thing you can do right now is adhere to others rules and give them the space they ask for. with the hbo show being made we see hp content all the time and it can be a reminder that mainstream media do not care about us as people , as well as millions of people spending their money that jk rowling feeds directly into backing anti-trans groups because nostalgia is more important to them than our lives and rights. that's a lot to deal with all the time , of course we're tired and upset.
you may want to think about why it is you still write harry potter and if you're really able to separate art from artist. jk rowling's bigotry is baked into the series on many fronts and these videos are worth a watch to know more about it ; one two three. i'm aware that if someone is really determined to write it they will , though those who rush to justify it by saying they're ' reclaiming ' the story doesn't really mean much if you're using the same bigoted material. unless you're writing stories that challenge and dismantle these tropes , are you really reclaiming it? maybe that's something to think about.
working on our internalised transphobia. this is something that can be really difficult to deal with when it comes from within our own community and even ourselves. in the times we live in a lot of trans people may have engaged in either passive or active internalised transphobia toward themselves or others , and being on either side of the equation can lead to distress , shame and isolation from support systems.
while it probably feels overwhelming when we're working on so many things to keep our lives stable and safe , everyone deserves the opportunity and space to be able to work on it , not just for those around them but for a better relationship with themselves. it can be really complex and unique to every person's situation , and so here's some articles from the counselling directory and the trevor project ( focusing on homophobia from a trans perspective ) to start off.
and , lastly ---- if you're feeling defensive because people said they don't want to engage in your content or fandoms because it makes them uncomfortable , maybe you should think about why you feel that way. if you're asking for people to be understanding of your blog content but are then mocking and belittling them with your friends , they're going to be unlikely to take any implied stance you may have on their right to live in peace in good faith.
trans people are actively having their rights and dignity stripped away by governments every single day at an alarming pace. soon it might be illegal for me to use basic services like toilets. i've narrowly escaped threats of violence in public twice in the last three months and it will probably happen again. taking the time to mock us online for having boundaries against one of the people that is causing this isn't clever or funny. and if you don't stop even after we tell you it hurts us , then to quote a well known saying , that's some heinous loser behaviour. just be better. i know you can.
