Having thoughts on trans man Rico Rizzo:
- the "Rico" vs "Ratso" thing paralleling being deadnamed
- his fragile sense of masculinity that manifests itself in homophobic outbursts. Obviously we know there is self-hatred behind the disdain in his voice when he throws the f slur around left and right, but maybe that self-hatred comes not just from internalized homophobia, but from internalized transphobia as well
- in his Florida fantasy, whereas Joe is shirtless (obviously there are horny reasons for this too) Rico is fully dressed even on the beach. Even in his own private fantasies he is not yet comfortable with his body, although whether this is purely in regards to its being external perception, or whether he experiences internal discomfort due to dysphoria as well is up for personal interpretation.
- adds an extra layer to his reticence for Joe to call him a doctor. I obviously don't want to overwrite the 1960s disabled + impoverished experience that leads him to distrust the medical world, but it is interesting to consider how these experiences of marginalization might overlap and interact with the trans experience
- bro is 5'5













