How to Write Trans Characters
Since itās unrealistic for every single character in your universe to be cisgender, Iām making this post. You may want to rep trans people or you ādonāt know how to repā, so here you go (and yes nonbinary/genderfluid/etc. people are trans and included here!):
1.) Talk to trans people for once. And more than one trans person. Get sensitivity readers. Do research. Something!
2.) Donāt give your trans character a deadname. Itās called a deadname for a reason. LET. IT. FUCKING. DIE.
Our deadname isnāt ourĀ ārealā name either. Itās our deadname.
Also, our deadnames usually arenāt even CLOSE to our actual names. So like why are deadnames and chosen names so similar/have the same initial? (i.e. āJohnā and āJaneā)
4.)Ā We RARELY, IF EVER, tell our deadnames to someone unless we trust them very, very, very deeply. Little to none of my online and irl friends know my deadname, and some I would trust with my life. I wouldnāt trust them with my deadname ever.
5.)Ā If you want to explicitly state your character is trans, for the love of god do not have them say something like, āIām Olivia, but I used to be Oliverā. We do not say that. We say āHi, Iām Olivia! How are you?ā Yāknow, weāre human beings.
You can have them say something like, āIām trans.ā (and even THEN some of us donāt normally say it so casually.)
6.) Please donāt describe us with features that make us dysphoric.
7.) (this is coming from a white transman) Weāre not all skinny white uwu babies. Portray trans people of color. Stop erasing them. They exist and they matter.
8.) Write us loving ourselves. We get dysphoric and (most of us!) make changes to get the ideal body, yes, but we do love ourselves. I love that Iām persistent, ambitious, and caring. I love how selfless I am. I love that I take criticism well and make sure to do better. I love that I know how to hold my ground.
9.) We can also love parts of our bodies, too. I love my legs. I love my hands. I love my shoulders. I love my ears. I love my nose. I love my jaw. I love myself.
10.) Donāt fetishize us.
11.) We donāt exist solely for your entertainment. So stop making us suffer for you.
Weāre proud to be trans. Weāre here. We exist. Stop erasing us from your literature when there is no reason not to.
(trans pplāadd on! cis pplā dont hijack. reblog.)