Dec 19, 2022
When I finalized Juniper's redesign with this painting, the response was mixed. People were generally supportive. Some folks disengaged when their compliments that "she" was cute was met with a thanks, and a gentle correction that he's a dude.
I took this to heart as critique. I compiled more references, practiced his form more. Yet even with my diligence, that discomfort turned to aggression the more I polished Juniper. This came to a head on an early draft of this sketch. Somebody I considered a close friend demanded to know:
"What makes that a man?"
Suddenly, a lot of resistance I'd experienced while out to these people as trans had a new perspective.