Okay so the other day I reread Chapter 60 of Wind and Truth (the "Adolin meets a trans person for the first time" scene) and honestly found it to be pretty fuckin on-point and realistic for how people ingratiated in a gender binary react to their first interactions with trans people.
Below the cut is a breakdown of the Sarqqin and Zabra scenes from how I read them, only in the context of Chapter 60, and allegory between Vorinism and Abrahamic religions.
It is okay to disagree with me, I am one trans person, and one who barely has any close relationships with cisgender people at that. I understand that those facts will skew my understanding of the text.
On the other side of things, know that I am in a professional position that regularly has me interacting with people who have little-to-no exposure to trans people, and live in the United States. Both of those also shape my view of the text.
After reading it, I don't agree with the assessment of Adolin as transmedicalist or invalidating of trans people who haven't legally transitioned (or the comorbid accusations that Sanderson is projecting his personal beliefs about trans people onto Adolin), and here's why:
I'll start with a quote that sets the scene for the chapter. Adolin is on day three of the campaign in Azimir, resources are suboptimal and the recruits far outnumbered training and armament capabilities:
"The problem was, he had a limited number of people he could train and equip, and he had to make the best of that. More, he needed soldiers who could face a warform singer and not be shoved around.
So, he separated out those who were too small. He didn't actively differentiate between underage boys, the women with slight builds, and the men who were too old or weak."
This is followed by him meeting Sarqqin:
"'Like I've told the other women, if I let you in you'll have to live and work around men in what might be embarrassing situations.'"
'I'm used to it sir,' she said. 'I have papers.'
Papers? He hesitated, then glanced at his scribe.
'One who has filled out the forms,' Challa the scribe whispered, 'to live as a man.'
Ah. He'd heard of that. Well, the Azish did things their own way, didn't they?
'Good to have you, Sarkuin, Adolin said to the man, and moved on. Though he did make a note for Colot to assign him to a specific platoon where Adolin knew for a fact they'd be asking for a soldier with smithing experience."
Adolin pivots IMMEDIATELY after he has been informed Sarqqin is a man. The way I am reading this, it seems that he now holds the association that "the papers" are a key part of being trans in Azimir (which is not necessarily true, but again this is his first encounter with a trans person.)
Then the alleged "transmed Adolin" or "clocking Adolin" scene a page later:
"He turned to move on, and found himself face-to-face—well, chin to forehead—with an Azish girl who hadn't been chosen.
She gave him a glare that could have punctured carapace. 'Messenger?' she demanded. 'You're assigning me to be a messenger?'
'We always need messengers.'
'I can fight!" she said. 'I might look lanky for a boy, sir, but I'll surprise you.'
'For a boy?' Adolin said, peering at her once more. 'Um...do you...um...have papers?'
She glanced away. Then cursed under her breath. 'No. Aqqul never needed them. What gave me away?'"
Not only did he have his first interaction with an Azish trans person just slightly earlier that day, but upon asking for the only relevant information he knew about Azish trans people (the papers), Zabra instantly admitted she was a girl by saying "what gave me away." The passage is immediately followed by:
"'Acwill?' Adolin said. 'I assume she's a girl from a story who dressed up as a boy and went to war?'
She nodded. 'She went to save her brother.'"
If Zabra was trans, now would have been the time for her to say "I'm in the process of obtaining papers" or "administration is slow during active campaign" or something like that. But she didn't, because she does refer to herself as a girl. It's more Mulan reference than transphobia.
This conversation is followed by Adolin giving her a chance to knock him down, and then when she protests on the basis that he is a trained soldier, she is given a chance to defend herself against "one of the other new recruits—a man in his twenties, of average height and build."
Amaram put scrawny and young soldiers in his messenger lineup, and much like Adolin on the next page offers Zabra the chance to fight "if the reserves fall" which is extremely similar to the officer's reasoning in The Way of Kings when justifying what happened to Tien.
Look. I'm transgender. Most of my irl friends are trans too. For people at different points in their transition, the assumption is often not that of your actual gender. Does that suck? Yeah. But it's what happens to a lot of us whenever we go outside. Especially, for those of us who don't "pass" as our gender. (Controversial as that term is I can't think of a better one for my experience).
And much like Adolin, upon correction some people will flounder, before eventually pulling it together and gendering you correctly. It can take longer still to gender someone correctly in your head, especially if you've never had your concept of gender roles and their absoluteness challenged.
It shouldn't have to be that way, but in a society with rigid gender roles projected onto a binary understanding of men and women change takes time. Vorinism projects expectations onto a cisnormative, heteronormative gender binary much in the same way that many interpretations of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism do.
After he spent so much time working on making sure he did Rlainarin justice (with input from his gay acquaintances, and queer beta readers), the care he took with portrayal of plurality (and backpedaling on the Veil integration after people spoke up on the sysmed aspects of that, though he hasn't confirmed explicitly to my knowledge the reason for that retcon), and the way literally every character reacts to Rysn misgendering Ral-Na, I don't think Adolin misgendering two people in his head on the first day he'd ever interacted with a trans person is an indicator that Sanderson believes that trans people are lying about their identities.
I think it's a realistic take on how well-meaning folks, too, can mess up when introduced to new concepts, and how even kind, friendly people don't magically unlearn their biases in a day.
