Can I ask what it is that's so damaging about genderbending? I've never seen it as problematic myself, so I'm wondering about your take on it. Maybe I'm just not well-educated.
it can be difficult to spot at first, especially since its pitched as being somehow subversive. and sometimes, it can be but
here's an [incomplete] list of my beefs with it
genderbending, as a practice in character exploration, is nearly 100% between the binary genders as defined by western society. how often do you see a genderbend where they bend a character's gender from binary to nonbinary? how often? never, and thats because those posts call them trans headcanons
genderbending, as it practiced by the vast majority of fandoms, is gender conformative. i rarely see a genderbend that, for example, makes a man into a woman without also giving her a lithe, hairless body and perfect complexion -- and of course, breasts. transformations of female characters into male characters have a little less rigidity to them, but still err on the side of dyadic traits. genderbends are frequently also implied to have the genital configuration of a cis person, if it is not stated outright that they are cis
being trans in this environment has fucked me up more than once, because it implicitly states that a person cannot claim their gender if they dont physically conform to those traits. that a woman needs breasts and a hairless face and dainty feet to be a woman. that a man needs to tall and have broad shoulders and stubble to be a man
(and lets not forget that theres only one standard of androgynous in these circles)
cis people will fetishize the transformation of trans bodies while simulataneously excluding us from narratives that focus on the transformation of a character's gender. what the fuck is that seriously
cis people elevate the genderbending of a male character to a female one as a way of giving representation to women while refusing representation opportunities to trans women
final thing that pisses me off: genderbending is considered a fun fandom activity while trans fanworks constantly subject to policing, to the point where it results in the personal harassment of trans people
in conclusion: genderbending is the shitty flavorless version of trans hcs and you should treat yourselves better
