Pride month is almost over so have my thoughts on the mercenaries' thoughts on trans people (and how they support them)
This is based on the canon information we have on the mercenaries, though I slid a few of my own headcanons in there ofc. But I'm trying to base this off the source material. Lmk what you think of mine/what your own thoughts and headcanons are :)
(Spoiler alert: no transphobia because I genuinely can't see any of the mercs thinking that way lmao)
Until meeting a trans person, he'll have no idea it's even a thing or even what it is unless he hears about it on the radio or TV. He'll be confused, but he's overall accepting and will eventually come to understand. May accidentally come across as transphobic, but that's due to him speaking before thinking 90% of the time and being extremely uneducated on the subject. But if he does offend somebody, he'll own up to it and apologize. If someone's pronouns have changed, he'll definitely fuck them up for a while but corrects himself when he remembers to. The living embodiment of “he's a little confused, but he's got the spirit.”
(Also the type of person to say “his pronouns are they/them” or some shit lmao)
Very aggressively affirming, to the point where it's almost scary how intense he is. As soon as he learns about the subject and that a certain percentage of Americans are transgender, there is nothing stopping him from aggressively supporting one's gender identity in his own Soldier-like way. Once he learns that someone he knows is trans, he'll loudly use gender affirming language around them so everyone knows how to refer to them (but not to a point where it's like… obvious). If one is experiencing dysphoria, Soldier will put a stop to that immediately by literally yelling in their face that they are a “valid, red-blooded American man/woman/person” or something along those lines… even if they aren't American. Will also fight anybody that misgenders them, even if it was accidental.
It's hard to tell at first glance, but they're very supportive. As someone who experiments with their own gender expression (and who knows what it's like to be singled out because of who they are [source: every merc's reaction to them in Meet the Pyro]), they're probably the most understanding of all the mercenaries in regards to the subject. Happy to help one figure out and dress up as whichever way they want to present themselves. Will kill a transphobe on sight if given the opportunity, especially after they meet and befriend a trans person. Secretly keeps pads and tampons in one of the pockets of their suit for folks that menstruate.
They're also non-binary in my headcanons <3
He's one of the most laid-back of the mercenaries, so of course he's accepting of it without a second thought. He doesn't really get it, but it's not his life, so who is he to judge? Plus, as a man of color living in the 60s/70s, he also knows what it's like to be antagonized for simply existing, so as long as they're generally a good person, he doesn't care what one wants to identify as. Just stay away from his liquor stash unless given permission. He's always willing to lend a listening ear (and a drink, of course) to anyone having a hard time, trans-related or not. Though I do feel like he'd want to listen to their trans struggles so he can try to understand what it's like.
He has trouble understanding at first, since trans people weren't really as out and about in Russia as they are in other countries (plus, it's the 60s, so times were different). But he's smart, he knows that it's not just a phase or a disorder or anything like that. He also still respects it, addressing the person in question correctly and not being afraid to correct others that misgender them. Will try his best to educate himself on the subject by reading books and asking (respectful) questions. But overall he's supportive and doesn't really dwell on the subject too much. If one is transmasc, he'll happily train with them and give them tips on how to appear more masculine.
The man has 11 PhDs, so of course he knows that it's real. Very respectful, maybe even a little curious about what it's like. Definitely not an expert on the subject, but still knows enough to know how to take care of his trans friends (how long it's safe to bind/tuck for, how to convert female clothing and shoe sizes into male's and vice-versa, etc.). Because of his wisdom on the subject and his mellow and calm demeanor outside of battle, he's definitely one of (if not, the) easiest of the nine mercs to talk to about it. Also won't hesitate to correct others on names and pronouns, of course.
I already made a whole other post about this, but by far the most outspokenly supportive out of everyone. Partially because he wants to learn more and partially because, Medic being Medic, he'd be a fucking hypocrite if he were to shun someone for unapologetically being themselves. His fascination may come across as creepy or invasive, but that's because so little is known about trans people that he wants to do all the research he possibly can on the subject. He probably won't even realize he's making someone uncomfortable unless told so. Like Heavy, even though not much is known, he's smart enough to know that it's 100% real and that's there's absolutely nothing wrong with it despite what other doctors might say. He'll even go so far as to insult those doctors for not understanding “real science,” as he puts it (he's 100% right tho). Will gladly perform gender-affirming surgery if asked and may even run an experiment or two in the process. I mean, come on, the guy will pounce at any opportunity to rifle through someone's internal organs. If some unlucky bastard says some transphobic shit around him, that person is waking up hours later either with several organs missing or with an extra baboon uterus or three (fetus included… maybe).
In my headcanons, RED Sniper is a trans man. But if he wasn't, he'd still be respectful. It's his whole motif — professionals have standards and all of that. May even seem apathetic on the subject at first, but that’s because he wouldn't see trans people as any different from “regular” people. He'd just accept it without putting much thought into it. He won't go out of his way to show that he's an ally unless it's necessary, he'll just treat them like how he treats everyone — not talking to them unless they're mates, just observing them from a distance.
Everything he knows about trans people only really comes from shitty jokes made on radio and television, so at first he seems a bit bigoted. He doesn't have a problem with trans people, he just finds them odd and doesn't really understand them. But over time, and as he disguises himself as various types of people for various missions, he learns more about what's a harmful stereotype and what's actual fact and eventually he comes around. He'll never label himself with the word “ally” simply becauuse of trust issues and all that jazz, but he won't go out of his way to antagonize one simply for being trans or queer either. Depending on his relationship with a particular person, he may do some secret ally activities in the background by killing transphobes that harass them or depositing money into their bank account so they can seek gender-affirming medical care. Not really an outspoken ally, but won't hate someone for their identity. If he does hate someone, it's usually just because he finds them annoying in some way.
Has a bit more knowledge on the subject than the average person because… well, she's not exactly an average person, is she? Not really an outspoken ally, kind of similar to Spy, but make no mistake — she's still very supportive. She's able to pull some strings and have official government documents changed to fit one's identity, complete with their new name and their desired gender marker (M or F, since those were the only ones available at the time) and will gladly do this for someone if asked. Has a few questions, of course, but she'll never ask them unless she knows the person in question well enough.
