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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Yes it's a trans thread! New supergirl series USA will have trans lead

77 replies

NothingOnTellyAgain · 22/07/2018 09:43

[[I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Supergirl to feature TV's first transgender superhero - www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44915149 here]]

I don't know anything about this actor, I'm sure they're v nice, reading this this morning though, I think it is a good example of where things are headed.

Girls have historically had far fewer role models of this type than boys. There are way less mainstream female super heroes. Same as in lots of other areas. In male dominated worlds like graphic novels/ cartoons, and in entertainment generally, our role is often restricted to furthering the storyline of the male lead while looking attractive.

This role which is one of the few mainstream superheroes goes to a trans girl. That is more right and fitting, probably, in subconscious minds than giving it to a girl.

It is also the most recent example of things that we have fought for, going. We are told that a 50% TW 50% men parliament will be a triumph for female equality. TW are starting to win in various sports competitions. Various firsts go to them (fist women to direct a movie trilogy-wachowskis. First woman to join UK frontline army unit (sorry not sure terminology) is a TW who was already there and it was literally before it would have been possible for a cunty woman to do it due to rules). Also, labour AWS. And more I'm sure.

Meanwhile TW are fighting and winning access to areas which we had as respite/ safety: prisons, sports stuff, clubs and groups.

I think the thing with all of this is that there are few positions for women, we have fought for them, and they are being turned over to tw. Why not a new trans superhero? There are way more girls than transgirls who have so few of these characters to see themselves in, why do girls need to lose theirs?

Have transmen been hired into these roles in similar numbers, are they taking the place of men in positions of power, accolades, sports wins etc? No not really.

We also have retrospective transing of historical women, women who often feminists have uncovered and brought to the public eye, as historical women who achieve are often erased. Now the ones we have, many of them are being claimed as transmen.

It's obvious where this leads, in line with society and ideas around men being superior to women.

I think we will be left with shitwork- cooking cleaning caring behind the scenes for little or no compensation, producing babies, prostitution and porn. Which is where the men always wanted us, right?

Reading this today is just the latest but I just felt, that's another thing gone for girls.

OP posts:
Gncq · 22/07/2018 09:48

Well there aren't exactly millions of transwomen taking lead female roles. I don't think "this is where it will lead". I mean, it's probably good publicity for the series and really can't get worked up about it.

ErrolTheDragon · 22/07/2018 09:52

The link is messed up , try this

www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-44915149

bigoldscaredycat · 22/07/2018 09:54

I agree OP. This is the beginning of a slow creep. Men in the guise of women are slowly starting to take back everything we have won.

Popchyk · 22/07/2018 09:59

How many women who identify as men are given roles as male superheroes?

How many females have played:

Superman
Batman
Captain America
Iron Man
Wolverine
Spider Man

There have been many films in those franchises but I can't think of any women who identify as men in the lead roles. Or in any other of the roles in any of those films.

I'd be fine with it if it were split equally between male transgender and female transgender people. But female transgender people get absolutely nothing. Purely because they are female.

longtimelurkingtrans · 22/07/2018 10:00

She lives her life full time as a woman and should quite rightly be employed as a woman, And no this isn't me saying TWAW but that she deserves to be treated fairly and employed on merit as the next person,

Indierockandroll · 22/07/2018 10:01

This is definitely a case of fashion, turn to the left.

And the award goes to.....a man. How progressive.

BesmirchingMotherhood · 22/07/2018 10:04

Nicole Maines says she wants viewers to realise that a trans character's plotline doesn't have to revolve around them being trans.

Well that will be refreshing. I can think of some real life people who could learn from that.

Patchworkflock · 22/07/2018 10:04

Absolutely Indie.

Popchyk · 22/07/2018 10:10

There are many more roles for men than for women, why exactly is it that no female people who identify as male are successful in that field? Any ideas? Just lack of merit?

From a numbers point of view, you'd expect many more women who identify as men to be visible in the media. Because there are more jobs and roles for men.

And yet we never see them.

We only ever see men who identify as women.

People might want to consider why that is.

Hulo · 22/07/2018 10:18

I don't mind the trans character, my only sadness is that there's been no mention of a new girlfriend for Alex. Does her introduction mean the show feels it's satisfied its LGBT quota so Alex will continue single and missing Maggie? We need another lesbian for Alex!

Nuffaluff · 22/07/2018 10:18

I don’t see a problem with this. The actor is playing a transgender character. It’s perfectly fitting that the character be played by someone who is transgender themselves.

BWatchWatcher · 22/07/2018 10:21

I’m ok with this too. If they were playing Supergirl herself that would be a major issue, but here the casting looks valid.

WhereDoWeBeginToCovetClarice · 22/07/2018 10:22

When are we going to have transmen taking male leads?

Why is this trans thing all about taking hard won gains from the female camp back to the male camp, rather than gaining more for the female camp?

Because sexism.

Nuffaluff · 22/07/2018 10:24

They aren’t taking a female lead. It’s a supporting part of a transgender character. A transwoman, so not female.

Popchyk · 22/07/2018 10:25

I had a quick look at transgender actors/actresses on Wikipedia.

They list:

8 FTM actors (women who identify as men)

86 MTF actresses (men to identify as women)

Wiki actors

Wiki actresses

Which is extremely odd given that there are more roles for male people in film and TV.

Must be lack of merit on the part of the female people who identify as men.

ADastardlyThing · 22/07/2018 10:26

So surely it's Super Transgirl?

ErrolTheDragon · 22/07/2018 10:29

The actor is playing a transgender character.

Was this character transgender in the comics? Appears to be a reworking of Nura Nal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nura_Nal who doesn't appear to be.

Whatever. It would be a lot more interesting to have some female characters in the superhero genre who weren't, one way or another, male fantasies. You'd think people who can imagine whole universes with no constraints could manage that, wouldn't you?Hmm

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 22/07/2018 10:30

I didn't realise Supergirl was originally a boy.

How sad for all girls to realise that the only girls worth anything were once boys.

AgathaRaisonDetra · 22/07/2018 10:34

I've looked at the news story and Nicola really does look like a girl. I'd be more relaxed about this than the role going to Eddie Izzard in a beret.

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 22/07/2018 10:41

How fab that someone that really looks like a woman is taking a role from am actual woman.

Not long now, before all roles that women used to have can go to much more deserving men who may or may not look really like a woman.

Why can't people see the fucking wood for the fucking trees?

IsTheRainEverComingBack · 22/07/2018 10:44

This is a transwoman playing a transwoman, not a transwoman playing a woman. I think there’s an important distinction to be made there. I think this is a good thing, it’s great to have more inclusivity in who we see on TV. If a transwoman was being hired to play Supergirl, with no trans element, I could see an issue, but this isn’t that.

Popchyk · 22/07/2018 10:56

When is the inclusivity for women who identify as men going to start though?

Why is it okay for over 90% of the "transgender inclusivity" to be male people only?

Shouldn't it be 50:50? To be "inclusive"?

TellsEveryoneRealFacts · 22/07/2018 10:58

This is a transwoman playing a transwoman

Where is the evidence that this character is trans? And by that I don't mean a convenient rewrite...

NoSquirrels · 22/07/2018 11:05

This is a transwoman playing a transwoman, not a transwoman playing a woman.

Quite. I opened this ready to be all FFS - not Supergirl! But it’s not. So they should crack on.

The more times trans characters appear as trans, the better.

It is a little bit galling perhaps that they’ve reqritten an existing female character to be trans, but to be honest they play fast and loose with backstory and minor characters all the time, so there’s precedent.

Rufustheyawningreindeer · 22/07/2018 11:33

I personally dont have a problem with this although I appreciate that it is not an isolated event but symptomatic of a wider issue

This is a transwoman playing a transwoman, not a transwoman playing a woman

But i dont get this...the character as far as i can make out was a female character. Its just been rewritten

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