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30 Comics That Explain And Show What It’s Really Like To Change Your Gender, According To Transgender Comic Artist Julia Kaye
At 32, cartoonist Julia Kaye lives in Los Angeles, where she works for Disney TVA. But, much more than just that, she is also a brave transgender woman who, like most people who have gone through gender transition, had to face her fears and the prejudice of others in order to become who she is today. Julia’s experiences and gender transition are illustrated within her 3-panel comics that she frequently shares with her followers on her social media platforms.
Published on the cartoonist's Instagram, the said illustrations are a way to show and highlight the problems faced by those going through gender transition. However, it’s not only that—Kaye’s comics also serve as support for those who might be in a similar situation too.
Today we’d like to feature 50 of the newer comics; however, the rest of them can be found collected in book format in "Super Late Bloomer: My Life In Transition," which Julia released.
More info: Instagram | twitter.com
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Bored Panda reached out to Kaye.
“As for how autobio comics came into my life and what inspired the 2 series:
Honestly, I've never been any good at keeping a traditional written journal and comics have always been a huge part of my life. So when I started my gender transition, it just made a weird sort of sense to turn to making journal comics to help me navigate the constant barrage of highs and lows in my life. Making them each day became art therapy for me—my sketchbook was a place I could be fully honest with myself about how I felt, something I used to greatly struggle with."
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#2
Sky Render 3 years ago
Kids always take this sort of thing better. When a parent doesn't want their kids to know you're transgender, it's because of the parent, not because of the kids.
"Originally, I never had any intent to share them with anybody but my closest friends, to hopefully help them understand what I was going through. But as time went on, I realized that by sharing them with the public, I could possibly help other people who are trans hopefully feel seen and thus feel less isolated in their own experiences, as well as help cis allies better understand the sort of things we go through. That first series eventually became collected in the book 'Super Late Bloomer: My Life In Transition.'"
#5
Sky Render 3 years ago
That is the worst! I try to remind myself that society defaults to masculine pronouns for basically everything, but come on.
Suzy the observer 3 years ago
I'm a cisgender woman. As a child, my mom did not want to bother with my hair and kept them short so I often was called a boy and referred to as he. It pissed me off furiously. So on an extremely small level, I get it. But please tell me, If you look like a woman, why do people misgender you? I'm sincerely trying to understand what it's like for you.
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L.j. Bus 3 years ago
To be honest, sometimes they even call me sir when I clearly have all the lady parts and always have. If it truly is just occasional then just don’t take it “personally”, sounds bad when I say it like that but I mean that on occasion the other person really is clueless, and no hair-do is long enough, no hips or breasts large enough, that sort of thing. I do feel for anyone going through this though, as a female born in a female body, I will never feel the weight of some things you’re forced to go through. Just wanted to soften it up a bit by saying it could still happen when born in the right body instead of transitioning. But of course, it is only understandable that it bears so much weight while transitioning or after. Big hugs to all who can use them!
Sky Render 3 years ago
Misgendering isn't a big deal when it's an accident and the person who does it apologizes. I'd expect someone to apologize for it whether the person misgendered was cisgender or transgender. It's just plain rude to brush something like that off!
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Truth Monster 3 years ago
I'm a polite person, and I would apologize, but in this case he doesn't owe her an apology. He was mistaken, she corrected him (which, one could argue was rude) and he opened the door for her. Is she required to thank him?
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Robert Bois le Duc 3 years ago
But at least he helped with the door. He's trying to understand. A hater would have ignored the situation & turned their back.
Scagsy 3 years ago
I am really sorry that it hurts when this happens. I have a similar anecdote from an alternative perspective: I misgendered a bus driver a few years ago. She had short hair and was stockily built. I barely glanced at her as I was getting off the bus and so I only got a fleeting impression of her. I said 'Thanks, mate' and she said 'You're welcome'. As she was saying that I realised my error and felt immediately really bad for it. The problem was that I was so overcome with embarrassment that I couldn't bring myself to speak again. I hope I didn't upset her, it was simply an honest mistake. It's probably just me but I carried this guilt with me for weeks, regularly beating myself up for it. It still feels awkward when I think of it now. So, am I the a**hole?
"A couple of years later, when I was 3 years into my transition, I realized the landscape of my life was radically different than it used to be. I found myself feeling the pull to go back and make a second series to help navigate what my life had become. This time, to help show that life keeps moving on past that fraught, anxiety-ridden first year of transition and settles down. To show that as your gender dysphoria lessens, you have so much more capacity to truly live your life as yourself. It's a side of transition that isn't talked about enough. So I started making daily comics for 6 months, for better or worse, no matter what. Eventually, the second series was collected and published earlier this past year as 'My Life In Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection.'"
#7
crazy_cat_notAlady 3 years ago
hey, truth monster, cant comment on ur post...but I think I understand what u r asking there. each of us has unique and different meaning making systems. it need not mean that life is planned. but sometimes, assigning meaning to events does help us move forward. much like what Viktor Frankl said in Man's Search for Meaning.
#8
Sky Render 3 years ago
After 30 years of denying all emotions, I welcome those moments when I can't help but feel all the things. And yes, the boobs do rule.
#9
#10
Sky Render 3 years ago
Bloody hell I can relate to that one... I don't think I could ever have even come back from where I hid from myself without my fiance there to help me...
#11
Sky Render 3 years ago
Ran into this with my own older brother and his wife. They'd rather deny their transphobia than confront it, and have basically thrown me entirely from their lives. Why do so many decide that they would rather hate than love?
#15
#17
Dark Pearl 3 years ago
Heather, being trans doesn't mean your sexuality is defined by what sex you were BORN as.
#20
Sky Render 3 years ago
Definitely looking forward to that! I miss being able to wear my hair back. Though hairbands are nice...
#22
Steffen Rehm 3 years ago
I fell attacked. But yeah, i know more then i would accept to know, of this type of men.
#25
Sky Render 3 years ago
Disrespecting the dead is not cool. And yet it happens to transgender people more than anyone else.
#27
Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago
And if you feel like you can't, just remember that there are people who support you and can help!
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What do you think ?
Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago
I know being LGBTQ is hard, take it from me. But a lot of people are struggling with it as well, I'm with you and you are not alone :)
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago
I had no idea trans people had to go through so much. I want all you trans pandas to know that you all are so brave and I hope you are much happier being your true selves!
Caroline Overill 3 years ago
I was born female, I want to stay female, I am heterosexual. I am also 5ft 11, very overweight owing to depression and I get called sir in shops.
Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago
Check out the song "Scars to your beautiful" by Alessia Cara. Dunno why but this reminded me of it.
EyeYamStewPeed 2 years ago
Nope. You are being discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community and should perhaps shut the f**k up about topics you clearly know nothing about. Why would people pretend to be female just to have sex with lesbians? They go through intense social stigma, even more than most gay people. They even might get surgery to change their physical sex to match their gender - all to have sex with lesbians? What about transgender men, who were assigned female at birth? Do they want to have sex with gay men? I don't think your argument stands up very well, I don't think you're educated at all on the topics you're talking about, and I think you're a discriminatory bigot who deserves to die in a hole.
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Chloe *Leah* Pheonix 3 years ago
I know being LGBTQ is hard, take it from me. But a lot of people are struggling with it as well, I'm with you and you are not alone :)
BlackPearltheSeaWing/NightWing 3 years ago
I had no idea trans people had to go through so much. I want all you trans pandas to know that you all are so brave and I hope you are much happier being your true selves!
Caroline Overill 3 years ago
I was born female, I want to stay female, I am heterosexual. I am also 5ft 11, very overweight owing to depression and I get called sir in shops.
Carmen Sandiego 3 years ago
Check out the song "Scars to your beautiful" by Alessia Cara. Dunno why but this reminded me of it.
EyeYamStewPeed 2 years ago
Nope. You are being discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community and should perhaps shut the f**k up about topics you clearly know nothing about. Why would people pretend to be female just to have sex with lesbians? They go through intense social stigma, even more than most gay people. They even might get surgery to change their physical sex to match their gender - all to have sex with lesbians? What about transgender men, who were assigned female at birth? Do they want to have sex with gay men? I don't think your argument stands up very well, I don't think you're educated at all on the topics you're talking about, and I think you're a discriminatory bigot who deserves to die in a hole.
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