Sure, but in this political climate, I’m very very skeptical of a message telling people not to change themselves and to just accept themselves as who they are. The metaphor is so obvious that denial of it seems in bad faith.
There’s a particular form of toxic positivity on the left, a form of transphobia that tries to maintain respectability among the left. It says, “you’re valid. I respect your identity. But also, you don’t need medical care to change your body, and kids especially don’t need access to that care. You’re heckin’ valid and I support you 100%. But I also need you to not change your body. I respect your identity, but it’s also extremely important that I be able to tell who is trans just by looking at them. It’s important that you accept yourself so that I can identify you.”
What a nice comic. I’m sure people will want to push the metaphor too far, please don’t.
if they could just accept the comic for what it is
Sure, but in this political climate, I’m very very skeptical of a message telling people not to change themselves and to just accept themselves as who they are. The metaphor is so obvious that denial of it seems in bad faith.
There’s a particular form of toxic positivity on the left, a form of transphobia that tries to maintain respectability among the left. It says, “you’re valid. I respect your identity. But also, you don’t need medical care to change your body, and kids especially don’t need access to that care. You’re heckin’ valid and I support you 100%. But I also need you to not change your body. I respect your identity, but it’s also extremely important that I be able to tell who is trans just by looking at them. It’s important that you accept yourself so that I can identify you.”
Worm to caterpillars: “If I could do it, so can you.”
The real life version works in reverse, sadly.