Did... did people really think Chanel would say something transphobic? O_o I figure that must've been faulty wording on my part, but I really hoped that could be avoided. Anyway, I tweaked the dialogue a bit here to make sure it's clear that that wasn't the case, and that Rain didn't see it that way.
But the part I really want to focus on here is the last three panels. Last week, there was a page where Rain touched Emily's belly and cried. Technically speaking, there were definitely a lot of ways to interpret what she was feeling. This might give a little more insight into how she's feeling. Some might say that's an irrational thing for her to think. After all, if Rain helps raise Emily's child by her side, then yes, I would agree that Rain is the other mom. But dysphoria is hardly ever rational...
As you may probably know by now, I'm saving up for my (hopefully) upcoming SRS date in a few months. If you're able, you can help me out. Buying books, or shirts, or just plain donations are all very helpful right now. Obviously, if you are unable to or don't want to offer anything monetary, that's totally fine and I completely understand. There are other ways you can help. Like voting for Rain on TopWebComics or joining/sharing the Facebook page (or even just telling your friends!) can help spread the word about my work. Thanks for anything you can do; no hard feelings if you can't. ^_^
I figured she was maybe trying to figure out how to ask if Rain was the biological parent, but stumbling over how to say it without running into the obvious massive landmine. Well at least at first.
But then I realized that Chanel probably wouldn't have come to that conclusion because of the timing. Its kind of easy to lose track of timing in web comics.
The "father" as in the equivalent donor to the receiver of biological material.
There was a picture online of a lesbian transgender woman and pansexual cisgender woman (effectively Emily and Rain), and it said "we are a queer couple able to reproduce."
http://sjwiki.org/images/thumb/e/e6/Queer_couple.jpg/300px-Queer_couple.jpg
And there was a family where both parties were trans.
Chanel didn't mean anything bad by it, she just thought maybe since they have been close lately, Rain might have been sleeping with her.
Yeah, I've heard of more than a couple cases like that. What I meant is that there are better ways to ask which don't risk it being interpreted as misgendering. It's only polite.
It's unfortunately awkward to phrase, since we have centuries of men being the donor of material, whereas today we can do stuff like test tube babies, and are probably working on turning eggs into sperm and vice versa.
I imagine even after it was possible for two lesbians to take material from their eggs to have one have "lady sperm" they would still call her the "father." Persistent terminology, meh...
I understand perfectly how Rain is feeling... I went through a similar situation with my ex back in high school... except she miscarried... sorry... I really didn't mean to get a bit heavy there...
true enough, BUT... some people desperately want to CARRY the child in their belly. And while they can transplant the uterus into another body, i very high;y doubt they will ever be able to do it into a biologically different gender =/
I don't think there is any case of someone who is "intersex" having both sets of parts fully functional. (and even if humans could self fertilize, it would be akin to a biological brother and sister having babies, with all genetic and birth defect risks applied)
"I don't need a boyfriend" is not the same as "I don't need a source of sperm"
When I met my wife, she was a pregnant (and divorced) high school student.
I married her when her baby boy was 2 years old. Over the years, I can tell you that I feel as much a parent to that kid, as I feel to the biological children that came after.
She might not see it that way now, but if Rain ends up forming a family with her girlfriend, she will be a parent too.
Ugh... This time of year I always go through a bit of a funk, because practically every woman and their best friend's sister is pregnant in this area of the country. This page really hit home today.
Reminds me of this one time I was eating lunch and overheard some immature jackass I vaguely recognized going "Lesbian? Bitch is pregnant!" Half my brain wanted to go deck him and the other half was just going "sperm banks are a thing," argh.
ah yes the old pregnancy envy that all Trans women and other infertile women know only too well, if dysphoria and social rejection are the top two causes of depression in trans people than pregnancy envy is the third.
Judging from my wife's experiences, it's less "joy" and more "being brainwashed by your body" coupled with "really, really inconvenient biological changes"
That sadness, sort of empty part of life certainly was a component of why my life went where it did. Everyone has to seek their own answer to that issue.
But then I realized that Chanel probably wouldn't have come to that conclusion because of the timing. Its kind of easy to lose track of timing in web comics.
There was a picture online of a lesbian transgender woman and pansexual cisgender woman (effectively Emily and Rain), and it said "we are a queer couple able to reproduce."
http://sjwiki.org/images/thumb/e/e6/Queer_couple.jpg/300px-Queer_couple.jpg
And there was a family where both parties were trans.
Chanel didn't mean anything bad by it, she just thought maybe since they have been close lately, Rain might have been sleeping with her.
I imagine even after it was possible for two lesbians to take material from their eggs to have one have "lady sperm" they would still call her the "father." Persistent terminology, meh...
Source: Am a mommy
My eart just hurt for Rain in the last panels
I don't think there is any case of someone who is "intersex" having both sets of parts fully functional. (and even if humans could self fertilize, it would be akin to a biological brother and sister having babies, with all genetic and birth defect risks applied)
"I don't need a boyfriend" is not the same as "I don't need a source of sperm"
*Hugs Rain*
I married her when her baby boy was 2 years old. Over the years, I can tell you that I feel as much a parent to that kid, as I feel to the biological children that came after.
She might not see it that way now, but if Rain ends up forming a family with her girlfriend, she will be a parent too.