Uh oh..
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Big special thank you to my elite terven hacker Wool (See website footer) who played a huge role in this page being what it is! She not only taught me there was a way to do the newsprint dot effect that didn't involve me doing it by hand (yeah i found out after the fact), but was also instrumental in sharpening the dialogue of Blaire on this page.
31 thoughts on “CH9P4”
Jo
Blaire… Buddy… Bro. What the fuck.
Poor Riley omg ?
This page is so on the nose and gorgeous as always ?
rustyhearts
Thank you <333
Val
Just caught up from chapter 8, been a fan for a long time on tumblr. Was never on the Blaire stan train myself, sure she’s cute, but she always had an obnoxious vibe. And here it is. She’s gonna groom Riley, isn’t she? Love the expressions on every page, as always, and your style and coloring has gotten so much tighter! I’m still reeling from “the way you pronounced it was fine” from the previous chapter. Jaden, true normie queen.
rustyhearts
Ayeee! Thank you so much for the comment and glad you’re enjoying catching up! I’m really proud of how these last few chapters have been looking, and this page has been one of my favourites to date ๐
Happy Blaire’s obnoxious vibes are coming across too, lol. I’ve sorta been waiting to reveal more of this side of her for AGES, so when people started getting hopeful about her character like ‘oh another loveable member of the cast’, I was thinking ‘oohhh, don’t be too hasty there..”. It’s been a very fun ride!
Jaden is the normie we should all strive to be tbh.
anonymous
BLAIRE ?
I like the last shot showing how everything Blaire just said applies to Riley, too!
rustyhearts
We are all Riley here XD
R.R.
Blarie, you are describing your girlfriend. She is right there, babe.
rustyhearts
Riley: am I a joke to you :/
piano
I’m an autistic cis butch lesbian. I used to be like Riley: insecure about myself whenever somebody asked for pronouns or thought I was trans, and on some level internally blaming trans people for making things harder for me. But the truth is, it’s not trans people’s or trans supporters’ fault that I was insecure.
A similar issue: I was bullied by girls, and had internalized misogyny that presented in inherently distrusting/fearing groups of women, even feminists. I had to realize that that was a problem that could let me hurt people, and let me be sexist, and I’ve been working on fixing that ever since. Likewise, internally blaming trans people for your own insecurities can present in hurting trans people, which I’ve avoided with extreme caution and working on my problems internally. It hasn’t been easy, but reflecting on these was worth it.
Some of your gnc traits may confuse people, and that’s okay. It’s not an insult to be mistaken for trans in the context of a queer-positive setting, and if you feel insulted then you need to look within to combat your own insecurities and get more confidence about your identity (NOT that you have to change it, but that if you are cis, you CAN feel confident as a cis gnc person). You also need to look at stories from trans men who get mistaken for butch lesbians, and other queer people’s stories. We’re all different people, and as long as we’re trying to respect each other then we should be helping each other. Some trans men, afab enbies, and cis gnc women share physical traits, and that’s perfectly okay. We can still be friends. We can still respect identities/pronouns/names. We can still fight for the rights of others.
I also think that Blaire is at least trying to do the right thing here. She’s making assumptions about Jaden, sure, but she’s trying to ask a friend who she knows (or thinks) is trans-accepting whether she’s right and how to show Jaden that it’s safe to come out to them. I know Riley’s probably on guard right now due to her insecurities creeping up, but I hope she realizes that -IF Blaire was right- Jaden would need friends who help her feel safe. I know Blaire’s wrong, I was assuming the hypothetical.
Yes, I know this comic is written by a terf. But a part of me feels like knowing my thoughts might help you to consider the “other side,” especially as someone who used to be on the fence about a lot of these issues.
rustyhearts
Hey!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a civil comment despite our opposing view points, I really appreciate it. Iโm gonna respond piece by piece since youโve addressed several different points.
โI used to be like Riley: insecure about myself whenever somebody asked for pronouns or thought I was trans, and on some level internally blaming trans people for making things harder for me. But the truth is, itโs not trans peopleโs or trans supportersโ fault that I was insecure.โ
Are they any moments specifically that lead you to feel like Riley was insecure?
Because she hasnโt been shown being asked her pronouns in-comic, and her discomfort so far has been entirely contingent how she thinks Blaire will react to Jaden correctly identiftying her attackers as male. So interested to hear how you came to that reading (in the least condescending way possible – everyone interprets things differently!)
โA similar issue: I was bullied by girls, and had internalized misogyny that presented in inherently distrusting/fearing groups of women, even feminists. I had to realize that that was a problem that could let me hurt people, and let me be sexist, and Iโve been working on fixing that ever since. Likewise, internally blaming trans people for your own insecurities can present in hurting trans people, which Iโve avoided with extreme caution and working on my problems internally. It hasnโt been easy, but reflecting on these was worth it. โ
Iโm assuming youโre using โyourโ generally here, not speaking to me specifically? Again Iโve gotta ask, where has Riley blamed trans people for anything? Sheโs pretty trans affirming even if she doesnโt fully comprehend the ideology. To the point where she even corrects her own thoughts (That nobody else can hear) , from addressing the men who attacked Jaden as โguysโ to โpeopleโ[see: chapter 6].
Women and trans people are also not comparable demographics. The only thing women all have in common is being adult, human and female. Our likes/dislikes, hobbies, dress-sense, political leanings and world views are vastly different. And while trans people are obviously not a hivemind, being trans is a decision you make, and does come with a set of shared beliefs. They again, may vary, but people call themselves trans because for some reason or another they do not feel like theyโre the correct sex, or they feel a disconnect, and often discomfort from it. The whole โborn in the wrong bodyโ thing is pretty common too.
To disagree with those notions and to believe trans ideology is harmful is not internalizing insecurities and projecting them onto trans people, any more than disagreeing with and standing against right-wing politics, is internalizing insecurity and projecting it onto ring-wingers.
โSome of your gnc traits may confuse people, and thatโs okay. Itโs not an insult to be mistaken for trans in the context of a queer-positive setting, and if you feel insulted then you need to look within to combat your own insecurities and get more confidence about your identity (NOT that you have to change it, but that if you are cis, you CAN feel confident as a cis gnc person).โ
Again, being perceived as trans is not the same as say, just being mistaken for the opposite sex. The โconfusionโ of people is frustrating because of the implication. Thing about what someone seeing a gender non-conforming woman, and immediately assumes that she must be a trans man says about gnc women. Theyโre essentially associating practical/comfortable fashion senses with something thatโs male. That a woman cannot simply want to wear comfortable clothing, that actually, she must secretly have a manโs brain (brain sex is fake btw), and thatโs why sheโs dressing that way. It is insulting because they think lowly of women.
Many people may also find it insulting to be considered trans, because of trans ideology is propped up by a lot of misogyny, homophobia and racism.
โYou also need to look at stories from trans men who get mistaken for butch lesbians, and other queer peopleโs stories.โ
Looking at stories by people who call themselves queer and trans is one of the exact reasons I started Lease Bound. I cannot relate to the experiences of women who think theyโre men, and people who identify with a slur.
โWeโre all different people, and as long as weโre trying to respect each other then we should be helping each other.โ
Respect must be earned. Trans ideology is fundamentally unhelpful and disrespectful.
Unhelpful because it tells people that their bodies are the problem, and convinces them that they only way to escape painful discomfort within their bodies is through pretending to be something they will never be. Humans cannot change their sex. The surgeries touting otherwise are extremely malicious to patients desperately paying for them, and the hormones being prescribed have a host of worrying health concerns.
Disrespectful because for trans people to be โvalidatedโ or โsupportedโ requires the complete erosion of sex-based language for women to describe their experience as the oppressed sex-class, and homosexual people to forego their inborn sexuality to appease trans people of the opposite sex (if not by trying to force themselves into relationships with the opposite sex, then to remain quite about their homosexuality). Among many, many other things.
Being expected to be considered an oppressor based on my sex (female), with the โcisโ/โtransโ thing also comes to mind. Cis is a load of big fat bullshit.
โ Some trans men, afab enbies, and cis gnc women share physical traits, and thatโs perfectly okay.โ
Not some. All. We *all*share the the physical trait of being female. You just described women, women, women and women again. There is no โassigned at birthโ. Your sex is observed at birth through the presence of a penis or a vulva (intersex conditions are not a third sex). Trans man is just a label, and only women can use it.
โWe can still be friends. We can still respect identities/pronouns/names. We can still fight for the rights of others.โ
I cannot be friends with a group that supports the regressive, sexist notion of male and female brains, that certain dress/behaviour makes you a man or a woman, that my female homosexuality is a โgenital preferenceโ that can be overcome. There is nothing about these thought processes for me to respect, any more than a christian pastor who things women are second class citizens and gays are going to burn in hell.
Sex-based pronoun are not a disrespect. In english they are the most effective way to communicate the sex of someone.
Men claiming they can be women, or understand womanhood for any reason is incredibly disrespectful and misogynistic. Same goes for every straight woman calling herself a gay trans man. Itโs incredibly homophobic.
โI also think that Blaire is at least trying to do the right thing here. Sheโs making assumptions about Jaden, sure, but sheโs trying to ask a friend who she knows (or thinks) is trans-accepting whether sheโs right and how to show Jaden that itโs safe to come out to them.โ
Respect has been a big factor of this discussion. Explain to me, how Blaire is doing the right thing? She asked Jaden her pronouns, Jaden gave an answer that clearly indicated that she did not understand the question, as she is unaware of trans ideology at large. How is it respectful Blaire to then assume, based purely on how Jaden is dressed and presents herself, that actually sheโs not a woman?
And not only to assume it, but to discuss it behind her back?
Blaire is being incredibly rude and presumptuous even down to how she phrases her reasoning. Notice how she doesnโt say Jaden โwears baggy clothesโ, she says โhiding behind baggy clothesโ. Did Jaden give any indication to her that sheโs hiding? What evidence to she have for presuming that?
She didnโt say โJaden doesnโt shaveโ, she said โshowing off leg hairโ. First of all, Jaden was wearing pants that only showed the TEENSIEST bit of leg hair on her ankles while Blaire was at the apartment. But even that small amount of leg hair is incomprehensible on a woman, to Blaire. Blaire sees it as showing off, and thusly something a woman would never do.
Does that sound respectful to you?
โI know Rileyโs probably on guard right now due to her insecurities creeping up, but I hope she realizes that -IF Blaire was right- Jaden would need friends who help her feel safe. I know Blaireโs wrong, I was assuming the hypothetical.โ
Again,what insecurities? Riley looks uncomfortable in that final panel because she fits the description of a โtrans guyโ/โenbyโ that Blaire is giving. She is uncomfortable because he girlfriend associates her natural body and wearing comfortable clothing with being male. Or at the very least โnot a womanโ.
How is Blaire making Jaden feel safe? How does her making sexist assumptions about Jadenโs appearance helpful? Jaden has given her no indication that she thinks of herself as anything other than a woman, but Blaire has taken it into her own hands to assume her identity. Does that sound respectful to you?
Yes, I know this comic is written by a terf. But a part of me feels like knowing my thoughts might help you to consider the โother side,โ especially as someone who used to be on the fence about a lot of these issues.
For the record, no woman branded with the lable TERF uses it for herself in earnest. It is a misnomer and displays a complete lack of understanding about what radical feminism is – to the point itโs become synonymous with โperson I donโt like/agree withโ.
Radical feminism is about the liberation of women. This includes women and girls who call themselves trans men – as they are benefited by goals of radical feminist activism (like getting full access to abortions, education and research on female-specific health conditions, access to menstrual products, ect). It is in-congruent with trans ideology, but itโs not about โexcludingโ trans people. If itโs anything-exclusionary, itโs male-exclusionary, and that includes men who call themselves women, or nonbinary, or whatever else.
And many of us are intimately aware of the other side of the fence. We came from that side because it doesn’t make sense to us. Because we were hurt, harassed, ostracized and isolated by it.
I kept thinking of a video I thought would really succinctly explain grievances many gender-critical people have with trans ideology. Itโs actually just a series of questions, ones that we cannot find satisfying answers. Maybe you can?
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqIykbA0hbw
Once again, thank you for taking the time to engage so civilly. Itโs really nice to see and I will always try to be as open as possible to people on the other side who want to have a genuine conversation about this stuff.
Cheers!
megachad
bruh….
people will fully be calling you “she” around a mutual genderist they know, but then that person will just theythem you anyways because ur butch.
The realism in this page ?
rustyhearts
rhetorixx
blaire!!! come on now, girl ? but seriously, this page is too real! poor riley!! i suspect that between this and jadenโs encounter w the AGP gang, she might be starting to peak ?
rustyhearts
You might be onto something there ๐
anonymoo
a lot of they/them women i know shave their legs so blaire equating leg hair to “not woman” is really funny. women shave their legs bc of the shame and embarrassment drilled into them from when they were 12 by their own mothers and classmates. but genderists think a woman’s view of herself is constructed in the void
rustyhearts
They do not want to hear that their choices are influenced by anything else! It’s insanely frustrating!
anonny
Oh shit does Blaire secretly think Riley is trans?
rustyhearts
:))))))
anon
sighhh i stopped getting asked my pronouns all the time at uni when i grew my hair out… this comic is so relatable :/
rustyhearts
So telling isn’t it :///
radredrecluse
sorry you had to deal with that bs ๐
Emma
“The haircut (the short hair?), hiding behind the baggy clothes, showing off their leg hair…” The next panel features Riley with a short haircut, large loose shorts, and showing off her leg hair! I get the sense Blaire is partially talking about Riley, too, and thinks Riley is trans.
As a “normie” reading this comic, it seems being assumed trans relies on almost sexist stereotypes?? It makes me wonder how people like this would see me: I always considered myself a ‘feminine’ woman but I don’t wear makeup, don’t shave, have worn nothing but baggy clothes over the past year because it’s COVID and who cares anymore, but have long hair. So, if I cut my hair short, would someone like Blaire think I was trans, too?
It explains a weird moment in college where a trans woman in one of my classes who barely knew me or any of my friends heard one of my guy friend’s name. My friend had a very normal, unisex name. The trans person shouted, “Oh, that’s your name? Are you trans??” My friend was confused, stared blankly, and asked, “HUH???” A bunch of people around us were suddenly staring in silence, too. My friend is even more of a “normie” than me and had no idea what ‘trans’ even meant. The trans person got so uncomfortable and flustered trying to explain how he thought my friend was a trans girl because of his unisex name that can be seen as “feminine”. Then seemed to realize how rude and awkward a statement like that can be especially to someone he just met, that he awkwardly ran away and avoided my friend forever. It was a weird experience. I had forgotten about it and pushed it into the back of my memory as one of those super weird, random, and awkward things that happens in life to never think about again. Until this comic brought the memory back to the surface ha! The attitude presented in this comic makes that experience make sense if this is how some groups really think. I wonder how they come to such conclusions?
Harper
The “They/Thems” are killing me and I am not okay. Also, yes, definitely sounds like she’s thinking the same of Riley too. Part of me keeps wanting to say that this is just a comic, but the fact that there are real people out here in the year 2021 that are having actual conversations and thoughts like this really gets under my skin. It’s unfortunate that some women can’t just exist without people assuming they have a gender identity or something. Yes, I have a haircut and don’t shave my legs. No, that does not automatically mean that I am “trans” or an “enby”… Really don’t like the term “enby” by the way. I don’t know why, but it just feels really juvenile to me and I cringe at hearing it.
rustyhearts
Oh god yeah, I hate the term enby too, it is only here for authenticity’s sake! Completely agree with your frustration too
A.
God, I hate-love Blaire (love to hate?). She sounds… kind of dumb to me, but the worst part is that I know several people that think like her. I have short hair and hate shaving and dress like Jade so I guess in Blaire’s mind I would be trans lol
Abigail
Oof, the contrast of everything Blaire describes about Jaden, panning out to see all of it reflected in Riley. I know in my heart that this chapter is going to hurt. I’ve got the tissues ready
rustyhearts
You are right to be bracing yourself ๐
radredrecluse
way to drag the ever living fuck out of your gf -.-
rustyhearts
whoops U_U
Katell
Not the they/theming T_T
rustyhearts
It was only a matter of time U_U