Representation

I think about representation in OJST a lot. Like, A LOT a lot. 

As a white, cisgender, able-bodied person living in one of the whitest cities in the country, I'm very aware of how easy it is for me to draw characters similar to me and the people I'm surrounded by as a default. It was only in 2010 that I made the conscious decision to incorporate a wider diversity of people into my art, which means I had a full 26 years in me of never having paid attention to representation. Basically, I feel more aware of my LACK of knowledge than I have confidence in my ability to do an adequate job at including diversity in my work. I dunno, 'Anxiety of the Privileged' or whatever dismissive title you wanna give it. 

So this Fleshlight review coming up, I had to draw two penis'd Masturbateers. 

Officially, I consider the Masturbateers to be kind of genderqueer-- they're JUST bodies, with an undefined set gender identity. Some of them I portray more femme, some more masculine, some I try to hit on completely ambiguous. 

God only knows how successfully I ever convey that, but I'm trying. 

So on the LAST masturbation sleeve we covered, the Tenga Flip, I had two be-penised Masturbateers. http://www.ohjoysextoy.com/cockrings 

Through their body language and hairstyles, I tried to depict the short one as more masculine (a representative to the cis men) and the taller one as more feminine (for the trans feminine readers who have unmodified bodies). No sooner had I posted it, though, than a trans woman reader told me how disappointed she was that I hadn't included a pre/non-op trans woman, like they are, in the review. Which is exactly what I had been trying to do, but obviously it didn't come across. 

Ok, so THIS time around, with our upcoming review of the Ice Fleshlight, I was like 'Alright, this time I'll make it SUPER OBVIOUS that one of the Masturbateers is physically unmodified and (trans) feminine. Make the hair long and the body language SUPER femme. 

I turned in the first page to Matthew for him to color and he replied that he actually intended for BOTH of the Masturbateers to look like cis men, because HE'D received feedback from a cis gay man that we never show straight up gay dudes getting it on. 

So I edited the facial and chest hair of the smaller one (As you can see in the picture!) 

Recently I was informed that OJST has "over-arching gender issues", which I certainly can't argue against being that I'm a cis woman in a cis-dominated culture, so I have the luxury of not having to question how gender is perceived and received on a day-to-day basis. But at the same time, doesn't EVERY story have over-arching gender issues? Out of all the media, the comic that approaches its cast from a 'these are just naked bodies' view and uses they/them/their pronouns for them, that's the *one* series that warrants a critique of its over-arching gender issues in comparison to literally every other entertainment out there? Not to say OJST should get a free pass, obviously I have a lot to learn, but at the same time it feels impossible for ANY story to escape 'over-arching gender issues', you know? 

I dunno. I'm trying and I'm trying but in the end somebody always feels excluded.