#also blah blah blah translation is inherently flawed but cmon man we can do better

[princecrows]

while i agree with most of this post, i think its fatal flaw, as is most peoples fatal flaw with understanding representation of queerness in op, is that they apply a western-spefifically-very-gen-z way of understanding it, which is not the rules one piece itself is playing on.

for example, saying yamato is "trans coded" because of the language used to describe yamato in the manga (mainly as a currently a woman, wanting to transition into a man) is flawed, because one piece subscribes to the idea of queerness as action rather than inherent. Yamato IS trans, is a trans character because he wants to be a man and is currently a woman.

It's the understanding of being trans as that action, rather than Yamato being a man born in a different body. (this is literally apparent in the vivre cards every transphobe likes to point out as "proof yamato isnt trans")

more inclusive language is used for people who have transitioned (not always medically) in one piece because i think oda understands queerness as an action, rather than inherent to yamato. this is the definition of being trans, as it has been for most of our lives, as a woman who will become a man, hence transitioning.

and i think oda knows yamato is trans and fully intends him to be, as in the bath scene yamato takes the chance to go with the men than with the women and that is an act of transness. (under this established understanding of queerness)

there's another blindspot, which is that you claim sanji doesn't have internalized transphobia. sanji is referred to as an okama (which is a slur mainly used for transfems and gay men, which is a identity overlap many cultures have.) and since in one piece okama is used to refer to a large group of trans people mainly/also referred to him, as well, and we all probably agree sanji has internalized homophobia, internalized transphobia is apart of his character?

(which results in him presenting in drag during the 2 year period, a literal bit of the story where all the strawhats were finding themselves. as well as other shit yk its fucking sanji and im trying to keep this brief)

and applying the label of "cis" onto him when in manga he is literally apart of the transsexual brigade seems ignorant, and inherently westernized. I'm not saying he's not cis, (because the language used for him is not definitive, and that within our label focused understanding of queerness is not validated.) I'm saying it's functionally useless to label him as cis and not genderqueer at least, because thats the western equivalent of the language used by oda.

not acknowledging that and applying a westernized, "new" understanding of queerness onto these characters is. expecting them to view queerness as something inherent rather than discovered, and expecting a character whom a main theme for him is gender presentation and how he doesn't fit into man or woman perfectly (which is literally explored on transsexual island) to use definitive labels is not helpful, definitely not helpful to trans people who want to get into one piece and need to understand where the commentary on queerness within op is coming from. oda overwhelmingly, for the majority of op has provided us wonderful rep. i think we should respect the language and understanding and cultural context of these characters.

Could you also upload that trans one piece timeline? It’s pretty neat!

sure !

if you ever wanted to get into one piece as a trans person, especially if it's for specific characters you've seen, heres a timeline of trans representation and how it's handled lol (as vague and spoiler free as possible)