#jaden anderson

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Blaire Hopburn: My Favourite Character From My Least Favourite Piece of Media

So there's this webcomic called Lease Bound. It's set in Australia in 2017, and it follows Jaden and Riley, two lesbians forced to share an apartment after a mix-up with their leases (hence the title).

It was promoted as a lesbian love story, but it soon became pretty notorious for transphobia.

Jaden works as a bouncer for a female-only lesbian bar, and in Chapter 3, she refuses to let in three trans women, who don't take it well. The webcomic was heavily criticised for the way the trans women were drawn and how they behaved.

Years later, Lease Bound is still being updated regularly - in fact, Chapter 11 introduced a load of trans men and enby characters.

I've been following the updates for a while. The webcomic expresses a lot of views that I do not agree with - namely, that trans women are dangerous perverted men, and that trans men and enbies are either attention-seeking straight women or queer women too scared to question the "trans ideology cult".

And yet I keep coming back. It's partly out of morbid curiosity, to see what on Earth is going to happen next. But I think it's also because of one character I actually quite like.

Blaire Hopburn.

Blaire is Riley's bisexual girlfriend. She works at the same shop as Riley, in a slightly more senior position. She's also studying cosmetology at university and is part of its LGBTQIA+ club.

In a comic that's been so heavily criticised (and rightly so), what makes Blaire so appealing to me?

It's partly because of her personality. The Cast Page describes her as "a passionate, bubbly woman, who always strives to do what she believes is right… Even if not everyone else agrees." I generally like characters with those traits. I enjoy watching people who try to be good and make an effort to help others, but don't always do it in the best way.

And another reason I like Blaire is because I read her as autistic.

Blaire Hopburn: Accidentally Autistic?

Quite a few of Blaire's personality traits are things that I, as an autistic person, relate to a lot.

The author has described Blaire as, "So good at picking up when someone is upset, or not looking after themselves, so bad at reading the room regarding how to act." That could resonate with any autistic people who are high on empathy but low on social skills. You feel other people's pain, you want to help them, but you're not sure how. And what you try seems to make things worse.

This aspect of Blaire is present in Chapter 8, on Pages 2 and 3, when she and Jaden make conversation while erecting a bunk bed:

Blaire: So Jaden, is this your first move out of home? Jaden: I know it's a little later than most people... Blaire: Not judging! My 'rents insisted I stay home until I finish studying. Jaden: Oh nice. What are you studying? Blaire: Cosmetology! I tried early childcare and psychology too, but I couldn't handle that sort of selfless responsibility, haha! Jaden: Oh man, I feel that. My mum's in aged care, and takes care of my Nana now. I could not do what she does for a living, haha. Blaire: Do you think you took longer to move out because you felt guilty leaving your mum with your Nana? Jaden: How many years of psychology did you do...? Blaire: Sorry, that was a total guess! I didn't even last a full year!! Jaden: Could've fooled me, haha.

Thankfully, Jaden is nice enough to let that awkward moment pass, but she could have reacted to Blaire's psychoanalysis in a much worse way.

We also see Blaire being bad at socialising on Chapter 9 Page 17. Riley and Blaire have witnessed Jaden having an argument with her mum, and after her mum leaves, Blaire asks Jaden about it:

Blaire: Did you want to talk about what happened with your mum, Jaden? Riley: BLAIRE...! Jaden: Hey, it's okay. I have been a bit of a downer... Sorry. Riley: No, you don't have to apologise! Blaire: Yeah, it just sounded pretty upsetting. Jaden: You could say that, haha...

That feels very much like something a person would do when they sense something is wrong and zero in on one way of dealing with it. "Come on, let's talk about our feelings! A problem shared is a problem halved, right? Right?"

There's even a point in Chapter 8 where Blaire muses, "Sometimes it feels like Muddles [Riley's pet cat] is able to comfort Riley in ways that I just can't..." Can you imagine how galling it must feel, knowing that a pet, a creature that can't even speak English, is better at helping your girlfriend than you are?

Ouch.

In addition, Blaire's desire to learn about trans topics and be a good trans ally reads a lot like a special interest to me.

Especially the fact that she randomly brings up trans people in conversation, seemingly apropos nothing at all:

Blaire: Sorry I ditched you, babe. Auntie's keen for me to learn stock ordering. Riley: As long as you don't forget about me when you're a fully fledged store manager. Blaire: Never! So how'd the bunk end up treating you? Riley: Big upgrade from being on the floor. Blaire: And did Mudz approve? Riley: She was up there with me by morning. Blaire: Damn, that is good! Do you think Jaden could be trans?

That conversation with Riley had nothing to do with trans stuff, so Blaire's question is a bolt from the blue. I suspect the thought of Jaden being trans had been playing on Blaire's mind all day, and she was eager to grab the first chance to discuss it with someone.

She does something similar in a reply to an Anon question from when the author still had Tumblr:

Anon: Compared to others of her demographic, I gotta give Blaire props for dating a butch gal and treating her well. Blaire: Of course! Butches deserve nothing but love! And that goes DOUBLE for trans women!

Again, that Anon didn't mention trans people at all, but Blaire still brought them up. She was just itching to infodump about trans rights, I just know it.

But Blaire's connection to trans stuff leads to the issues I have with the way she's being written.

Blaire Hopburn: Pretty Problematic?

I really don't like how Blaire is currently being utilised in the story. Mainly because she's made out to be kind-of an idiot. She doesn't notice when she's making her girlfriend feel uncomfortable. And she's quite bad at picking up on social cues more generally.

This is demonstrated in Chapter 11 on Pages 31 and 32. Blaire is conversing with Violet, Jaden's coworker, about Violet's daughter Faith. The view Blaire expresses is the strawman argument often used against trans people and their allies - the supposition that we believe that not conforming to your expected gender norms means you must be trans.

Violet: Oh, and thanks for being patient with Faith. I know she's a bit of a handful! Blaire: It's like you said: they're just very passionate. Just not about dresses and skirts, huh?

Violet's response is interesting, as is Blaire's train of thought after the exchange:

Violet: NOPE! And I couldn't be happier! It makes buying HER clothes so much simpler! I hope SHE will steer clear of razors and makeup in HER teen years too, haha! Anyway, I best be getting my DAUGHTER to bed. See you at Ballroom Night! VROOM! Blaire: ... Blaire: (thinking) Dang it... It looks like Violet needs more help than I first thought... The sooner I get these [leaflets] to her the more time little Faith will have to choose what kind of body they want as an adult...!

Blaire didn't realise that Violet was emphasising the gendered ways to describe Faith because Violet already knows about trans stuff and rejects it. Instead, she just assumed Violet was ignorant and needed some educational leaflets.

(And Blaire also didn't notice the insult hidden in Violet's words. Blaire clearly shaves and wears makeup, so Violet was basically saying she hopes Faith doesn't turn out like Blaire. But Blaire has no reaction to that.)

Blaire is clearly not the best at detecting what people are implying. But that's being written in an exaggerated way, to satirise belief in "trans ideology" as stupid and in denial of reality.

It can almost feel as if Blaire is being portrayed as bad because of her autistic traits.

The author has addressed this in a comment on one of the bonus comic pages that came out after Chapter 11:

Important to keep in mind that none of the characters are written to be autistic. So Blaire isn’t being made into a villain or singled out for being autistic. In fact, a lot of her "social missteps" are a positive side to her character. Like she's pushy about gender nonsense, but she's also pushy when it comes to making sure her friends take care of themselves (making sure Jaden was getting her share of pancakes, pointing it out fully). She pushes because she cares. It has both positive and negative outcomes.

The trouble is, just because it wasn't the author's intention doesn't mean that's not how it looks. I know I'm not the only one who sees Blaire as autistic-coded.

And when Blaire's difficulties with social interaction are being played up in conversations about trans people, she isn't being written as a character. She's being used as a tool to poke fun at "the trans cult".

That's what annoys me about her portrayal. She isn't allowed to just be a character in a story - a nice, well-meaning but inexperienced girlfriend who happens to take an interest in trans rights. She has to be an extreme strawman of a trans ally, to push the author's anti-trans agenda.

Blaire Hopburn: Vicious Villain?

One of the webcomic's extra features is an "Actor AU", which includes this interview with Blaire's "actress":

Interviewer: Your character is quite controversial isn't she? Lots of people want her killed off and others are holding out hope for some sort of redemption. Which camp are you in, haha? Blaire's Actress: Neither. Interviewer: Oh...? Blaire's Actress: I actually like evil female characters. There's all these memes about deranged women, malicious women, heartless women... But when one does come along they want her removed or fundamentally changed before she's even spread her wings. Interviewer: Do you think fan opinion might change once Blaire ... takes flight? Blaire's Actress: I hope so. Realistically, both extreme camps will probably end up disappointed. But there's plenty of other great stuff to watch for. Will just have to burn the "Blaire bridge" when we come to it.

The funny thing is that the fans who comment on Lease Bound act as though Blaire is already a horrible person, but ... she really isn't?

At her worst, she's so focused on being a good trans ally that she neglects to check in with how others feel. But that's hardly "deranged" or "malicious" or "heartless", is it? Unless you already believe that supporting "trans ideology" makes you at least one of those things.

The closest thing I see to Blaire being villainous is in the first of the "When Riley Met Brick" bonus pages.

Blaire: Exploring your femininity in a non-traumatic way might help make things clearer too. Riley: O-okay. Blaire: Why don't we go dress shopping later this week, then? Riley: U-uh... I'm not really... They never feel good. Blaire: Cute plus-size options have come a long way in the last few years. It won't be frumpy like the stuff from your old congregation, I promise! Riley: O-okay... *** Blaire: Well, what do you think? Riley: It's... I feel like I can't breathe... Blaire: Huh? But it's so loose and flow-y... Do you need a bigger size? Riley: N-no, please, get it off. OFF! OFF!! Blaire: Riles! Hey, hey! Don't thrash like that, you'll rip it! Here' I'm untying it, see? Riley: ... Blaire: So, no tie-arounds, zippers or buttons... How about this one? You just pull it straight over your head! Riley: I can't... Please, no more... Blaire: Hmm... I think we need to talk to someone who has a bit more expertise than me, baby...

Blaire is forcing Riley to try on dresses and do something she's really uncomfortable with, until Riley is screaming and thrashing about. That does seem very, very bad. But I wonder if there's more to this than meets the eye.

Riley's backstory hasn't been shown in the webcomic yet, but the author has said that she grew up in a religious cult where she was only allowed to wear dresses, never trousers. Blaire presumably doesn't fully understand how bad Riley's past was, as she assumes the issue is with the style of the dresses Riley has tried so far.

In an extra cast reply (and it's debatable how canon it is), Blaire does seem to grasp that what Riley has gone through was traumatising:

Blaire: Riley's discomfort with femininity is from being forced into it as a kid. That doesn't mean she HATES girly stuff, she just has internalised misogyny to work through at her own pace!

Yes, Blaire is going about things in the wrong way. But ... she kind-of has a point? I certainly wouldn't call it "internalised misogyny", but it is trauma, and that needs addressing.

Not wanting to wear dresses isn't a problem, but the reason for it can be. Riley's discomfort is clearly rooted in pretty serious trauma, and she needs to be able to sit down with someone and work through that. Sadly, she's not yet confident enough to open up fully about it.

And even if she could, Blaire isn't the right person to do this with. Blaire did study psychology briefly at university, but she didn't last a full year. Her idea of helping Riley is taking her to see Brick, a non-binary person ... who's training to be a veterinary nurse, not a human therapist. Blaire is nowhere near qualified to give Riley the help she needs.

I don't see this as an evil trans ally preying on a poor little lesbian. I see this as two flawed women talking past each other, trying and failing to understand each other, ill-equipped to cope with each other's issues.

And then the other "villainous Blaire" moment is at the end of "When Riley Met Brick", as Blaire criticises Riley for the way she talks to Brick:

Riley: Maybe I'm just feeling a bit confused because I've never met a trans person befor- Brick: THAT is an assumption rooted in transphobic bias! Trans people aren't a monolith! You can't tell who's trans just by looking at them! Riley: Sorry, I didn't know...! Blaire: You know what they say about assuming babe... Riley: I swear I didn't mean to... Blaire: You need to choose your words with more care. Riley: Right... I'm really sorry...

The dark colours, Blaire's body language and ominous words, the top-down perspective on the scared-looking Riley ... this page is trying to make us see Blaire as in the wrong and Riley as her victim. We're meant to judge her for putting her zealousness for trans acceptance before her concern for her girlfriend's feelings.

That's the last time we've seen Blaire in the webcomic so far, but she's due to reappear in Chapter 13. It seems as though the author is planning to do something big with Blaire - something that will cement her as the villain of Lease Bound. But it hasn't happened yet. And I'm curious to see what it is.

I suspect it's something to do with Blaire being in a more senior position at Riley's workplace, as well as the fact that her aunt works there. There's a risk that Blaire could use her influence with her aunt to force Riley out of a job, after a major disagreement over trans rights or something.

But based on what we've seen so far in the webcomic, I can't picture Blaire doing something like that. She just doesn't seem like the kind of person to do something so extreme.

Basically, it's going to take a lot to convince me that Blaire Hopburn is an irredeemable monster.

TL;DR Lease Bound is massively problematic. The one bright spot for me is Blaire, the nice, eager-to-help, slightly autistic-coded bi lady. Unfortunately, she keeps being turned into a caricature to mock those who support trans rights, and that bothers me.

[999horse]

calling all leasebound fans and haters alike

i really really really want to read someone's analysis of it that doesn't involve feminism or gender or whatever political themes. just the character dynamics and the plot. because i really can't see leasebound for all its fans claim it is and i cant find any sort of analysis that isn't blind praise or a simple observation of stuff happening onscreen(onpage if u will).

so if ur a leasebound hater or fan (even better) and genuinely think highly of the story pls reply or dm or make a post vaguereplying to this one. i'm just curious to get the vision

[orphetoon]

i blacked out and this was on my screen

[glitterblossom]

Our metamour Thalia made this. She is both correct and hilarious.

[yaoizaizen]

[toadtt]

I just really like this ship.

And yes, I took the joke from the Simpsons.

[kittytheartist]

Love these two sm

[yugioh-kitty123]

Each scene with atem and Kaiba

[foooolishghoul]

I just think they're really neat ._.

[werothepine]

Starting off strong with GX doodles

Hihi everyone!!

[blackypng]

Little guys in love

[chrysalis-the-butterfly]

Lease Bound is still going - now with bonus sexual assault.

I haven't talked much about Lease Bound here, apart from a post focusing on Blaire Hopburn and one reblog. But the latest page update left me so shocked, so disturbed, that I had to say something about it.

Quick bit of context: It's Chapter 13, and we're back at Yonique, the lesbian bar where bouncer Jaden had that infamous encounter with three trans women. Tonight is Ballroom Night, where both single women and women in relationships can learn to partner dance. But there's an odd number of people, so Jaden is pulled off door duty and enlisted to take part by her fellow bouncers Parniya and Shez:

Jaden: You can't just call "shotty not" before one party is even present! I wasn't even working on that day! Parniya: (hates dancing) Our mistake. We'll take note for next time. Jaden: B-But I'm wearing shorts, so I'm the most under-dressed! Shez: (hates wearing sleeves) That's no worries. Ari's gotcha there! Parniya and Shez: (tossing Jaden into Ari's arms) GOOD LUCK!

Already we've got Jaden being forced to do something against her will. But it gets worse.

Jaden is pulled up on stage in front of the guests and other Yonique staff. Ari, the club's DJ and social media manager, does a quick little magic trick and produces a screen.

And then this happens.

Ari: For my next trick: I'm gonna turn this dweeby bouncer... (moves behind the screen) ...Into a dreamboat! (Ari removes Jaden's t-shirt, shorts and shoes, which fly into the air, along with the chair Jaden had been sitting on) Jaden: HEY! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! (Additional items of clothing fly into the audience) Jaden: ACK! Where are you getting all those clothes?! Ari: Oooh! This one is perfect...!

Ari is giving Jaden a new outfit for Ballroom Night. Before she does that, though, Ari suddenly and without warning removes Jaden's clothes. In front of an audience. Behind a screen, yes, but still very publicly (you can even still see their silhouettes through the screen).

This is sexual assault.

That's not hyperbole. This Australian website explains that "being exposed to sexual behaviour without your consent, such as forcing someone to take their clothes off" (emphasis mine) counts as sexual assault.

Now, technically Ari is taking Jaden's clothes off for her, rather than making Jaden take them off herself, but it's the same principle, isn't it?

And what makes it even worse is that ... I don't think Jaden even wears a bra.

Because in Chapter 10, in a flashback to a make-out scene, her then-girlfriend Alexis cups Jaden's breast, and there's no indication that Jaden had needed to take a bra off first - implying that she doesn't always wear a bra.

What if she happened to not be wearing a bra on Ballroom Night? What if her breasts got exposed to Ari when Ari stripped her of her t-shirt? Wouldn't that be humiliating and degrading?

And Ari is a character we're supposed to like! She's a lesbian working for Yonique, and the Yonique staff are supposed to be the good guys! (Or good gyns, I guess?) The author clearly wants her audience to like these lesbians and bi women more than the trans and enby characters. And yet she has one of her lesbians sexually assault another?!

Compare this to the QT Collective (the LGBTQIA+ university club that Blaire is part of). The worst thing the trans men and enbies do is speculate on Jaden's gender identity based on one photo and a few comments from Blaire, who's only just met her. Prying into the gender identity of a real person, a stranger, is pretty iffy. But it's nowhere near as bad as forcibly taking someone's clothes off.

Not even the trans women in Chapter 3 do anything like this! True, Ginger threatens to assault Jaden, but Jaden is able to stop Ginger before that happens. She's in Bouncer Mode, and prepared to defend herself.

Here, though, not only has she been thrust into a situation she never agreed to be in, but she's been stripped of her clothes by a coworker in front of an audience.

Actually, this isn't the first time Jaden has been in these awkward situations. In Chapter 12, Shez brings Jaden in to assist with her self-defence class, without telling Jaden that's what she's doing, prompting Jaden to think, "What the hell have I gotten myself into...?"

And earlier in Chapter 3, a trio of women flirt with Jaden and try to draw her away from her post. They get pretty touchy, leaning against her. At the time, one could brush it off as a comedy moment, with Jaden being portrayed as a heartthrob who doesn't realise how handsome she is to others, but now it hits different.

But even after everything that had happened with the comic so far, I didn't expect this. At best, it's a comic makeover moment that falls flat. (The Cast Page does say Ari has a "juvenile sense of humour".) At worst, it's a revival of the Predatory Lesbian trope.

In any other story, this behaviour would not be okay. It would be called out, and Ari would face some sort of consequences for her actions, and Jaden would get support. But here, I strongly suspect this will be brushed aside as "just Ari being Ari". Or maybe a commentor will argue that it's not sexual assault and say, "Heaven forbid a woman do anything."

Then again, Blaire did looked pretty shocked at the spectacle. Maybe she'll speak up in future pages, and tell Ari it's not okay to do that to someone. She can be pretty stubborn when she strongly believes in something.

Come on, Blaire! Do it for feminism!

Sexual Assault Resources

For the UK: https://survivorsnetwork.org.uk/resources/

For the US: https://www.nsvrc.org/survivors

For Australia: https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory

Feel free to reblog and add more for other countries.

[eleanorose123]

that one friend you super vibe with

[orphetoon]

do you see my vision. do you understand it

[bestboygen]

@gxweek Day 3: Dance | Another world

[pico-farad]

Cross the walls that divide our decks, and achieve ultimate evolution! Fusion Summon! Rainbow Neos!