"Batgirl" Creative Team Apologizes for Handling of Transgender Storyline in "Batgirl" #37

[Petotto Parkavius]

I don't understand. It seems like:

- There's a villain impersonating Bat Girl.
- The villain is revealed to be a man.
- Bat Girl is surprised at that revelation.

Is there more to the issue than that? I don't see any disgust on her part, and I don't see anything specifically tied to transgender. Unless there's something more offensive elsewhere in the issue, I think this is sorta ridiculous.

. Precisely. It is absolutely ridiculous, and nobody has an obligation to apologize in the face of illogical attacks.

[Sirzechs]

. Precisely. It is absolutely ridiculous, and nobody has an obligation to apologize in the face of illogical attacks.

I'm glad they apologized just so this madness won't go any further, but then they'll just abandon the DT character all together.

[Sans Simian]

I don't understand. It seems like:

- There's a villain impersonating Bat Girl.
- The villain is revealed to be a man.
- Bat Girl is surprised at that revelation.

Is there more to the issue than that? I don't see any disgust on her part, and I don't see anything specifically tied to transgender. Unless there's something more offensive elsewhere in the issue, I think this is sorta ridiculous.

The main "problem" was in the next pages, where Dagger reveals himself to be the new Batgirl to the public, and they mock and ridicule him. In the context of the story, they audience was upset that the whole reveal was just a ploy to promote his art show, and that he was not, in fact, the true Batgirl. Some part of the readership (or people who were told of the reveal by others) felt that Dagger was only there to promote negative stereotypes of LGBT culture, and that the audience's negative response was solely because Dagger was a trans or gay man (of which there is no evidence for either conclusion in the issue).

If you check out the review thread on the forums for the issue (Batgirl #37) you can see some of the thoughts of people on both sides of the debate.

[Kid A]

Transgender = identifying with a gender other than what corresponds to your body.
Crossdressing = dressing in clothing associated with the opposite sex. There are various reasons for this (sexual fetish, acting, cosplay, performance art, etc.)

Far as I can tell, DT was crossdressing and no indication was given that he's transgender. Do I have it wrong?

This is what I was going to say. I would think if he was transgender, it would have shown even underneath the Batgirl cowl.

[Outside_85]

Honestly, I dont get the stir over this.

While we don't actually know anything about his orientation, Dagger Type doesn't need to be transgender or someone thats into crossdressing in order to have pulled the stunt he did here. I mean, he was willing to jump into a blinged out suit someone else owned and commit crime simply because of the attention he'd get.
Simone's BG apparently added a very positive and appealing transgender character, and now people get in the red because a fame seeker dressed up as a woman? Come on...

[Shinomune]

The villian behind Dagger Type knows about Batgirl's wheelchair time.

Maybe he knows too about Alysia, and precisely puts someone like Dagger Type as BatGlam to mock her/them.

But no, maybe I'm thinking too much, clearly Babs now it's transphobe and writers are dumb people.

Duh...

[Sans Simian]

The villian behind Dagger Type knows about Batgirl's wheelchair time.

Maybe he knows too about Alysia, and precisely puts someone like Dagger Type as BatGlam to mock her/them.

But no, maybe I'm thinking too much, clearly Babs now it's transphobe and writers are dumb people.

Duh...

Alysia is almost always left out of people's outrage over this issue, which makes me think that the majority of people getting upset aren't that up-to-speed on Simone's run and the introduction of Alysia and how a lot of their "trans-hate" reasoning is baseless.

[Sirzechs]

Those that thing Dagger Type is Transgender should read this panel at least 10 times

[Username taken]

I don't understand what the issue is here.

Won't anyone be surprised when confronted by someone you thought was someone else?

I don't think Batgirl's reaction was transphobic.

[Matt]

Folks,
Let's have a calm, rational discussion (which most of you are, which is awesome!). Let's avoid using derogatory labels or insults towards any particular group, as I have already seen.
Cheers.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

God, I'm shocked people are trying to spin/defend this. Good on the part of the creative team for owning up to their mistake, and they doubtlessly didn't go into this with any ill intent, but it really did come off as weird and problematic as a standalone issue. Like, he's a pretty explicitly crazy, dangerous and delusional person, and part of his psychological issue finds expression through 'lying' that he's a woman. That's not a--oy--'SJW' persnickety thing, that's the actual, literal plot of the book. Even if Alysia makes a nonspeaking appearance in one (1) panel, that doesn't stop it from being more than a bit iffy.

[TotalSnorefest]

I'll say upfront I've not yet read the issue, and I'm not trans either so maybe I shouldn't be speaking here at all. But I feel like the creative team did the right thing here by apologising. After reading the Autostraddle article I can definitely see how trans people might consider the way this 'reveal' was handled insulting. Was that the intention? Probably not. But it does have the unfortunate bearings and implications that often come in stories with trans or 'crossdressing' people, in which they're treated as gross or something to laugh at. Plus the article makes a good point that it kinda negates some important moments in Barbara's character development.
I'm glad to see the creators reacting swiftly to the criticism, hopefully there is a way to turn this into a moment of growth for the characters in future issues?

I'll admit that right now my enthusiasm to read this issue has decreased quite a bit. There's a recently released blockbuster movie (won't name it for the sake of spoilers) in which something similar kinda happens and it just felt like such a dated story trope. Do like the new direction for Batgirl though and I don't think this was done out of malice, so I'm hopeful this could lead to progression for the characters in following issues.

[Shinomune]

God, I'm shocked people are trying to spin/defend this. Good on the part of the creative team for owning up to their mistake, and they doubtlessly didn't go into this with any ill intent, but it really did come off as weird and problematic as a standalone issue. Like, he's a pretty explicitly crazy, dangerous and delusional person, and part of his psychological issue finds expression through 'lying' that he's a woman. That's not a--oy--'SJW' persnickety thing, that's the actual, literal plot of the book. Even if Alysia makes a nonspeaking appearance in one (1) panel, that doesn't stop it from being more than a bit iffy.

But not because he really thinks that he's a woman, but because the brand "Batgirl" makes him dress as a girl/woman. And being payed for that.

[hotroddii]

I showed this issue to a friend of mine who performs in drag every week (before I read the "controversy" )

He laughed ... he loved it ... he asked if he could keep it.

I said no.

[Sirzechs]

God, I'm shocked people are trying to spin/defend this. Good on the part of the creative team for owning up to their mistake, and they doubtlessly didn't go into this with any ill intent, but it really did come off as weird and problematic as a standalone issue. Like, he's a pretty explicitly crazy, dangerous and delusional person, and part of his psychological issue finds expression through 'lying' that he's a woman. That's not a--oy--'SJW' persnickety thing, that's the actual, literal plot of the book. Even if Alysia makes a nonspeaking appearance in one (1) panel, that doesn't stop it from being more than a bit iffy.

Yeah.......he said Someone told him to kill Batgirl, there's no delusion or Psychological issues, after revealing as Batgirl, he said his Brand if he was a transgender you would have identified as a female not male, saying it was about a transgender is purposely trying to spin the plot into a social commentary which it wasn't, they didn't boo him because it he was a man dressed as a woman, they boo him because he was a artist trying to insert himself into his work.