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

[sicsexsix]

If they were poking fun at anything, it was David Bowie, NOT transgenders. The intentions were explicitly clear for anyone who actually read the issue. But some attention-seeking social justice warrior is insisting that Babs' reaction to the revelation is anti-transgender, when in reality, we all know she's reacting in surprise. It's no different than when the mask comes off the villain at the end of a Scooby Doo episode and the gang is shocked that it was Old Man Withers under the Frankenskull mask. But like I said, finding something to be publicly offended over is a quick way to snag some attention. The creative team has absolutely nothing to apologize for, they did nothing other than produce another great issue.

[sicsexsix]

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.

^ Yes. This. Right here. Dead on

[The World]

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.

He wasn't finding expression through cross dressing he was using it as a ploy to boost his stardom, he literally says to Barbara she doesn't know how to use her own fame properly which Qaddir then reiterates back to her and she decides to do something about at the end of the issue with Dinah. Daggar was a petty shallow person who went off the deep end after people saw through his publicity stunt, that was it, there was never any self expression in what he did he even says he was just taking orders from another person.

People are blocking out what was stated in the story and superimposing their interpretations onto the story.

[billee0918]

No apology needed. This male villain chose to pose as Batgirl, end of story. This whole thing is nonsense.

[QNetter]

I just posted this in the comments section of the article that started this entire stink:

"That’s utterly ridiculous. Babs’ reaction at the revelation was one of shock, NOT revulsion as you are so desperately trying to imply. But I know, in this day & age, there will always be people who will go out of their way to be offended by something so they can make a huge stink about it on the ‘net and get some attention. If you had ANY familiarity with the creative team, you would KNOW they’ve always championed equality for all, and this issue was no different, so stop trying to twist a fact to suit your agenda, they’re only responsible for what they say, not for what you comprehend, and the fact that you choose to project an incorrect meaning on the page in question just speaks volumes of your character."

As for the shocked reaction: as i've pointed out elsewhere, someone whose best friend is trans might be surprised to find she's been impersonated by a male, but would not have that jaw-dropping, frozen moment.

The whole "offense troll" argument is being used as a "get out of thinking" hall pass. Yes, I've known a handful of people who looked for things to offend them. But the significance of that is about as real, and the potential to use it to destroy something important, is about as large as that of the limousine-riding welfare queen of the Reagan era, a super-rare occurrence that was used to legitimize the destruction of the social welfare safety net and throw millions into the streets. The fact that there are a handful of people who go offense-hunting does not let you off the hook from considering the effect of your statements and actions.

[QNetter]

Dagger Type was not a Trans-Woman. He was just a fame seeker who co-opted what was famous/popular and wanted to replace the original.

Most people don't distinguish between any of the categories that are anything other than traditionally presenting and dressing cisgender. We've heard lately, for instance, from transwomen who believe drag mockery contributes to their dehumanization and being targeted for violence; "but it's drag, not trans" doesn't keep them from being killed.

[Jody Garland]

This is dumb. Just dumb. I understand transgenderism is A Serious Topic. It should be, as all civil rights should be. This isn't transgenderism. Like, by definition it isn't. Crossdressing is a whole other matter, and conflating the two does neither favors.

Even with that in mind, I don't really understand the issue here. Is it just because he's a villain? I understand portraying minorities as villains is a touchy subject, especially when they are as ill-represented as trans* people. But this is a far cry from actually problematic minotiry villains like, say, the Atomic Age Golden Claw, or the Black Talon from the Golden Age Captain America comics. This is basically just Man Who Sold the World-era David Bowie as a villain.

[Claude]

This issue of the comic did nothing "wrong".

Some people were hurt regardless.

The creators apologised for anyone feeling hurt by what was in the issue, without accepting undue responsibility or disowning any part of the book.

The people who claimed seem to have accepted this in good faith.




Hard to see anything to really complain about in that sequence of events. For the most part, everyone seems to have acted like as close to a grown-up as makes no difference.

[The World]

As for the shocked reaction: as i've pointed out elsewhere, someone whose best friend is trans might be surprised to find she's been impersonated by a male, but would not have that jaw-dropping, frozen moment.

Of all the things I've read in this thread this may be the strangest. She found out she was being impersonated by a famous artist who had just done a big exhibit on her, why wouldn't it be a jaw dropping moment. Leading up to the big reveal she's clearly quite afraid that he knew who she was. You're telling me if you were in her position you would have been stone faced?

The whole "offense troll" argument is being used as a "get out of thinking" hall pass. Yes, I've known a handful of people who looked for things to offend them. But the significance of that is about as real, and the potential to use it to destroy something important, is about as large as that of the limousine-riding welfare queen of the Reagan era, a super-rare occurrence that was used to legitimize the destruction of the social welfare safety net and throw millions into the streets. The fact that there are a handful of people who go offense-hunting does not let you off the hook from considering the effect of your statements and actions.

And this doesn't apply to the people who claim offense at everything. In this thread alone we've seen a number of people make differing claims about this character without apparently knowing what even happened in the issue besides him impersonating Batgirl.

[Outside_85]

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

Agreed. When the reveal was made, I was thinking he was a Dee Snider (look him up) type of figure rather than it being a Buffalo Bill (Silence of the Lambs) kind of portrayal.

[resipsaloquitur]

I look forward to seeing Dagger Type Batgirl cosplay soon enough. Men and women alike could play it.

[Sans Simian]

I look forward to seeing Dagger Type Batgirl cosplay soon enough. Men and women alike could play it.

I will quote from the other discussion, but someone already has!

AMAZING Glam-Batgirl Dagger Type cosplay!

This will be the costume of all ComiCons this year.

[Nick Miller]

What in the wide wide wide world of sports does DAGGER TYPE mean?

What kind of name is that?

SO now we can't have any minority or segment of the population act crazy or villainous without it being problematic? And requiring apology?

[Outside_85]

What in the wide wide wide world of sports does DAGGER TYPE mean?

What kind of name is that?

It's just an artist name so they can go home without people falling over the fence after one look through the phone book.

[Mathieu B]

So should the Grayson writer apologize for Midnighter telling Grayson to kill the baby? I mean it could make people think that gays want to kill babies. People found offense where there was none.

Actually, I read a review that took issues with the mother dying in childbirth stating that there was no point in introducing her if her only purpose was to die. It's amazing how careful people have to be in regards to what they put in their stories. The next step is censorship.

And with the Batgirl #37 "controversy," some blogs suggested that LGBT characters can't be villains, that they must only be positively portrayed. That just doesn't make any sense. People come in all shapes, sizes, etc. and can be good, bad or grey. Just wait for the episode of Flash with Piper and people will scream controversy over a gay villain.