#like. okay you admit they are implied to be q/ueer. what of their behavior mannerisms presentation etc. showcase that?

[transfemstarscream]

Pride Month has barely even started and someone is already having a go because people headcanon Starscream as transfem because their "canonly male implied queer" representation would be taken away... if headcanoning a gender different from canon is a problem, then why don't you have a problem with canon female characters being headcanoned as transmasc? Oh that's right, the only representation that apparently matters is mlm men

and it's weird to single out starscream of all transformers, because they're one of the strongest cases to make for transfemininity. this is not to say it is intentional or the only way to interpret them—i'd argue the case for transmasculinity is also there—but it is a strong case to make with a lot of evidence. starscream as a character aligns with a lot of people's exploration, identification and feelings towards their own gender; trying to exclude a portion of the spectrum because you see them differently is odd.

this isn't the first time the argument against it relies on the whole "taking away [gay male] representation", but the issue with that argument is trans women and gay men's experiences tend to overlap, as do their onscreen portrayals; a transsexual woman and gay man are often implied as the same thing in the past (despite that not being true). you'll often see transsexual men and lesbian women conflated as the same thing as well, despite that also not being true. experiences overlap, and because of that people will interpret it differently.

and i find "implied queer [attraction to men]" also falls flat because starscream has never officially been with a man. if they had been, i would understand—but they haven't. there's a difference between making actual gay men (knockout, tailgate, etc.) portrayed as the opposite vs. making implied attraction (but not explicitly) the "opposite".

the only reason i feel like this "argument" is used is because the person (or people) themselves project themselves onto a character and do not like being presented with portrayals they find discomfort or insecurity in. (i would know; i was there!) there are a lot of people firm in the belief that starscream is a man regardless of how he presents that, and that in itself is good. where i find an issue is in attempting to paint a small minority of people into a similar headcanon—just from a different angle—into some bad thing just because you dislike the interpretation.