#non-binary sebastain

[f1-disaster-bi]

I REALLY loved that snippet you did for Similar w/ non-binary Seb a while ago, so: maybe some angst for that verse, if you want?

"It's not like whatever shit he's harping on about now is real, Sebastian heard one of the drivers whisper a row or two from behind him, "There's only two genders. He's just trying to gain new fans since his season is shit"

Sebastian felt something sick twist in their gut as they heard what the other driver had to say about them. It made their chest hurt, and their eyes ache but they kept their head held high.

They would never regret coming out even if half the time, the media and some of the team misgendered them or gave them weird looks now. Sebastian had tried to ignore it and focus on all the messages of support that had flooded in, and more importantly, the messages from people just like Sebastian that now had someone to look up too in this sport. They had Sebastian proudly wearing his gender identity like armour and creating a space for non-binary people's voices to be heard by using their own.

Yet it still hurt.

It hurt to hear someone they had considered a friend talk about them with such disdain in his voice. That someone they had shared laughter and drinks with, could turn around and scorn Sebastian simply for existing.

They knew this would happen. That not everyone would be welcoming or supportive or understanding but Sebastian held their head high as they looked around the room as it started to fill out. They couldn't help but smile as they met Charles's eyes, and the other non-binary but not out driver looked at Sebastian as if they hung the moon. They looked at Lando, tucked in beside Charles and noticed how the young trans-man had started to carrying himself unapologetically since Sebastian had come out. Those two might not be out, and may never be out, but Sebastian knew how having someone on the grid take that leap had reassured them both in ways they may never be able to put words too.

Sebastian was drawn out of their thoughts when more vile words were said behind them but they were quickly silenced as an arm wrapped around their shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up with that backwards shit ", Kimi all but growled at the other driver, glaring over his shoulder, words ice cold.

Sebastian relaxed into Kimi’s side and touch, taking a breath for what felt like the first time since they had sat down.

Let them talk shit all they wanted, because Sebastian knew their worth and they knew that no-matter what, Kimi was always going to be right by their side to help them face whatever the world threw at them.

[daysincetheindefinatehiatus]

Gender Nonconformity in The Prince and The Dressmaker

 Because American society is so dependent on predictable relationships between people of different sexes, otherwise known as a person’s biology, American  society does not know how to interact with gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals. This underlying mystery has allowed some far-right activist groups to argue that GNC people at large are perverts, pedophiles and rapists, rather than people attempting to feel comfortable in their own bodies. The author and illustrator of The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang seeks to demystify the experiences of transgender, and gender nonconforming people in a way that goes beyond the gender binary. Wang uses a vibrant, cartoon-like and expressive art style, to convey a story analogous to the all too familiar Cinderella story American audiences seem to adore. This allows Want to create a book that is appealing to wide age ranges, and creates a familiar basis to explore otherwise daunting subjects. Wang is then able to use other character’s confusion as a stand-in for the readers, thus explaining concepts that are difficult in a way that does not come off as preachy to readers. Once a baseline of knowledge is established, Wang creates empathy for Prince Sebastian, and by extension other GNC people by centering the rest of the narrative on some common problems, and their effects on people without falling into the trap of focusing only on the misery of being GNC. 

Throughout the book, Wang employs the use of bright colors, and a simplistic art style to make the book seem more approachable to all audiences. Many of the most impactful scenes in

the book are those where there isn't any dialogue. Near the beginning of the book, Frances, the dressmaker, is tasked with making a new dress for a guest attending Prince Sebastian’s royal ball. Despite the fact that the guest herself does not talk at all in this scene, it is clear that she is only at the tailor's shop because her mother is making her go. Otherwise, she has absolutely no interest in going to the ball. Her arms are crossed, she refuses to look at the readers, and when she does, she has a deep scowl on her face. Likewise, before Frances even speaks, it is clear that she is unhappy at her job. Her hair is unkempt, her eyes have bags, and she is hunched over uncomfortably, focusing on her work. Later, when the girl uninterestedly opens the box with the dress in it, Wang conveys in only one panel that Frances had managed to make a dress the girl liked. Suddenly the girl is no longer scowling, her eyes are wider, and her eyebrows are raised curiously. In only a few pages, with very few words, Wang has already outlined some key facts about the main protagonist: Frances is overworked, but also good at what she does. This makes the dialogue that is had all the more impactful. It also increases the likelihood that a potential reader flips through the book and is able to understand large swaths of the story before they actually sit down to read it. 

When Prince Sebastian hires Frances to make dresses for him, he is afraid to reveal to her that he is biologically a male. When Frances does inevitably find out, she does not care all that much. Ultimately, her dream job is making clothes for the wealthy. Who that person is, and what they want her to make doesn’t really factor into the equation for her. This does not, however, mean that she understands the prince. Much like the reader, this is new territory for her, so Sebastain later goes on to explain, “Some days I look at myself in the mirror and think ‘that’s me Prince Sebastian! I wear boy clothes, and look like my father!’ Other days, it doesn't feel right at all. Those days I feel like I’m actually… a princess.”  (Wang 44.) While she doesn’t outright

state it in the book, in interviews Wang has said that she wrote Sebastian to be genderfluid. He isn’t a transgender woman, which is at least somewhat familiar to the audience, but rather, he switches between being masculine, and feminine on a day to day basis. Although this description is an overly simplistic definition of what it means to be genderfluid, it does serve as a good starting point for those who are just being introduced to genders that exist outside of, or in between the well understood male and female binary. This point then gets reinforced as Sebastain goes out of his way to present in more masculine ways sometimes, and in more feminine ways others. It’s not that Prince Sebastain is unhappy as a boy, he just does not want to continue to suppress the side of himself that is actually a girl. He is capable of being perfectly happy, and confident as a boy, the same way he is capable of being anxious as a girl. 

Unlike many other stories trying to promote the acceptance of GNC individuals, Wang does not fall into the trap of making Sebastain’s life miserable to make readers feel bad for him. Sebastian has anxiety related to his gender identity, as do his real world counterparts,  but his relationship to gender is more complicated than that.  In chapter 2 of the book, Sebastian’s feminine alter ego Lady Crystallia is born when she enters, and wins a beauty contest. This is the first scene in which readers get to see Sebastain exude confidence. Before this moment, Sebastian is always worried about being found out for who she is, even in the moments just before she walks on stage. By giving these comparisons Wang asserts that while Sebastian’s gender identity is a component of his anxiety, it is also one of his main sources of confidence. It’s not a part of him that he can suppress happily. Wang effectively asserts that there is happiness to be found in being a GNC. it is not that they are sad that GNC people deserve kindness, it’s that they are human, that makes them deserving of kindness. Because this nuance is made explicit within the story Sebastain accurately reflects his real world counterparts.

As Prince Sebastian, and Frances’ relationship morphs from a simple working relationship into a friendship, the problems Sebastain faces because of his gender nonconformity become more apparent. Sebastian faces pressure from his parents to find a wife, and take the throne. He can't seem to do this because he feels a deep shame associated with his gender identity. As Sebastian runs into more walls related to his gender, he acts in ways that are increasingly self-destructive. Research by the University of Manchester found that an increase in shame, often as the result of transphobia, has correlated to higher rates of alcoholism, drug abuse and even suicide, as well as other destructive behaviors. Likewise, as Sebastian becomes more desperate to hide Lady Crystalia, he ruins relationships that he cares deeply about. After a heated fight based on tension from Sebastian’s need to hide, Frances quits working as his dressmaker. At the same time. Sebastian’s parents become insistent that he marry, so much so that his father actually has a heart attack because of it. Once again Wang is able to highlight the loneliness that comes along with hiding a GNC identity

Consumed by loneliness, Sebastian agrees to marry Princess Juliana. Shortly thereafter, he sneaks out as Lady Crystaliam for what he believes is the final time. There, she drinks until she passes out  and is assaulted by Princess Juliana’s brother. Although this scene is kept vague to stay within a family friendly rating,  this is a scarily common occurrence for transgender individuals. According to the US Trasngender Survey, 1 in 5 transgender people will be sexually assaulted within their lifetime. After her assault, Crystallia is then outed to her parents, and the entire kingdom by Juliana’s brother. At first, the parents are shocked, and unaccepting of their son. They are afraid of the pain that he will have to go through because of his identity. It is not until his father meets Frances, who has returned to make sure Sebastian is OK, that he realizes that Sabastian has support in his life. Frances loves Sebastian, both as a prince, and as a Princess.

Sebastian’s father needed to see this unconditional love to accept his kid. While Sebastian had been on a drastically downward spiral before coming out to his parents, he begins to flourish once he experiences acceptance. He is more comfortable as a man, and as a woman overall, and is pursuing goals along with Francis that are exciting for the both of them. Once again Wang is closely mirroring research showing that transgender individuals are more likely to succeed in life when they are met with acceptance rather than being shunned by those who they love. 

Although I would have liked for Sebastain to have been given more agency in who he reveals Lady Crystalia too, I find this story to be an overall good introduction to the world of gender nonconformity for those who are unfamiliar with it. Before I realized fully that I was GNC, I spent a long time feeling disgusted by gender non conforming individuals despite the fact that I was otherwise entrenched in the queer community. My Grandma experienced the same phenomena. Here was a woman who protected  queer people from the police pre stonewall, stood up for those suffering from AIDS in the 80s, and who was able to accept her granddaughter as a lesbian without question, completely disgusted by that same granddaughter when she dressed as a man or used he/him pronouns. In both of our cases, this book was able to serve as a gentle guiding hand into the world of gender nonconformity, and I am confident in this graphic novel’s ability to do the same for others as well.

[80sdriver]

REBRANDING

HELLO GAYS, GALS, NON-BINARIES ANS PEOPLE IN GENERAL! IM REBRANDING MY ACCOUNT BECAUSE I DECIDED NOT TO BE A SEBASTAIN STAN TUMBLR ACCOUNT AFTEE EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENES + I AM NOT A FAN ANYMORE AFTER WHAT HAPPENES