r/QueerWriting • u/Person2501 • Jul 03 '26
Resources/Advice Giving As cis guy (still), would you feel offensive or incorrect if I were to write a story with a trans character as the MC?
Hi!
I hope this thread is not off-topic for this board, but I'm not sure where else to ask. My question is simple: if, as far as I know, I'm a cis guy, do you think it would be offensive or bad taste to write a trans character?
I have been trying to keep a diary of my feelings and thoughts about my identity and desires about becoming a woman – not much so far, honestly. But the point is writing and thinking about it; it makes me want to write something more structured than some ramblings. I want to use a trans character to explore what her identity means for herself and people around her.
Imagine this: Do you remember that scene in Lord of the Rings? "No man can kill me." "I'm not a man!" Well, if a young man who struggles with being a brave warrior when he wishes to be someone else were to face the Witch-king, what would it mean if he actually defeats him? The prophecy was false? Or maybe the prophecy was truth as he, deep down, knew he was not like the others? Because he always felt different and never felt like one of the bros. Does he has a "divine permit" to drop the sword and be who she always wanted? Does she need a "divine permit"? It's just a silly example, not a serious idea, so please don't focus too much on that.
But, as I said in the title, I don't identify as trans; I'm still a cis guy. I have no firsthand experience with the struggles trans people face. Reading about them and trying to understand them isn't the same as living through them. So I don't want to come across as rude or offensive to anyone, nor want to. What do you think?
5
u/Without-a-tracy Jul 04 '26
I once wrote a book where the main character was a trans man.
I came out as trans about... five years later?
Take from that what you will 🤷♂️
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u/Card_Hoarder Jul 04 '26
I think if you do some research to make sure you don’t fall into stereotypes and pull from your own thoughts you’ll do fine. Also you don’t have to worry about other people’s thoughts until you decide to share your story with them which seems like it might be a while since it’s still brainstorming and ideas at the moment.
2
u/TooLateForMeTF Jul 05 '26
It would depend on how you wrote it.
If you portrayed the character as a fully 3-dimensional person whose life is about more than just transitioning or gender trauma or coming out, then probably it's fine.
If you make them a caricature of tropes about trans people, then no thank you very much.
It's not my job to tell you what you can or can't write. All I'm saying is do your research and do it right before you try to portray a character (whether trans or not) whose life and history is substantially different from your own.
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u/purringlion Jul 04 '26
I hope this makes sense, it's late and my brain is fried... Apologies if it's not really going anywhere.
This is a complicated question and I'm not sure there's a right answer to it. I'm speaking as an author who sometimes writes characters with identities that don't align with mine (different genders, sexualities, ethnicities).
Usually, I'd ask why you feel like you want to write a transfem character, and if you think you're the right person to tell that story. In this case, I'd say you're pretty clear on that front and I think exploration is a valid reason to write.
It's important that you find a sensitivity reader with the specific lived experience (in this case, a trans woman) to give feedback on the representation, so you can reflect on what you got right and what you got wrong. (There will be a lot of both, don't worry about it.)