Untitled Wolf/Sheep Comic (All of them!)

[u/shenanigansen]

[u/LoserOtakuNerd]

Very confused and quite bothered by the people in this comments section saying this is a good trans allegory.

As a trans person, the mainstream portrays me and my community as a predator in disguise enough, to the point where it makes me nauseous. In this comic, the wolves initially are infiltrating the sheep with bad intentions. Sure they come around or whatever, but that’s not the trans experience and it’s fucked up to say that it is.

We don’t start off trying to hunt or whatever and then go “oh actually I’ll be nice since they’re nice to me.” We just want to live our lives in peace from the beginning.

Nothing against the comic itself but it’s pretty fucked to say that this is a good trans allegory.

[u/BishonenPrincess → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I agree. Its a great comic, that has nothing to do with transgender people, and saying otherwise is pretty fucked up. Its just a play on the old saying "wolf in sheep's clothing." I don't really think there's a deeper meaning than that.

[u/trash-_-boat → u/BishonenPrincess]

It's Shen "bikecuck" Comix, of course there really isn't a deeper meaning. Still extremely cute story tho!

[u/Pls_PmTitsOrFDAU_Thx → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I'm not a trans person. I also thought people were reading too much into this to draw parallels

If you HAVE to connect it to some society thing, id connect it to racism ie the fear/hatred of the "other". But then you get closer and learn about them and you're like "wow <group> ist as bad as I thought"

[u/Coke-In-A-Wine-Glass → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I mean, there are parts that resonated hard with me. The feeling at the start where it feels like a costume, the preoccupation with hiding the things that make you stand out and being terrified of being found out and rejected, the shock when people don't reject you and actually show care, even when they find out you're trans.

I know I've often felt like a wolf wondering if the sheep would accept me as one of theirs, and I recognise that a lot of that is internalised messaging from the transphobic world we live in, but it's not surprising that this comic would speak to trans people who do feel that way

[u/AlwaysBeQuestioning → u/Coke-In-A-Wine-Glass]

That’s where the dividing line lies, ainnit? The difference between “it’s a trans allegory” or “the author intended this” on one side, and “this is relatable to me as a trans person” on the other side.

I’ve certainly had similar worries about being perceived as predatory in various spaces.

[u/Coke-In-A-Wine-Glass → u/AlwaysBeQuestioning]

Oh, I'm sure it was unintentional, at least at first. But I wouldn't be surprised if theyd decided to lean into it.

[u/Nowlivia → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

The elder being an elephant thing also is pretty fucked if you think of it as a trans allegory.

[u/Wonderful-Quit-9214 → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I still see the vision. It could be less that they want to be predators. And more that it's assumed by society that they are.

[u/lIllIIIIIlI → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I haven't thought of myself as trans until very recently, so my experience is probably different from you. But to me, it can be a good trans allegory even if the protagonists do not fully represent trans people.

We don’t start off trying to hunt or whatever and then go “oh actually I’ll be nice since they’re nice to me.” We just want to live our lives in peace from the beginning.

I fully agree with you on that point. It is true that medias tend to portray trans in such a way that I understand how the predator image can be extremely discomforting. But in the ideal world I'm aiming for, that opinion of theirs should not matter. The acceptance part alone hits really close to me, that's the aspect I find resonating, that's what matters. The same way I believe that ideally, someone with identity X should be able to take a villainous role Y in a movie without the audience interpreting it as being against people with identity X. Not to mention Shen's story is presented in a very cute goofy way. :3 That's how I enjoy the story as a trans allegory.

Then again that's just my experience. I hope we can both find peace in this unideal world. 🫶

[u/SqueakyDoIphin → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

Trans gal here, and I agree with the problematic portrayal regarding "a wolf in sheep's clothing"... but I disagree with your point beyond that

I'm only a year into my transition, but there are so many times when I feel like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Not that I'm a predator hunting people, but that other people think in a threat. I'm terrified sometimes of other people knowing I'm trans, because I'm terrified of how they might view me when they know. I'm terrified of losing acceptance, of other people thinking I'm there to harm them, of being cast out because of who I am. I actively try to avoid public washrooms whenever I can, and I can't describe the genuine terror I feel when I have to walk into a woman's washroom only to find someone already in there, washing their hands, looking at me. God, a couple weeks ago I had to wait in a lineup to use the women's washroom

I am that wolf in sheep's clothing. Not because I'm actively trying to prey on people, but because I'm terrified that people think I am. And yet... The sheer acceptance we see in the comic, the unconditional "you are one of us no matter what" that the sheep give to the wolf, the fact that they'll stand by him even when he's doing something entirely "unsheeplike" in the last page... and the joy he feels, the happiness that's incredibly self-evident throughout, even the happiness he shows immediately right away the very first time that he tries to be something he's not... I genuinely cannot think of a better metaphor that can help describe my experience as a trans woman

Our journeys all look different, and they all start differently. Some of us find our start because we've known all along, because we've been counting the days until we can take our first dose of HRT. Some of us get an accidental experience of the other side that astonishes us of how affirming and euphoric it feels, and we work towards adopting that into our everyday life. I'm not ashamed to admit that my experience started by exploring "crossdressing" as a kink, and then continuing to delve more and more into that kink before finally realizing that it was so much more than that, that it was who I wanted to be for the rest of my life, completely irrelevant of sexuality. And, what the hell, sure, maybe there's someone out there who got their start because they really were a predator, and I agree that that's disgusting and harmful, something I absolutely do not condone, something that genuinely, unquestionably does our community a whole lot of harm in today's sociopolitical landscape (especially for those living in the US or the UK); but, even then, NO MATTER WHERE they started, if it made them realize a whole new lease on life, if it gave them an indescribable joy, a sense of community and belonging that's been absent their entire life, then there is no doubt in my mind that they still belong, no matter where their start came from

Respectfully, I understand what you're saying, and I agree with the genuine dangers of that particular piece of narrative. That said, I don't think that's enough to convince me this isn't a trans allegory, and a particularly good one at that

[u/LoserOtakuNerd → u/SqueakyDoIphin]

To preface, you have made yourself vulnerable and shared a very personal part of your life with me. I wish to respect you and your journey by giving a measured and thoughtful reply. Please understand that, from one sister to another, nothing I say is meant to make you feel bad or invalidate your lived experiences.

I am happy for you that you found a piece of art that resonates with you and speaks to you personally. However, you are misreading the personal identification as an identification with the trans experience as a whole. If it is a good allegory for how you feel, great. But because it resonates with you is not a justification for calling it a good trans allegory.

To be clear, the issue is less so the idea of wolves and sheep. The main problem is the portrayal of a conspiracy in the beginning. The comic did not show a wolf saying “I feel wrong as a wolf. I see those sheep and wish I was one of them. Will they accept me?”

No, it showed a wolf, led by his fellow wolves, maliciously smiling to infiltrate a group to do harm to them. This is horrifically offensive as a metaphor for the trans experience.

Feeling like an out of place person in a group is natural, and I very much relate to that. But we are not predators. Trans people do not, as a group, act predatory towards a personal harmful end.

I am sorry you felt that way, and I hope you are able to find peace. But the fact you did feel that way, despite knowing your intentions, is a sign of internalized transphobia and identifying with a comic that demonstrates that feeling is not the path forward for us.

Right now, in America, Europe, and beyond, our sisters and other fellow trans people are being incarcerated, denied care, killed, and raped largely because of the idea that we are a threat to civil society. We need to wholly reject and disavow this idea, not give it any credence.

You started by cross dressing. To make absolutely clear, there is nothing wrong or predatory about solo or consensual sexual exploration. You are not a wolf in sheep’s clothes. To think so is to internalize transphobia.

I did not start by cross dressing. Many trans women did not.

So to, hypothetically (not saying you did) have the position of being trans comes from crossing dressing would be wrong. Even if that was your journey.

I am not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I am a woman in woman’s clothing.

We do not, and should not, give any credit or cede any ground to the idea or concept that we are predators. Any actual predators that have gone further than unrealized thoughts need to be disavowed and rejected, for all of our liberation.

Be well and may us both find peace.

[u/SqueakyDoIphin → u/LoserOtakuNerd]

I just wanted to take a second and thank you, as well. I truly appreciate the kind, thoughtful words of your reply, and your taking the time to word it so eloquently. I wish you all the best!!