Where Am I Supposed To Pee?

Cartoon by Barry

This comic was co-written by Barry Deutsch and Grace Annam, and drawn by Barry.

Transcript of comic:

Panel 1

(A white woman in jeans and a t-shirt, with a big mop of curly hair and glasses, is holding out a clipboard and a pen towards a Black woman with a polka-dot skirt, sleeveless blouse, carrying a purse. The polka-dot skirt woman has stopped to listen to what clipboard woman is saying. They are on a sidewalk; we can see a tree, a fire hydrant, and a parked car in the background. A dog sniffs the hydrant.)

Clipboard: Sign the petition for the “Bathroom Bill!” It makes it illegal for people to use public bathrooms that don’t match the sex on their birth certificate!

Panel 2

(Polka-Dot has turned towards Clipboard and gestures towards herself by placing her hand on her upper chest.)

Polka-Dot: Actually, I’m trans, and there’s something I really want to ask you.

Panel 3

(A large panel, showing Polka Dot shrugging while looking a bit angry. Behind her we can see a street full of buildings drawn in a cartoony style. Her dialog is written in large bubble letters, forming the title for this comic strip.)

Polka-Dot: Where am I supposed to pee?

Panel 4

(Clipboard, looking irritated, holds her hands out in a “it’s so easy!” gesture, while Polka-Dot clasps her hands together and looks a bit horrified at what Clipboard is suggesting.)

Clipboard: Does it say “male” on your birth certificate? Then use the men’s room.

Polka-Dot: But I’m no safer in a men’s room than any other woman!

Panel 5

(This entire panel is a thought balloon extending from the previous panel, showing what Polka-Dot is visualizing as she speaks. The image shows Polka-Dot, having just walked into a men’s room, looking frightened as three hulking male figures approach her. Polka-Dot is holding up a sign that says “I’m Trans.”

Polka-Dot’s dialog in this panel isn’t spoken by the Polka-Dot in Polka-Dot’s visualization; rather, it’s an extension of the dialog from the previous panel.)

Polka-Dot: And I’d out myself every time I use a bathroom! That’s really dangerous! Lots of trans people have been assaulted!

Panel 6

(Polka-Dot is attempting to explain further, but Clipboard holds out her hands in a “stop talking” gesture.)

Polka-Dot: I’m just asking that you think about how trans folks are supposed to–

Clipboard: That’s not gonna happen.

Polka-Dot: But–

Panel 7

(Much to Polka-Dot’s surprise, Clipboard reaches up with both hands and lifts the entire top of her head neatly off, as if it were a hat. We can see the top of Clipboard’s brain, and that her brain is bound with many tight black cords.)

Clipboard: Here, look at my brain.

Polka-Dot: Whoa!

Panel 8

(A close-up on Clipboard’s exposed brain, and the thick black cords binding it; Clipboard points at the brain with her left hand.)

Clipboard: See that stuff strangling my brain? That’s fear. Fear of things I don’t understand. Fear of you.

Panel 9

(Polka-Dot looks concerned, while Clipboard yells angrily.)

Polka-Dot: All that fear strangling your brain looks really painful. Why not take it off?

Clipboard: Never!

Panel 10

(Still looking irritated, Clipboard explains. Behind her we can see the city as a dark silhouette.)

Clipboard: Uprooting my fear would require lots of work. I’d rather direct my fear at you. That way I don’t have to confront it.

Panel 11

(A closeup on Clipboard, laughing like a B-Movie villain. We can still see her bound brain.)

Clipboard: That’s how fear always wins! Until everyone stops seeing trans people as freaks to be feared, I can’t lose! Ha ha ha!

Panel 12

(Final panel. We are in a park, but there are science fiction elements; there’s a spaceship floating in the background. Two children, one on a hoverboard, and one with pointy ears and with a robot dog on a leash, are talking. In the foreground, Clipboard – brain still strangled – reacts with frustration to what the kids are saying.)

Hoverboard Child: My teacher says people used to try to stop trans people from going to the bathroom!

Robot Dog Child: Weird! Where would President Hernandez pee?

Clipboard: Dammit!

This cartoon on Patreon

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

The End Of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (plus alternative version including I for Intersexuality)

Cartoon by Barry

First panel: We see a deep pit. Climbing out of the pit, using a rope and anchor, are three cartoon letters, each with arms and legs: “L,” “G,” and “B.”

L: Almost there… Almost free of this horrible HOLE of DISCRIMINATION!

Second panel: The three letters have climbed out of the pit, and are dancing and celebrating.

LG & B (speaking together): We MADE IT! “Don’t ask don’t tell” is GONE!

Third Panel: The shot has moved down to the bottom of the pit; the top of the panel is now above the top of the panel. There, still holding onto the rope and climbing, is a cartoon letter “T.”

Word balloon from above the top of the panel: Thank goodness that’s over! Now we can rest!

Another word balloon from above: YAY!

T: Um… GUYS?

Don’t get me wrong — I’m thrilled about the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. We should celebrate. But we shouldn’t forget that the work ain’t done.

Transgender American Veteran’s Association (TAVA) president Monica Helms wrote:

On this day of celebration, TAVA has one request for all of those who will be cheering and partying. We ask that everyone take a moment of silence to acknowledge that the fight is not over. A moment of silence for all of those trans people who will still face discharge when being outed.

Take a moment to remember the trans people who gave their lives in silence to protect this country. TAVA stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in celebrating this historical day. All we ask is for them to stand in solidarity with the trans community in our struggle to end ALL discrimination in the US military. The fight is not over.

UPDATE: At the suggestion of a magazine editor, I modified this cartoon to add an “I” for “intersexuality.”

Posted in LGBT cartoons |

Such An Easy Mistake To Make

Cartoon by Barry

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels, plus a tiny fifth “kicker” panel at the end. Below the entire cartoon, a large caption says SUCH AN EASY MISTAKE TO MAKE.

All panels show two women, on a suburban looking sidewalk, waiting by a sign that says “bus.”  One woman has black hair in a ponytail, is wearing a hoodie and a calf-length black skirt, and is carrying a purse. The other woman has short, spiky blonde hair, a sleeve tattoo covering her left arm, and is wearing pinstripe pants with a black sweater-vest over a white tee shirt.

PANEL 1

The woman with the ponytail is leaning towards the woman with the spiky haircut. The woman with a spiky haircut is holding a cell phone. (It’s a flip phone, because this cartoon was drawn in 2009 and flip phones were the ultimate in cool.)

PONYTAIL: Excuse me, I overheard what you said on your cell phone… and I totally agree. A transsexual just isn’t a woman!

SPIKY: Oh! Well, thank you. It sometimes feels like the whole idea of “woman” is being attacked.

PANEL 2

Both women’s body language gets very energized as they bounce off each other’s ideas. Ponytail holds out her arms, palms up, in a “come on!” gesture; Spiky leans in, smiling, and holds up a finger to make a point.

PONYTAIL: Exactly! I’m sorry, but there’s so much more to being a woman than wearing a dress or having some surgery!

SPIKY: Yes, yes, yes! There’s something essential that men can’t just buy from surgeons!

PANEL 3

Ponytail looks annoyed as she thinks about being called a transphobe; Spiky angrily agrees with her, spreading her arms wide.

PONYTAIL: You wanna know what I really hate? The word transphobia!

SPIKY: Me too! The word is a scare tactic they use to silence anyone who disagrees with the trans agenda.

PANEL 4

Ponytail, very happy, holds her hands together in front of her. Spiky, smiling, holds a hand to her chest in a “me?” gesture.

PONYTAIL: This is so nice… I love meeting other radical feminists!

SPIKY: Radical feminist? Are you kidding? I’m a conservative Christian!

TINY KICKER PANEL AT THE BOTTOM

Ponytail facepalms as Spiky looks a little disappointed.

SPIKY: Does this mean we can’t be friends?

This cartoon on Patreon.

Posted in Barry's favorites, LGBT cartoons |