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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 31, 2023

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I guess the Uhura equivalent would be to have a 6'2'' stubble-wearing transwoman who passes very very poorly (think "it's ma'am!" guy) but then nobody thinks that this is noteworthy and it just never comes up?

Unlikely to assist you in avoiding CW flak from either side, but could be hilarious and inclusive at the same time, would that we lived in a better world.

But that's kinda the problem, that isn't even a good equivalent. Uhura is a good example of a reasonable-but-not-exaggerated-either-positively-or-negatively black woman (at least, not exaggerated any more than anyone in the series was), whereas the hypothetical stubble-wearing transwoman is a negative exaggeration. The neutral-or-normal-TV-exaggeration of a trans person just looks like an attractive member of their preferred gender.

On a (possibly) more helpful note, if you are open to timefucks you could try something like Gibson does with Inspector Lowbeer in his Jackpot novels -- have a character who's a different gender depending where you are on their timeline, and it's NBD. (or not called out at all, with some ambiguity as to whether it's the same character at all or not -- IIRC Gibson pulled this off somewhat successfully in the books, while Amazon OFC wanted to wallop you over the head with it, to the detriment of their show)

whereas the hypothetical stubble-wearing transwoman is a negative exaggeration.

<Waggles eyebrows suggestively yet unhelpfully>

Never Have I Ever on Netflix has a very clearly trans but fine looking college counselor, and I do not believe this is ever once commented on.