One thing that LGBTQ+ individuals all have experienced is how our coming out journey often shines a different light on our past experiences. Whether it be realizing that friendship that went bad was because you were crushing on your friend but couldn’t properly process that you’re crushing on someone of the same gender or understanding your deep dislike of dresses is because of your gender identity, we’ve all gone through it. I myself have had those experiences, but one that might not be immediately obvious is my fascination with shapeshifters.
When I was around 12 years old, that span of your life where you’re experiencing a lot of changes, I stumbled across a little manga called Ranma 1/2 in my public library. The reason I was attracted to this story was because of the martial arts action, the comedy, and the not-so-censored nudity. (I was 12.) What kept me interested until now was the fact that Ranma can so easily flip between being a man and a woman and how he thrived in both genders.
Ranma 1/2 tells the story of a martial artist named Ranma who went to China to train with his father. One of the places they stopped by was a place called the Jusenkyo Hot Springs. These cursed springs have the ability to transform whoever is submerged in the waters to different forms. Ranma accidentally fell into The Spring of Drowned Girl and as a result, when he is doused in cold water he is turned into a buxom redheaded female. When hit with hot water, he turns back into his male form. He then returns to Japan, where he somehow managed to attract the attention of not only female pursuers but male pursuers as well, due to his female form. Then hilarity ensued.
There were a few problematic things with Ranma 1/2, as is expected of media that was first published in the late 80s, but it still left a lasting impression on me. As someone who doesn’t want to go through medical transition because of how permanent it is, the ability to seamlessly transition physically from one form to another was very attractive.
Most shapeshifters in fiction don’t deal with genders. In this article of famous shapeshifters, only three of the entries are capable of turning into humans of other genders, while the others shift into an animal-type form. One of those entries is just plain old Greek gods, which barely counts because they can turn into anything, including shafts of light that can somehow impregnate a woman.
Gender shifting and its nuances are not something I hear or read about all that often. When I do, they almost never really get into the details of what it means to be able to shift your physical form from one sex to another with little effort. There may be a few jokes about sexual anatomies and the like, but not how it would shape your perception of self and gender.
One of the stories I consumed as I was coming out was the story of Karolina Dean and Xavin of The Runaways. Looking back, I was happy with the portrayal of Karolina, but I was a bit annoyed at how Xavin not only stayed in a female form most of the time, Karolina also wouldn’t really accept them if they shifted into a male form. There are also multiple instances where the characters insist that Xavin was a ‘she’. This is good for when someone is trans and ask that we refer to them with a certain pronoun, but for Xavin who was so blasé at the beginning about their gender and how the Skrulls don’t really have a concept of gender, everyone else sure is very adamant about what Xavin’s gender is or isn’t. It’s sending the message that you have to be one or the other.
Fortunately, there are now shapeshifters whose gender is better treated. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power recently introduced a nonbinary shapeshifter named Double Trouble, uses they/them pronouns, and also voiced by Jacob Tobia, who identifies as nonbinary themselves. No one around them questions their identity or uses the wrong pronouns.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow also recently have their own shapeshifter. Though she was introduced early in season 4, her gender identity was never really addressed until the bittersweet episode, “Romeo vs Juliet: Dawn of Justness”. Effectively, the Legends were divided into The Girls and their book club and The Boys retrieving a piece of this season’s MacGuffin. Though mostly for plot reasons, Charlie was grouped with The Boys and referred to as such by the Captain. Later on, there was a brilliant little exchange between Charlie and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare, confused, asked if the person playing Juliet was a man (it was Zari), a common practice during Elizabethan England. Charlie nonchalantly responded with “Does it matter?”
And that is the mindset that I feel shapeshifters of this nature should have. If they can be any person, any gender, does any of it actually matter? Maybe it is merely me projecting my wishes and desires onto a character, but I think it benefits more than just those of us who identify as genderfluid or nonbinary. Seeing a character that cares very little about their gender, about how they present themselves, ultimately helps break down the gender norms. It normalizes being outside of the gender box.
Of course, none of us can actually shapeshift the way these characters do. Shapeshifters don’t exist in our reality. However, I believe the best way to look at humanity is when presented through a non-human lens. Some of the best stories about humanity out there are science fiction or fantasy in genre. Shapeshifters and gender-bending characters help me look at what exactly is gender and how it is very much a construct of society.
Shapeshifting is a wonderful power to have, especially when you’re the type of genderqueer that I am. One day I want to wear the tightest of dresses and showcase all of my best features, and the next day I want to wear a fancy suit and be as flat-chested and small hipped as possible. But until technology can catch up with our imagination, I will make do with the one body that I do have and live as genderfluid a life as possible.
