Adam and Yves

 I came across the following political cartoon today:

There is a lot going on in this cartoon. Which is somewhat refreshing in a world in which many political cartoons are one-note and simplistic takes on partisan talking points. Not that this cartoon isn't an illustrated Republican talking point, but at least it shows some sophistication about it. Even if it uses the term "Woke" in a manner that seems completely nonsensical outside of Conservative echo chambers.

I was somewhat struck by the artist's use of the word "thingy" rather than "penis." Surely penis isn't so terrible a word that it can't be used in a situation like this, especially given that "Adam" appears to be unselfconscious in his use of the word "breasts." But even it were, surely in the entire pantheon of euphemisms for it, there would be something more evocative than "thingy."

I find it interesting that "Eve" relates that the Snake told her that she was transgender and then performed the surgery on her. I suspect that pretty much all transgender people see themselves as having more agency than that, especially those who transition in adulthood. The implication that being transgender is somehow a plot of Satan (or whatever one wishes to call the Christian adversary) is also interesting, in the sense that it doesn't take much to realize that many Christians may feel this way, but it's something rarely stated. (Although I suppose it may be a common refrain from many pulpits.) It casts convincing (if that's what one would call it) people to retain the outward sex they were born with as a means of defending them from bad influences, something which I could see ending badly in certain circumstances.

Eve's saying that "the Snake told me God made a mistake" is also interesting, with it's direct implication that gender dysphoria is evidence of some divine error. Again, it pits the transgender community against the Christian conception of God in a way that's fairly rare for people to say out loud.

The idea that the Snake has a plan to prevent people from having children is also interesting; especially in light of the stereotypical Conservative concern over falling birthrates (mainly in Western European nations and the United States).

I'm unclear on why Adam is bald in this cartoon, although it may be to draw attention to Eve's brightly-colored hair, which may be intended to evoke queer people more broadly.

Having Eve be the transgender person is an interesting choice. On the one hand, it allows the artist to imply that both characters are naked, and clearly show the scars from Eve's double mastectomy. But it does mean that the common talking point of men transition to women in the service of sexual predation can't be touched upon.

I recall a line from a movie I saw quite some time ago, in it, a religious zealot tells a young woman who wants to do something different with her life that "God has given you your place, and you shall keep it." (Which is, itself, an interesting phrase. I remember it quite clearly, yet cannot seem to find any record of it being used anywhere. Even Google can't seem to find more than one reference to it.)

This addition of transgenderism to the Culture Wars echoes the old arguments about homosexuality, and its supposed incompatibility with Christianity. We'll see if, in the end, these new arguments also turn out to lack staying power in the face of an expanding community, and expanding ties between communities.