Nobody is probably going to care, but I just had a realization.

I am the kind of person who has always appreciated a good laugh, so I used to frequent old meme sites. Some years ago, I would've been wondering why this comic implies these women are transfem when the ✨✨L O R E✨✨ doesn't say any of this.

Due to the aforementioned meme sites, I might have also been a little annoyed at this as well, because on those meme sites, that seemed to be the prevalent take.

It's been a while, but I remember gamergate being a turning point for me. I started realizing that... Huh... These people actually fucking suck, and I got out of those areas.

I came across this comic while checking out /c/all, and.. well... That's when the realization hit.

First thought: "I don't remember any of these women being trans in the ✨✨L O R E✨✨, but who cares? I learned about gels being a thing, and the Bowsette point is actually pretty funny. Wow, it really doesn't matter (nor ever should have mattered) how these characters are represented in fan comics."

...

Second thought: "Man, I'm so happy you guys get to share stuff like this. Y'all are brave and I'm really glad you're getting the possibility of being yourselves! It's something a lot of people take for granted!"

You guys rule. Don't let anyone stop you from enjoying yourselves and just... existing as yourselves.

It's been at least 10 years since I reached the point where I admire your bravery instead of thinking it was... I don't even know?? Attention seeking?? It was a completely irrational narrative being pushed on those sites, but once I got out, started thinking a bit for myself, I saw how destructive that was.

Seeing this comic just gave such a stark reminder of the difference a decade can do on a person, so... Thank you for letting me compare and contrast.