An Alternative Take On Transgender Channelers

[AceOfQueens]

I want to talk about how transness is often discussed in the fandom.  Because of Aran'gar, many folks treat it as a foregone conclusion that a trans person would have a gender that matches the sex of their soul, and this is reflected in most of the fanfiction I've found which addresses the topic.

 

I have taken to calling this the cosmic validation interpretation.  There is no issue with this interpretation, however I personally struggle to relate to it.

 

I prefer interpretations which acknowledge the inherent messiness of gender as a social construct (never mind the whole kerfuffle that is the intersex spectrum).  As a trans woman who does not experience bottom dysphoria, I want to see trans men who are comfortable embracing Saidar, and trans women who enjoy seizing Saidin.  But I also want to see trans sparkers who experience power dysphoria, where the ability to sense Saidin or Saidar makes them experience dysphoria, and would rather be severed altogether.  I like the idea of exploring trans channelers who try to burn themselves out.

 

Many folks use Aran'gar to 'justify' the cosmic validation interpretation, which I don't like, largely because I don't think any interpretation needs to be justified, but also because I feel that Aran'gar can just as easily be used to justify the opposite interpretation.  Aran'gar very quickly adapts to, and comes to enjoy her new role as a woman, but is unbothered by her ability to channel Saidin.  This could be used to argue that her gender is fluid.  Now, while the text does suggest that this is more out of her capacity to be a creep, I still don't think it is ignorible.  Also, IIRC, it has been stated by Jordan or some other authority that the personalities a soul has had in the past does not necessarily allow one to predict the personalities that one would have in the future (it is my understanding that the Forsakens' projections of Lews Therin onto Rand are just that; projections).

 

Again, I'm don't think there's any issue with the more popular interpretation.  Fandom and fanon is all about having fun, and if you have fun with any interpretation, explore that.  I just haven't seen anybody speak up about this kind of interpretation, the one that says "you don't need to have a male soul to be a man, or a female soul to be a woman".  One's gender is not tied to their biological sex, so why should it be tied to that of the soul?  So I thought I'd be the one to bring up such an interpretation.