[big breath]
This story beat has been in the script since the beginning, but it feels oddly prescient that it’s finally happening now, during a time when trans people, trans kids especially, are the subject of such public scrutiny. It is disheartening that it would be harder for Lucas to transition now than it was in 2018.
Even though it seems dire out there for us, I’m grateful to be telling this story in my small part of the world. Showing a trans kid being immediately loved for being who they are shouldn’t be unusual or revolutionary, a hard-line political stance, and I hate that it feels more like that every day. Still, it’s something tangible I can do. I hope it helps push back the darkness a little.
—
TRANSCRIPT
Panel 1 (Alex in the foreground, as Imogen rubs her face)
Alex: But you two talked it out?
Imogen: Yeah.
Panels 2-3 (Imogen begins speaking, then hesitates)
Imogen: Thanks for not getting mad at, uh…
Panel 4 (Imogen looks at Alex before speaking the last word)
Imogen: …her?
Panel 5: (textless, Alex reaction shot)
Panel 6 (Alex and Imogen smiling tentatively)
Alex: You have… a daughter?
Imogen: …yeah. Yeah, I think so.
—
(It goes without saying, but I’m brooking no transphobia in the comments. If you breathe a hint of bigotry into my comments, especially under the guise of ‘debate’, it’s getting shut down – trans lives are not under debate here.)
🥺🥺😭😭😭🥰✨💜
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH (just to clarify, it’s happy yelling)
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
I can already hear the horrific accusatory slurs from the father. Transphobic, homophobic, dead-naming, et cetera. The general “MY wouldn’t be this way if YOU weren’t yada yada yada . . . “
Imogen’s soon-to-be-ex isn’t Lulu’s father anyway. Lulu has snarked about it before – I don’t think we need to care about her caring what he thinks 😁
* need to *worry* about her caring, oops!
*fist pumping excitedly, hooting and hollering* ty for this 💛
I mean, she was already being called Lulu…
This is lovely, and it’s tremendously sweet seeing Alex and Imogen already being tentatively happy/excited about the news. (Not to mention more than a little poignant, especially with Alex’s flashbacks to her own coming out.) Thanks from this trans reader for pushing back the darkness a little bit. 🙂
I think you captured Imogen’s pause and acceptance perfectly. Love love love
I love how she just used the right pronoun even though Lulu isn’t in the room.
I’m… 🥲 I’m just so happy for Lulu! And for Imogen to immediately be on board with the gender/pronoun adjustment from her own perspective. I hope Lulu didn’t feel she had to convince her mom that she is who she is, I hope she felt safe (nervous, which was obvious, but safe), because I’m absolutely sure Imogen was affirming and loving. As for Lulu’s dad…if he’s a dick about it in any way, I hope he gets his nose punched three times a day every day for eternity.
This gave me chills in the best way! Love love love this! <3
Aaaaah Imogen *gets it*, I’m so happy!
…and she gets a daughter!
Looking back at my previous comments, I’m aware that most of them are various levels of squee or gush, but… yeah, this is more of the same.
THIS. This is the quality content we come here for.
So. Many. Happy. Feels. 🙂
This chapter has been such a lovely surprise 💜 I hadn’t picked up on things before this chapter started, but definitely caught on as soon as the kids got asked about the shoes. I’m so happy for Lulu to have this loving and safe environment to explore herself in! And it’s so good to see how supportive and happy Imogen is, though I definitely never expected anything less. Absolutely looking forward to seeing where Lulu’s journey goes from here!
Aw, those little speech bubble hearts. Did Imogen know before now she always wanted a daughter?
I love how happy they both look at the idea of Imogen having a daughter. I hope Imogen’s other kids are chill/cool about it…
Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! Adore this!
I’m nonbinary, myself, and thankfully, that has been something all of my loved ones have accepted, but I understand many are less fortunate, of course.
I’m truly glad Imogen and Alex are immediately supportive. Alex was cool about the shoes, anyway, but still seems surprised. I wonder if it’s more that she thought it was curiosity on Lulu’s part, or if the speed at which the ‘egg’ has cracked caught her off guard, Imogen and Lulu already being able to talk it out this quickly.
I’m so happy this all went well😍 now that Lulu has a safer home to be herself she’s experimenting. Thank you. I’m hoping her siblings are also understanding. Do I remember incorrectly or wasn’t she not related to Imogen’s soon to be ex? I should re read but I think Lulu isn’t that dude’s daughter. In any case I’m happy she was accepted and will probably have a chance to be more herself.
omg that’s so sweet !! can’t wait to see more of her story ^^
Aw, Imogen’s smile in the last panel makes me so happy! ^-^
I FREAKING KNEW IT!
I had a hunch for a LONG time, I even told my friend about it.
Chapter 11, page 4 is when I was sure and I’ve been waiting since then to get the confirmation properly.
She always seemed uncomfortable about something, but never saying what it was, and it didn’t feel like it’s just teen angst. And in that page is so obvious the haircut is having a negative effect on her, almost looking like she’s about to cry.
Very happy to see this finally being addressed :3
Yep, Lulu is the son of Imogen’s old boyfriend. Lulu is the reason Imogen dropped out of college, and then married her soon-to-be-ex because he was supportive of her and her child.
This comic has me grinning from ear to ear. I began suspecting when the shoe showed up damaged and we found out who’d been wearing it. Good for Imogen on being so accepting!
*Lulu is the daughter
I just have to say that I love you and this story. This is wonderful.
<3 I'm glad Imogen was accepting
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh good for her all of them !!!! good luck lulu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reading this the day after i find out a coworker who is otherwise a really cool guy and would have liked to consider a friend is a bit of a transphobe. b/c we only interact at work i don’t think we’ll ever get to have a chat about why he feels that way so i just don’t feel any hope right now….
thanks for this comic. i really appreciate it
:’)
Perfect! With the husband cashiered and the oldest boy switching teams, all we need now if for the twins to die in a bizarre gardening accident, and…all-female cast! wOOt…!
coming in pretty late on this one but…i wasn’t able to figure it out and come out until i was 50, so seeing all of the young ones, fictional or real, who can find themselves and be accepted so much earlier always gives me happy tears
thank you!
Hell, I’m not trans (I think? Does demi-gender count as trans?) and didn’t do much introspection about my gender/orientations until my mid-late 30s, and I literally teared up at this, ESPECIALLY panels 4 and 6. Tearing up a bit again now, in fact. Happy, happy tears.
This is how a coming out should happen, but so rarely does. As Alex sadly exemplifies all too well.
Hey, Lindsay? *standing ovation*