Everything You Want to Know About the Trans American Heroes!
About the Creation
M Parr is the author and artist behind TransAmerican Heroes.
No, M is lesbian/queer. Her father’s last companion in life was a trans individual, her previous long-time partner identified as genderqueer, and several friends and family members have transitioned – so the experience of gender other-ness has been a big part of her life.
M believes that true civil rights in this country will not be achieved until all marginalized groups are treated and accepted equally. All too often, different groups are fighting to be the gatekeeper of the Most Oppressed. When LGBTQIA people are not accepted in minority communities, or when gay people are racist, or people of color discriminate against each other, everyone is undermining their own movements. The TAH characters challenge traditional boundaries of race and gender, thereby defying labels that might bind them to particular groups. They embody a new revolution in Being.
From M: “I was originally inspired by my father’s companion F, as well as D, my partner of 20 years. Each were “other” genders. Back then, there were no labels like genderqueer or they/them. Each struggled in different ways to accept themselves. Although they came close, neither went through surgical transition. I was always fascinated with what it might be like to have both genders inside, and to ultimately be neither. Would that make one wiser? More vulnerable? What is my own gender?
While I was wondering this , I painted a series of watercolor portraits of transgender superheroes. Faith was my father’s favorite. After he died in 2002, the entire TAH epic came to me in a flash. It’s taken me this long to be able to present TAH in the way I envisioned.”
The Story
In a fictional version of modern-day America.
Because all of the TAH characters were transformed during hate crimes over the last 50 years, and Fighting such crimes are an important part of the TAH mission. Despite many advances in the last decade, hate crimes are a danger that all LGBTQIA people face on a daily basis. In 2017 alone, the FBI reported 1,130 attacks based on sexual orientation, and 119 on gender orientation. 29 transgender people were killed, the highest recorded in a single year. And that’s in 2017 – 48 years after the Stonewall Riots, when Destiny was transformed.
Because they don’t fit into any one category of race, their very existence challenges the validity of labels – and while it’s burdened them with the experience of being outsiders in their own communities, it also frees them to transcend race as an identity.
To make it easier for the reader to understand where they came from, and how each is a mixture of conflicting forces.
These particular characters are NOT transsexual – when they become superheroes, they lose any external props and clothing that mark a particular gender. But they slowly transition naturally into the gender they truly are inside. Each is on a personal quest to make peace with their queer-ness, and transcend physical gender and race to become powerful spiritual embodiments of their names.
In a real-world environment where so many Americans hate outsiders, and cling to their particular racial or ethnic origin, the TAH characters represent the truly American spirit of outsider-ness, and the abstract ideals that are vital to this country’s spirit. At the same time, each character is nowhere near embodying the spirit of their own name – Faith doesn’t trust anyone, Truth is secretive, and Destiny cannot predict anyone’s fate.
At least for now…
Because there are several stories going on at once, all leading up to the ultimate final battle with their enemies.
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The Website
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