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PC Principal is accused of transphobia in "Board Girls".
Transphobia in South Park is, like anti-semitism and abuse and trauma a common subject of fan interest and controversy.
Multiple episodes of the series are generally agreed to contain transphobic messaging by trans advocates and allies, though there are many on social media who defend the episodes.
Series Context[]
Within the context of South Park, while there are multiple characters who are members of the LGBTQA+ community, such as Big Gay Al, his husband Mr. Slave, and later Craig and Tweek, as well as representation for other underprivileged communities such as multiple disabled characters, and Tolkien Black, there has never been a significant, recurring trans character to date.
In season 9's "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina", the boys' teacher Herbert Garrison undergoes sex reassignment surgery, which is depicted in a grotesque manner, with his body parts and genitalia being repurposed in horrific ways including his testicles being used as knees for another surgery. Garrison, who remains bald, is shown strutting around in a humorously feminine manner to contrast with his masculine appearance. He and his boyfriend break up, who is upset with the surgery and feels slighted. When Garrison is unable to become pregnant and abort a fetus, he claims that he is just a "freak" and not a "real woman". The same surgeon is shown turning Gerald Broflovski into a horrifying, grotesque dolphin and Kyle into a tall African-American, and the episode compares all of these characters to denying their true nature and trying to be something they are not intended to be.
The episode "Marjorine", also in the ninth season, featured Butters Stotch being forced to cross-dress to infiltrate a sleepover for girls, which he exhibits discomfort with, and becomes sensitive when the girls accuse him of being ugly and "flat". They later apologize and he is shown loosening up, dancing and enjoying their company, finding a degree of acceptance he does not with boys. While the episode is not intended to address trans issues, many fans have read Butters a a trans character since its airdate, and merchandise based on Marjorine has been released.
The season 10 two-parter "Go God Go" makes a prominent plot point that Garrison begins dating atheist Richard Dawkins, a relationship that is critical to the dark future that Cartman finds himself in, and an important plot point involves Cartman altering the course of history by revealing to Dawkins that Garrison underwent a sex change operation, causing them to break up, and Dawkins is obviously uncomfortable with having been with a transwoman.
Garrison would later transition back in season 12's "Eek, a Penis!", proudly affirming that he is a man and comparing the husband of a woman who can't have babies to a gay man, an incident that is often referenced in later episodes to illustrate Garrison's biogted behavior and lack of care for those around him.
A popular post about Princess Kenny.
The "Black Friday" trilogy of episodes, released during season 17, and South Park: The Stick of Truth prominently featured Kenny McCormick wearing a dress and playing under the alter-ego Princess Kenny. The other kids seem comfortable with this and do not question it, with the quote "Don’t ask why Kenny wanted to be a chick, it’s just how he seems to be rolling right now." being used heavily in marketing and often quoted on social media to suggest a positive trans allegory, pointing out that the other children simply accept this. The relevant episodes do show Cartman uncomfortably with Kenny wanting to be royalty but not with his character's gender identity. In the game, Princess Kenny uses she/her pronouns.
The eighteenth season was promoted with clips that included Cartman wearing a bow and declaring his attraction to boys, igniting controversy that the show would soon tackle trans issues again. The episode "The Cissy", which aired during season 18 in 2014, featured Cartman posing as a 'transginger' girl and identifying as Erica, so that he could have access to either the girls' bathroom or a private bathroom of his own. When Wendy Testaburger identifies as Wendyl and tries to use the same bathroom, Cartman complains and expresses discomfort. A parallel plot shows that Randy Marsh has assumed a double identity as female singer Lorde, initially to use the womens' bathroom at work, and is portrayed with sympathy when management asks Lorde to use the mens' bathroom instead, writing a song that eventually allows Lorde back into the bathroom that she feels comfortable in. The episode was generally viewed as an improvement at the time it aired, though fans did not generally view Lorde as a transwoman. Lorde would continue through the rest of the season, portrayed more as a secondary career for Randy, before the plotline was dropped.
In the same season, however, Nathan intends to create a sexual harrassment claim by harassing an individual who appears female at first (using a model previously employed in background scenes) and asking if the individual would like to see his penis; the character answers in a masculine voice that they would like to show Nathan their own, and he is later shown leaving a public bathroom having been assaulted.
From season 19's "Stunning and Brave" through the end of the season,
In season 23's "Board Girls", the
The release of "Board Girls" re-ignited significant controversy about the show's transphobic history, with multiple reactions documented at Know Your Meme and coverage at traditionally friendly outlet The Hollywood Reporter, NME, Outsports which is concerned with trans issues, and even internationally in Metro UK. Indiewire published an article covering the show's problematic history with trans issues as well.
Relationship with Fandom[]
Harassment and Bullying[]
There numerous reports of harassment and bullying, particularly on Facebook and Twitter, towards trans South Park fans, such as this report in which an individual claims that they were doxed for mentioning that she was trans.
There was a Facebook Transphobia Copypasta, which altered the text of a trans South Park fan defending the show by citing "The Cissy" as supportive of trans rights, and instead changed the text to reference absurd issues and a fictional episode about absurd issues.
In early September 2018, the South Park Twitter roleplaying group came under controversy after an inactive Kyle Broflovski roleplay account posted, out of character, that they were "only two genders" and that they "believe in science", leading to a series of memes about trans South Park fans and a wave of bullying and harassment.