Assigned Male

This comic follows life through the eyes of a middle schooler named Stephie who alternately makes light of, and chafes under the realities of growing up a transgender child in a cisgender world.{{cite news|url=https://www.susans.org/2015/05/13/assigned-male-humor-insight-growing-trans/|work=ComicsAlliance|title=Assigned Male': Humor and Insight While Growing Up Trans|last=Chase|first=Suzi|date=May 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503102040/https://www.susans.org/2015/05/13/assigned-male-humor-insight-growing-trans/|archive-date=May 3, 2016|access-date=March 29, 2021}}{{cite web|last1=Pulliam-Moore|first1=Charles|title=Transgender Creator of Assigned Male Webcomic Facing Death Threats From Online Trolls|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/transgender-creator-of-assigned-male-webcomic-facing-de-1795442512|website=Gizmodo|accessdate=March 29, 2021|date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524092518/https://io9.gizmodo.com/transgender-creator-of-assigned-male-webcomic-facing-de-1795442512|archive-date=May 24, 2017|url-status=live}}

• Stephanie "Stephie" Bondu - An 11-year-old trans girl discovering and embracing her gender.{{cite web|title=8 Comics That Remind Us to Throw Out the Gender Binary|url=http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/assigned-male-comic-series/|website=Everyday Feminism|accessdate=March 19, 2021|date=March 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209162704/https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/assigned-male-comic-series/|archive-date=February 9, 2021|url-status=live}} Stephie is autistic{{cite web |last1=Labelle |first1=Sophie |title=Assigned Male |url=https://assignedmale.tumblr.com/post/173124784892 |website=Tumblr |access-date=26 June 2021 |date=20 April 2018}} and uses she/her pronouns.{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = Down With the Cistem - 16 | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 600 | date = January 12, 2021 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/down-with-the-cistem-16/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=601 }} Originally published in 2014. Her mother, Alice, understands quickly, while her father, Martin, doesn't understand until later. She later tells her friends she is bisexual.{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = GSA 13 | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 461 | date = December 23, 2019 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/gsa-13/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=462 }}{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = GSA 14 | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 462 | date = December 23, 2019 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/gsa-14/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=463 }} In this comic she clarifies she is bisexual but not pansexual.

• Ciel Sousa - A genderfluid seventh-grader who uses they/them and she/her pronouns.{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = The Mall (2) | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 166 | date = September 14, 2019 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/the-mall-2/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=167 }} Ciel calls herself a "non-binary girl" in this webcomic and says they would rather be called "she" than "he." Also in a comic from 2014, Ciel [https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/down-with-the-cistem-16/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=601 states] they use they/them pronouns. Virgil Sousa is their younger brother and Eirikur is their boyfriend.

• Alice Bondu - Stephie's mother. From the beginning, she is supportive of Stephie, helping her transition. She is also bisexual, with Feyrouz as her girlfriend.{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = Dear Cis People - 28 | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 677 | date = January 24, 2021 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/dear-cis-people-28/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=678 }}

• Martin Bondu - Stephie's father. At first, he was not supportive of Stephie, not respecting her pronouns or name, but later changes his opinion.

• Brianna - A trans girl who is close friends with Ryder and uses sign language, acting as his interpreter.

• Ryder - Trans boy who describes himself as a "gender smoothie."{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = Family Meeting (pt 1) | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 4 | date = January 14, 2019 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/nail-polish/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=2 }}

• Aidan - Trans boy with strong opinions who often disagrees with Stephie. Even so, Stephie later begins to act kindheartedly toward him.

• Myrick - Trans boy who claimed he is white passing and uses he/his pronouns. He is a member of the Gender Pirates, along with Stephie, Ciel and Milena.

• Eirikur - An Icelandic student who is in the same class as Ciel and Stephie. He is a cisgender boy.

• Frank - A cisgender boy in the same class as Stephie and Ciel. He is the boyfriend of Stephie.

• Feyrouz - Mother of Hamza{{who?|date=August 2024}} and a Muslim woman. She is dating Alice, Martin's ex-wife.

Labelle said that while working with transgender children, she "noticed how negative everything we tell them about their own body is, so I wanted to create a character that could respond to all those horrible things trans kids hear all the time."{{cite web|title=Interview with Assigned Male creator: Sophie Labelle|url=http://www.gaycentralvalleyblog.com/2015/03/interview-with-assigned-male-creator.html|website=Gay Central Valley|accessdate=March 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612030952/http://www.gaycentralvalleyblog.com/2015/03/interview-with-assigned-male-creator.html|archive-date=June 12, 2016|url-status=live}} She also has made educational guides to go along with the comics, promoting safer spaces for trans youth.

In another interview, Labelle said the format of the webcomic allows her to "reach a lot of trans and gender non-conforming people." She added that she is inspired by Allison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For and Fun Home. Elsewhere she said that most of the comic's cast is neurodivergent since she is on the autism spectrum herself and that she uses hateful comments as some of the material for her comics.{{cite interview |last=Labelle |first=Sophie |interviewer=Alex Falck |title=An Interview with Author Sophie Labelle |type=Online |work=Office of Intellectual Freedom |publisher=American Library Association |date=December 17, 2018 |url=https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=16607 |format=online |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513015800/https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=16607 |archive-date=May 13, 2020 |access-date=March 28, 2021}}{{cite interview |last=Labelle |first=Sophie |interviewer=UNGPride |title=Ungpride and Assigned Male Comics |type=Online |work=UNGPride |date=September 9, 2017 |url=https://ungpride.munstadi.fi/ungpride-assigned-male-comics/ |format=online |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908130827/https://ungpride.munstadi.fi/ungpride-assigned-male-comics/ |archive-date=September 8, 2019 |access-date=March 30, 2021}} The comic began on October 1, 2014.{{Cite web|last=Labelle|first=Sophie|title=About|url=https://www.serioustransvibes.com/about|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129224112/https://www.serioustransvibes.com/about|archive-date=January 29, 2021|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=Official website of Sophie Labelle}}

In December 2015, Labelle participated in a holiday illustration featuring Stephie and trans protagonists of other webcomics like Rain in Rain, Zoë in Venus Envy, Jess & Seb in 2punk4you, Carrie & Allison in Closetspace, and Jesska in Manic Pixie Nightmare Girls.{{Cite comic | coartists = Crystal Frasier, Jessica Durling, Jenn Dolari, Jessica Udischas, Sophie Labelle, and Jocelyn Samara DiDomenick. | story = A Very Webcomic Christmas | title = Rain | issue = 772 | date = December 14, 2015 | publisher = Official website of Rain (webcomic) | url = http://rain.thecomicseries.com/comics/772/}}

By April 2017, the comic was getting "half-a-million visits a week."{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/books/quebec-comics-artist-sophie-labelle-draws-attention-to-trans-issues/|work=Montreal Gazette|title=Quebec comics artist Sophie Labelle draws attention to trans issues|last=McGillis|first=Ian|date=May 22, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306190159/https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/books/quebec-comics-artist-sophie-labelle-draws-attention-to-trans-issues/|archive-date=March 6, 2018|access-date=March 30, 2021}} In May 2017, online trolls sent her death threats, leading her to cancel an event about the release of her book, Dating Tips for Trans and Queer Weirdos.{{cite news|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/05/transgender-creator-of-assigned-male-webcomic-facing-death-threats-from-online-trolls/|work=Gizmodo|title=Transgender Creator Of Assigned Male Webcomic Facing Death Threats From Online Trolls|last=Pulliam-Moore|first=Charles|date=May 23, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023024617/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2017/05/transgender-creator-of-assigned-male-webcomic-facing-death-threats-from-online-trolls/|archive-date=October 23, 2020|access-date=March 30, 2021}} Afterward, they hacked the page for the webcomic on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, and Facebook page, deleting three years of her work.{{cite news|url=http://smashpages.net/2017/05/18/comics-lowdown-sophie-labelles-webcomic-hacked/|work=SmashPages|title=Comics Lowdown: Sophie Labelle's webcomic hacked|last=Alverson|first=Brigid|date=May 18, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112132025/http://smashpages.net/2017/05/18/comics-lowdown-sophie-labelles-webcomic-hacked/|archive-date=January 12, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.ilgrandecolibri.com/en/sophie-labelle-assigned-male/|work=Il Grande Colibrì|title=Sophie Labelle: "This Is How Assigned Male Was Born"|last=Mian|first=Micol|date=May 28, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201207155239/https://www.ilgrandecolibri.com/en/sophie-labelle-assigned-male/|archive-date=December 7, 2020|access-date=March 30, 2021}} She was also doxxed, with the attackers even contacting her workplace. In December 2017, she released a 36-page coloring book with LGBTQ themes titled Add Your Own Colors To The Rainbow!.{{cite news|url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/canadian-cartoonist-sophie-labelle-creates-coloring-book-version-assigned-male-comics/|work=Gay Star News|title=Canadian cartoonist Sophie Labelle creates a coloring book version of her Assigned Male comics|last=Gunz|first=Rafaella|date=December 9, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730002320/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/canadian-cartoonist-sophie-labelle-creates-coloring-book-version-assigned-male-comics/|archive-date=July 30, 2019|access-date=March 30, 2021}}

On January 3, 2019, the webcomic began to be published under the name of "Serious Trans Vibes" on Webtoon.{{Cite comic | artist = Sophie Labelle | story = Nail Polish | title = Serious Trans Vibes | issue = 1 | date = January 3, 2019 | publisher = Webtoon | url = https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/nail-polish/viewer?title_no=206579&episode_no=2 }} This was originally published in 2016 and precedes the action in Assigned Male according to Labelle It is still published on Webtoon.{{cite web |last=Martinez |first=Brahidaliz |date=February 14, 2021 |title=Webcomics Special: Valentine's Day |url=https://thegeekiary.com/webcomics-special-valentines-day/92251 |work=The Geekiary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214170852/https://thegeekiary.com/webcomics-special-valentines-day/92251 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |author= |title=Serious Trans Vibes |url=https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/list?title_no=206579&page=1 |work=Webtoon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331011402/https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/serious-trans-vibes/list?title_no=206579&page=1 |archive-date=March 31, 2021 |access-date=March 30, 2021 |url-status=live }} In March 2021, Labelle announced that she is writing a young adult novel focusing on two characters from the comic, Ciel and Stéphie, titled Wish Upon a Satellite, with two of the twenty chapters posted publicly, with others available through Patreon.{{Cite web|last=Labelle|first=Sophie|title=Stéphanie Bondu's lips are everything you would...|url=https://assignedmale.tumblr.com/post/646554702733017088/st%C3%A9phanie-bondus-lips-are-everything-you-would|url-status=live|date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329224233/https://assignedmale.tumblr.com/post/646554702733017088/st%C3%A9phanie-bondus-lips-are-everything-you-would|archive-date=March 29, 2021|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=Official Assigned Male website}}{{cite tweet|last=Labelle|first=Sophie|user=AssignedMale|number=1374756396097540101|date=March 24, 2021|title=I wrote a YA novel!! About Ciel and Stéphie!! It's called "Wish Upon a Satellite" and I will be posting new chapters (there are 20 in total) every week on Patreon. The first few chapters are public!|access-date=March 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326011234/https://twitter.com/AssignedMale/status/1374756396097540101|archive-date=March 26, 2021|url-status=live}}

The comic has been received positively by critics. Suzi Chase of the Washington Blade called the webcomic "hilarious" and said it shows transgender humour can be funny without being offensive.{{cite web|last1=Chase|first1=Suzi|title=Tracy Morgan's transphobic Oscar spoof|url=http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/03/12/tracy-morgans-transphobic-oscar-spoof/|website=Washington Blade|accessdate=March 29, 2021|date=March 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907173447/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/03/12/tracy-morgans-transphobic-oscar-spoof/|archive-date=September 7, 2019|url-status=live}} Tara Marie reviewed the comic for ComicsAlliance, writing that while there are "loose plot-lines," there are topical comic strips, and stated that the series has a "delicate touch."{{cite news|url=https://comicsalliance.com/assigned-male-reading-guide/|work=ComicsAlliance|title=Assigned Male': Humor and Insight While Growing Up Trans|last=Marie|first=Tara|date=September 7, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125114147/https://comicsalliance.com/assigned-male-reading-guide/|archive-date=January 25, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2021}} Marie described as equivalent to the Peanuts but queer-friendly, talking about queer youth, while still being soft, light, and welcoming. In The Solute, Tristan Nankervis said that the comic does not respect the basic "conventions of the medium" and said that while they agree with gender theory in the comic, it "displays a worldview," specifically focusing on trans feelings.{{cite news|url=https://www.the-solute.com/assigned-male-and-perfecting-the-art-of-being-unfunny/|work=The Solute|title=Dream of Brighter Tomorrows: Should You Be Reading 'Assigned Male?'|last=Nankervis|first=Tristan|date=October 5, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331022914/https://www.the-solute.com/assigned-male-and-perfecting-the-art-of-being-unfunny/|archive-date=March 31, 2021|access-date=March 30, 2021}} Kevin Dennison reviewed the comic positively, praising how it addresses issues that intersex, gender non-conforming, and trans people face, and providing "numerous educational strips" which introduce people to those issues.{{cite news|url=https://moosejawpride.ca/three-transgender-web-comics-simply-must-read/|work=Moose Jaw Pride|title=Three Transgender Web Comics That You Simply Must Read!|last=Chase|first=Suzi|date=February 5, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331091438/https://moosejawpride.ca/three-transgender-web-comics-simply-must-read/|archive-date=March 31, 2016|access-date=March 30, 2021}}

In a Masters of Arts thesis, Katelynn Phillips said that the comics are often humorous, drawing out "the ridiculous and problematic approaches of cis/heteronormative thinking" and argued that readers of the comic must embrace a "queer vision of childhood" where Stephie and other characters are more complex than how children are often portrayed societally.{{cite thesis |last=Phillips |first=Katelynn |date=August 2018 |title=Breaking Through Panels: Examining Growth and Trauma in Bechdel's Fun Home and Labelle's Assigned Male Comics |type=Masters of Arts thesis |chapter=Trans-Childhood Experiences and the Pain of Expectation for Trans Children (And Adults) in Assigned Male |publisher=Bowling Green University |chapter-url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=bgsu1530891026381072&disposition=inline |access-date=March 30, 2021 |pages=38, 40-41, 44-45, 52, 62}} She further said that the comic shows that children are more thoughtful than seen by mainstream society, calls for changed conceptions of girlhood, boyhood, and accepting non-binary people, while pointing to sources of trauma that trans people face. She stated that the comic is "filled with ridicule and sarcasm," highlights the importance of dealing with hate speech and violence against LGBTQ people, provides a "humorous space" that can be comforting to trans people, and has Stephie symbolize the value of giving children "the ability to create their own versions of childhood." Similarly, Brahidaliz Martinez of The Geekiary, praised the webcomic for dismantling "misconceptions about transgender people" and said they love following the comic's characters through their relationships, exploration of gender identity and their lives, in general.

{{notelist}}

• List of fictional trans characters
• List of webcomics with LGBT characters
• Venus Envy
• Rain

{{reflist}}

• [https://twitter.com/AssignedMale Official Twitter of Sophie Labelle]

Category:2014 webcomic debuts

Category:Canadian webcomics

Category:Transgender-related comics

Category:LGBTQ-related webcomics

Category:Political webcomics