In 2024, I wrote an article for Trans Day of Visibility about how Sesame Road may introduce a transgender Muppet character by specializing in giving kids area to experiment with gender presentation. I talked about how children as younger as three are able to understanding their gender and making selections about how they wish to categorical it. I discussed that the most effective factor adults can do to assist transgender children is to present them permission to strive new names, pronouns, garments, hobbies, and hair kinds that swimsuit them. I additionally particularly talked in regards to the character Niamh, who was seen attempting new gender-neutral clothes in an episode of the Sesame YouTube spinoff The Energy of We Membership.
So much has modified since March 2024, although.
Trump bought elected, in fact. And since then, increasingly more legal guidelines focusing on trans people, each adults and kids, have been made every month. Many firms in the reduction of on their delight choices, fearing right-wing backlash that would result in a lack of enterprise or, in Sesame Road‘s case, funding.
It’s been powerful for trans individuals, particularly trans youth. However as a trans girl who does neighborhood activism work, I haven’t given up hope. I believe there’s a lot that we are able to do to assist one another, even nonetheless, and I’ve been attempting to do work that promotes that. In June, I used to be invited by Sesame Workshop to present a presentation to their employees in regards to the hyperlinks between Sesame’s themes and the wants of transgender youth. Imagine me, it does really feel like there’s a path ahead, but it surely’s simple that it’s a tough one in as we speak’s political panorama.
This week, Sesame Road dropped Episode 5532, “No Fallacious Technique to Be Me.” It’s Niamh’s first featured function on the present correct, and a delicate dialogue of most of the similar themes I wrote about final yr. Clearly, I’m not taking credit score for this episode. It was in manufacturing earlier than my article was written and earlier than I spoke with the workshop in June. However what’s fascinating is the parallel considering at play. I wish to genuinely thank the Sesame Road workforce, particularly author Jennifer Capra and Niamh’s performer Z. Briggs, for the good issues on this episode. Nevertheless, I additionally wish to categorical my real disappointment in regards to the missed potential for a clearer, extra significant story about gender presentation.
So a fast recap, for these of you who didn’t watch the episode: It‘s haircut day on Sesame Road, and everyone seems to be lining as much as get new ‘dos from Queer Eye’s Jonathan van Ness, whom I assume we’re purported to imagine involves Sesame Road each week to chop monsters’ hair. Anyway. Niamh has permission from her dad and mom to strive any coiffure she needs, and expresses real concern that folks affiliate her an excessive amount of together with her lengthy braid. However she’s unable to determine what new coiffure to decide on till her buddy Tamir reminds her that there’s no fallacious strategy to be Niamh. In the end, she decides she needs a a lot shorter hairdo, and J.V.N. is completely happy to assist her.
Whereas it’s admittedly a little bit unusual to inform this story with Niamh, a personality who has actually by no means uttered a line of dialogue on Sesame Road prior, it feels applicable to proceed together with her struggles from the ”Dressed-Up Birthday Social gathering” Energy of We Membership episode. We’ve discovered that Niamh is a personality who cares deeply about her look, and her needs for her look usually go towards conventions for a little bit woman. She’s not Abby Cadabby! She needs quick hair and to put on a swimsuit jacket.
As I stated final yr, this doesn’t make Niamh robotically nonbinary or transmasculine. Ladies can have quick hair and put on swimsuit jackets. However it’s undoubtedly unconventional and towards feminine stereotypes, and it’s essential for trans children at residence to see Niamh making strides on this space. Centering this episode on Niamh’s haircut is significant, as a result of we now have already seen actual incidents the place transphobes harass cisgender ladies with quick hair, assuming they’re transgender. In different phrases, regardless of how innocuous it might appear, hair size could be a enormous sign of gender nonconformity to the world. What’s additionally essential is that we’re advised Niamh’s dad and mom are letting her determine. They’re giving Niamh area to strive new issues concerning her presentation, quite than forcing her to suit into a task she doesn’t need. Tamir additionally assures Niamh that she’ll look nice it doesn’t matter what fashion she chooses.
The episode retains reminding its viewers that hair is enjoyable to experiment with as a result of it grows again. This feels related as effectively, as a result of it underlines that gender affirming care for youngsters as younger as Niamh is all the time reversible. Issues like haircuts, outfits, and names can all the time be modified again. Even puberty blockers, that are clearly given to kids older than Niamh, have an impact that may simply be reversed by ending their use. No youngster Niamh’s age is receiving an unchangeable surgical procedure. They’re experimenting, studying what it means to be them, by doing issues they will all the time undo.
It’s additionally notable that J.V.N. is the hairdresser on this episode, and a part of why I really feel so strongly that this episode is about gender presentation. I do know that youngsters gained’t acknowledge them from Queer Eye, and the present sadly by no means makes use of Jonathan’s most popular they/them pronouns to confer with them. Nevertheless, what audiences will see is an individual who performs with gender stereotypes being liked by their neighborhood. J.V.N. brings consideration to the delight they take of their lengthy hair, and youngsters can see that they not solely have a beard but additionally jewellery and painted nails.
In each Niamh’s plot and J.V.N.’s look, children see individuals experimenting with how their gender is communicated to the world. This isn’t nearly telling kids they will make these selections, though that’s extraordinarily essential. It additionally reveals dad and mom and youngsters who could also be comfy presenting in conventional ways in which those that don’t are nonetheless worthy of acceptance and love.
However as completely happy as I’m, a lot of this episode rings hollower than I would really like.
For one factor, regardless of their coloured nails, we actually can’t see a lot of J.V.N.’s outfit on this episode. They could be carrying a costume, they could be carrying an outsized sweater… I actually can’t inform. The way in which the pictures are framed, we actually by no means see them from the waist down, as in the event that they too are a Muppet. To audiences at residence, it definitely seems to be like they’re dressed colorfully however masculine. This can be a little uncommon to me, as a result of in public appearances, they usually clearly put on skirts. In reality, 5 years in the past, they wore a skirt on The Not-Too-Late Present with Elmo. I suppose as we speak, that will not be acquired effectively by audiences for the explanations we mentioned earlier, but it surely feels pointed that they’re wearing a means that reads as reserved. In the event that they clearly wore a skirt, as earlier than, it could have been an essential reminder of one other means individuals can safely and reversibly play with their gender presentation.
Secondly, as talked about earlier, we actually don’t know sufficient about Niamh for this episode to be as significant appropriately. I don’t simply imply that she hasn’t appeared a lot earlier than. Even inside this episode, we aren’t actually advised why she is rising to dislike her braid. Likewise, there’s no clarification of what she likes in regards to the quick haircut. Additionally, we don’t see her categorical any actual issues about what would possibly occur, issues that Jonathan and her pals may assuage to remind each children and oldsters why letting her do that is so useful. Including these particulars would’ve taken extra time, although. These aren’t points unique to this episode. Since Sesame Road’s format change, the storyline of every episode usually feels rushed, with characters expressing little motivation for his or her actions.
Sure, it’s a present for infants, and I’m a 34-year-old girl. I’m not anticipating a Shakespearean soliloquy right here. However I believe a little bit extra depth would make this battle clearer, and make the decision extra triumphant.
In any case, when issues are dealt with so briefly, there’s a lot room for the message to be misinterpreted or missed altogether. To me, I really feel assured that this episode needs to inform us that kids can experiment with gender expression. However I spend all my time interested by these points. On the pace this episode strikes, and the surface-level explanations of Niamh’s motivations, I’m not satisfied the typical youngster or guardian watching at residence will perceive that that is a couple of larger subject than “children can get haircuts.” I’d have favored to see Jonathan or one of many Sesame adults converse particularly about issues like making selections past hair, and the way the alternatives we make inform individuals about who we’re inside.
I assume on the finish of the day, certain, I want to have seen extra from this episode. It may have been enormous, and it wasn’t. We discuss so much about how illustration issues. If a trans youngster sees Niamh navigate her gender expression in the identical means they wish to, they’ll know that they’re not alone. If cisgender kids or adults see that others deserve the area to strive new issues, they’ll grant it. It’s extra sophisticated than “H is for hair,” however I imagine kids profit from studying issues extra advanced than that. However finally, in as we speak’s political local weather, an enormous episode the place these things is explored as explicitly because it was within the “I’m Pogey” episode of Again to the Rock might not be potential.
Nonetheless. This episode exists, and it’s essential and particular. There’s now a Sesame Road episode the place a little bit woman decides to chop her hair quick, and nobody objects. And I actually imagine that some kids who wanted to listen to Niamh’s message will be taught that there’s no fallacious strategy to be them.
(Pictures through Muppet Wiki, Sesame Workshop, and Wonderspark Puppets)
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by Becca Petunia
