This text was written by Robust Pigs pal Cypress R. Thanks, Cypress!

I think about myself to be one thing of a die-hard Darkish Crystal fan. I’ve collectible figurines, tattoos, shirts, books, luggage, artwork that I’ve purchased, and artwork that I’ve made. I’ve seen the film and the Age of Resistance present extra instances than I can rely. In fandom areas on-line, earlier than individuals actually know me, they know that I’m the Darkish Crystal Man. I stay, breathe, and sleep Thra, I take into consideration Darkish Crystal greater than anybody else I do know.

I’m additionally nonbinary.

To the common particular person, this stuff could appear to be they’ve subsequent to no correlation. What does my gender id must do with my pursuits? On the skin, nothing. However viewing the world of Thra by means of even probably the most primary queer lens uncovers wealthy (canonical!) lore that wrecks the gender binary as we all know it to manifest in The Darkish Crystal. 

Feminine Gelfling have wings, male Gelfling don’t. Everyone is aware of this. It’s made apparent in nearly any Darkish Crystal media you will discover, hammered into your mind normally by a feminine character playfully teasing a male character.

This used to frustrate me so much. I might assume, you create this world up to now faraway from our personal and there’s nonetheless a inflexible gender binary?! I do know it was the 80’s, however come on! We had Bowie, Prince, Freddie Mercury! Why does it must be so limiting?! In fact, even probably the most progressive cisgender individuals within the 80’s wouldn’t have been capable of get away with one thing as gender-bendy as what my little queer coronary heart would need, so I don’t consider it as a flaw of the franchise now. As a substitute, I have a look at it by means of the matriarchal lens it was in all probability meant to be seen by means of, although that’s an essay for one more day.

The world of Thra may be very totally different to our personal Earth: the primary characters are humanoid sufficient to be relatable, however inhuman sufficient to be barely uncanny. The villains and facet characters are fully alien. There are even three suns within the sky! However the metaphorical songs they sing, the basics, are very comparable. There are numerous wildlife, many various cultures and clans cohabitating and tackling points corresponding to capitalism and environmentalism.

It’s meant to be acquainted and comfy and new and surprising abruptly. Jen particularly is supposed to symbolize the viewer, discovering the world for the primary time, and his relationships with that world and the characters round him are crafted in order that the viewer can expertise Thra by means of their very own eyes. 

Due to this, you may assume the appropriately 80’s gender binary is wholly inflexible all throughout Thra. Fortunately for us, there are extra hints to genderqueer Thralings than you possibly can see on the floor, and fortunately for you, I do know so much about them!

Let’s begin with the creatures that aren’t technically from Thra: the Skeksis, and by extension the Mystics, don’t have any outlined gender. This can be a truth said by Jim Henson himself. “We’ve by no means recognized whether or not the Skeksis have been male or feminine,” he says in The World Of The Darkish Crystal behind the scenes documentary. “We’ve at all times type of preferred the concept of them being some uncomfortable combination in between.” (These aren’t precisely nice phrases to explain nonbinary and genderqueer individuals, however seeing because the Skeksis are the baddies, we’ll let it slide for now.)

skekEkt the Ornamentalist is named out significantly as being extra female and dainty than the opposite Skeksis are — their pronouns are sometimes a topic of debate amongst Darkish Crystal followers, because the official sources usually listing them as he/him, however many individuals default to utilizing she/her. 

The Mystics are described equally in The Darkish Crystal Novelization, written by A.C.H. Smith: “All [urSu] had answered was that the urRu had developed as a species of neither gender, and that it was due to this fact a topic of which he had no idea.” Seeing as they’re the opposite halves of the Skeksis, and the urSkeks themselves are massive beings of glowing mild, it solely is smart for the Mystics to not have any actual gender both. 

The novelization additionally states that Jen himself “was not completely assured he knew the distinction between the genders,” as he had by no means seen a feminine of his personal species or every other earlier than assembly Aughra (and he wasn’t even certain that Aughra was a feminine!). Pairing that along with his bewilderment at Kira’s wings and his being raised by the genderless urRu, a powerful argument might be made that Jen himself is nonbinary, or genderless like his caretakers. On the very least, queer followers of The Darkish Crystal can take solace in figuring out that even their hero Jen doesn’t perceive gender very nicely. 

The best way our two Gelfling heroes are raised performs a big half of their gender identities, very similar to it does in actual life. Kira was raised by the Podlings, who had an in depth sufficient relationship with the Gelfling to have the ability to educate her Gelfling language and tradition, since she knew that feminine Gelfling had wings whereas males didn’t. Her concept of gender was molded by what the Podlings taught her of her ancestors’ tradition, and thus she clearly states she is and identifies as a lady. This contrasts with the way in which Jen was raised, with no apparent gender affect or data of Gelfling or Gelfling tradition in any respect. 

In fact, like our personal cultures, Gelfling society wasn’t precisely reduce and dry, black and white binary both. Entrance and middle on the Wall of Future, the traditional carvings that inform of the prophecy, is a Gelfling who seems to have each a beard and a pair of wings. It’s unclear who that is meant to symbolize, although since Gelfling biology usually follows human biology, we will say with no small quantity of confidence that this winged, bearded Gelfling was “genderspicy.”

It’s not simply Gelfling and the Skeksis and Mystics who float round on the gender spectrum. Mom Aughra, created from Thra’s want for a voice and fashioned out of stone and wooden, is (was?) intersex. When requested by Jen within the novelization whether or not she’s feminine, she says “Feminine, sure, bit that lasts is feminine. Bit gone rotten is male. Too busy.” The spirit of Thra in bodily type, intersex! Even moms, girls, the premise of the Gelfling matriarchal tradition, are fluid. 

All of that is simply within the unique film and novelization, too! This isn’t even touching the Netflix sequence, wherein similar intercourse {couples} are canonized with Deet’s two dads, and skekLach is referred to solely with she/her pronouns, or the novels and comics with urSan the Swimmer and skekSa the Mariner who each use she/her pronouns. If you recognize the place to look, you will discover genderqueerness wherever in Thra. 

“Okay, Mr. Darkish Crystal Wiki, why does this matter?”

Earlier than I used to be a Darkish Crystal fan, I used to be (and nonetheless am) a Muppet fan. I like the Muppets, however they’re not precisely recognized for the way nicely they deal with illustration of people that aren’t cishet or American. Certain, I may discover myself in characters like Gonzo, and whereas I do love him and what he represents (try Ren Goetz’s Robust Pigs article on that!), there needs to be extra, proper? I don’t thoughts just a few “no matter” jokes, however I wanted one thing extra real.

After I first began entering into The Darkish Crystal, I used to be actually aggravated, offended even, at how black and white and inflexible throughout all of it appeared. Was there no room for something totally different? Something new and “uncommon”? Something like me?

So, I started to headcanon Jen as transgender. I had no canonical foundation for this, however as a result of he seemed and acted like me, and since I believed it was enjoyable, he was abruptly transgender to me and to a handful of my queer pals. 

Then I began to dig slightly deeper. I watched the film time and time once more. I learn the books and comics. I drew artwork, wrote fanfiction, made edits set to my favourite music — I had been bitten, wholly, by the Darkish Crystal bug. As I began consuming extra Darkish Crystal media, I spotted that my little headcanon wasn’t up to now off base. I put collectively items of lore (which, like most Henson properties, have been scattered and type of disjointed), and got here to the understanding that it was very doubtless Jen was nonbinary or genderless, very similar to I’m.

I felt represented, I felt seen. This 80’s fantasy protagonist was like me, and never simply because I had declared it so. I had canonical proof, I may make an argument if I needed to, I may write an essay (wink). Someone like me was a hero. He saved the world, and had no gender whereas doing it. He fell in love, he went on adventures, he rescued individuals, he made pals, and he was nonbinary.

You is likely to be questioning why, if I feel Jen is genderless, I’m referring to him utilizing he/him pronouns. There’s just a few causes for that, the primary one being that that’s how he’s referred to in canon, and it makes this complete essay simpler to know and comply with. Secondly, not all nonbinary individuals use they/them or neopronouns or no pronouns in any respect. I personally use he/him solely. Trans and genderqueer individuals and even cisgender individuals aren’t a monolith, their identities are formed by their very own emotions and experiences. Mine is. Jen’s is. Yours is. Kira’s, Rian’s, Deet’s, Brea’s, Aughra’s: that’s the fantastic thing about it.

That’s the reason I cling so arduous to the variety of gender in Thra, that’s the reason I preach my little queer sermon to anybody who will pay attention. I would like individuals to know that there’s queer individuals and queerness in all places, even in what looks as if probably the most heterosexual, cisgender franchise on the floor.

It’s a tough time to be transgender. It’s by no means been straightforward, so with all this legislature and hatred coming from each angle, life might be suffocating. I discover it tough to have the power to go on generally, I catch myself spiraling and questioning what the longer term will seem like for me and my pals and family members. After I want consolation, I can discover shelter within the distant world of Thra.

I can throw myself into analysis for some time and be extra centered on which of Brian Froud’s drawings have been changed into creatures for The Darkish Crystal Bestiary than how many individuals oppose my easy existence. Genderless Jen, intersex Aughra, that anonymous genderspicy Gelfling — they permit me to take solace in a world the place individuals like me are heroes and necessary figures.

Extra importantly, Thra is a world the place genderqueer individuals and queer individuals of all walks of life are merely allowed to be. They don’t must justify their existence by being necessary (although some are), they will sit and swim and play their firca, elevate households, research the celebs, they usually’re not handled as lesser. It feels virtually unattainable in our personal world, nevertheless it offers me hope that we will in the future attain this stage of peace, this stage of acceptance and pleasure. 

Thra could also be very totally different to our Earth, however there are lots of similarities, and a type of is the spirit of resilience that lives inside us. The track we sing has modified, it appears like hope. We simply must preserve singing it.

Click on right here to sprout wings on the ToughPigs discussion board!

by Cypress R.