Sophie Labelle Explained

Notable Works:Assigned Male
Cartoonist:y
Nationality:Canadian

Sophie Labelle is a Canadian[1] [2] cartoonist, public speaker, and writer. She created the webcomic Assigned Male, which draws upon her experiences as a transgender child.[3] She is an activist in the transgender rights movement, and speaks on the subjects of transgender history and transfeminism.[4]

Early life

Labelle grew up in rural Quebec, near Châteauguay. She worked as an elementary school teacher, and was the camp coordinator for Gender Creative Kids Canada.[5] [6] [7]

Career

Labelle is the author and illustrator of Assigned Male, a webcomic and series of zines addressing issues of gender norms and privilege. It features the character of 11-year-old Stephie, a transgender girl discovering and embracing her gender.[8] 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." She has made educational guides to go along with the comics, promoting safer spaces for transgender youth. The Washington Blade called the webcomic "hilarious" and said it shows transgender humour can be funny without being offensive.[9]

Labelle has written several books and zines about gender identity and expression, including The Genderific Coloring Book, A Girl Like Any Other, Ciel at Camp Fabulous, and Gender Euphoria.[10] [11] The English translation of the second volume of the Ciel series, Ciel in All Directions (2020, Second Story Press) was named as a 2022 Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year. She wrote the foreword to Tikva Wolf's book Ask me about Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles.[12] She has created trans-centered sex education materials for Trans Student Educational Resources.[13]

In May 2017 Labelle released the comic book Dating Tips for Trans and Queer Weirdos. A scheduled launch at the bookstore Venus Envy in Halifax was cancelled after threats were made against both her and the store. She received death threats, her home address was posted in online forums, and her web site and social media accounts were compromised (leading her to take them offline temporarily).[14] [15] In the wake of the harassment, Labelle advocated for Canadian Bill C-16 to protect gender identity and expression, and for stronger laws against cyberbullying.[16]

Selected works

Notes and References

  1. Ennis. Dawn. Is This Golden Globes Comic in the L.A. Times Transphobic?. The Advocate. 16 January 2016. 6 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092650/https://www.advocate.com/media/2016/1/16/golden-globes-comic-la-times-transphobic. 8 November 2020. live.
  2. News: McGillis. Ian. Quebec comics artist Sophie Labelle draws attention to trans issues. 17 May 2017. Montreal Gazette. 7 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20210508133952/https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/books/quebec-comics-artist-sophie-labelle-draws-attention-to-trans-issues. 8 May 2021. live.
  3. News: Caragay-Cook. Jonathan. One Comic At a Time. The Link. 21 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20190907232222/https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/one-comic-at-a-time. 7 September 2019. 4 October 2021. live.
  4. News: Hodgins. Jenna. Being transgender, web comics and mini-muffins: a chat with cartoonist Sophie Labelle. 17 May 2017. Student Independent News. 13 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202555/http://www.sin.ie/2015/10/13/being-transgender-web-comics-and-mini-muffins-a-chat-with-cartoonist-sophie-labelle/. 8 September 2018. live.
  5. Web site: Smith. Sue. New transgender camp in Quebec. CBC Radio One. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 June 2016. en-CA. 3 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228014948/https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2461937238. 28 February 2021. live.
  6. News: Yates. Jeff. Sophie Labelle: "Ce n'est pas parce qu'on est en 2015 que c'est réglé". Sophie Labelle: "Just because we are in 2015 does not mean that it is settled". 6 June 2016. Métro. 6 March 2015. fr-CA. https://web.archive.org/web/20190826171942/https://journalmetro.com/actualites/national/732184/sophie-labelle-ce-nest-pas-parce-quon-est-en-2015-que-cest-regle/. 26 August 2019. live.
  7. Web site: 8 Comics That Remind Us to Throw Out the Gender Binary. Everyday Feminism. 6 June 2016. 24 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20210209162704/https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/assigned-male-comic-series/. 9 February 2021. live.
  8. Web site: Interview with Assigned Male creator: Sophie Labelle. Gay Central Valley. 6 June 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160612030952/http://www.gaycentralvalleyblog.com/2015/03/interview-with-assigned-male-creator.html. 12 June 2016. dead.
  9. Web site: Chase. Suzi. Tracy Morgan's transphobic Oscar spoof. Washington Blade. 6 June 2016. 12 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20190907173447/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/03/12/tracy-morgans-transphobic-oscar-spoof/. 7 September 2019. live.
  10. Web site: Gender-neutral coloring book helps kids understand stereotypes. Gay Star News. 23 July 2016. 4 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108125757/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gender-neutral-coloring-book-helps-kids-understand-stereotypes040615. 8 November 2020. live.
  11. Web site: Author: Sophie Labelle. Michael C. Weidemann LGBT Library Catalog. 23 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20181022201658/http://libcat.gaycity.org/authors/6071. 22 October 2018. dead.
  12. Book: Wolf. Tikva. Ask Me About Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles. 2016. Thorntree Press LLC. 9780996460125.
  13. Web site: Trans-Centered Sex Ed. Trans Student Educational Resources. 23 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20191204055121/http://www.transstudent.org/health. 4 December 2019. dead.
  14. News: d'Entremont. Yvette. Trans cartoonist forced to cancel Halifax book launch 'overwhelmed' by community support. 19 May 2017. Toronto Metro. 18 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180222180659/http://www.metronews.ca/news/halifax/2017/05/18/trans-cartoonist-forced-cancel-book-launch-halifax.html. 22 February 2018. dead.
  15. News: Threats force cancellation of trans cartoonist's Halifax book launch. Colley. Sherri Borden. 19 May 2017. CBC News. 20 May 2017. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118072651/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/transgender-cartoonist-sophie-labelle-hate-death-threats-book-launch-1.4123683. 18 January 2021. live.
  16. Beaumont. Hilary. This Canadian cartoonist is just the latest target of anti-transgender trolls. 20 May 2017. Vice. 19 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20190612064033/https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/j5d9pk/canadian-cartoonist-is-just-the-latest-target-of-anti-transgender-trolls. 12 June 2019. live.
  17. Web site: French coloring book will help children get rid of gender stereotypes . Frivolette.com . frivolette.com . 11 September 2023 . 24 November 2023 .
  18. Web site: Gender-neutral coloring book seeks to undermine stereotypes . John Mack Freeman . Rainbow round table news . 7 June 2015 . 24 November 2023 .
  19. Web site: At the Library: "The Best of Assigned Male," by Sophie Labelle . Waterloo Region Record . 28 January 2022 . 24 November 2023 .
  20. Web site: The Best Children's Books of the Year: 2022 Edition . Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee. Bank Street College of Education . April 2022 . 24 November 2023 .
  21. Web site: CIEL IN ALL DIRECTIONS . Kirkus Reviews . 24 November 2023 .

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