| 1 | ->''"Have you tried...'' '''''not''''' ''being a mutant?"'' |
| 2 | -->-- '''Madeline Drake''' (to '''Bobby Drake'''), ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | There's a certain group of people. They have normal lives to an extent, but somehow they're ''different''. Not like other people. They're something unusual. [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill Something that means they can never fit in]]. If it's at all possible, they hide their differences away from everyone else to fit in. They live in secret, ostracized from society. A subculture, upholding a [[TheMasquerade masquerade]] of being normal by day but living out a secret lifestyle out-of-view. Chances are that if they ever tell anyone, they'll inevitably be asked, "Have you tried... ''not'' being a monster?" |
| 5 | |
| 6 | In many cases, this trope is a way to introduce themes about minorities into a plot [[ButNotTooForeign without being too specific about what is being referenced]] when creators feel that an [[FantasticRacism allegory or metaphor]] will be [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar less likely to be censored]]. In this way, the writer has room to create an effective allegory without any limitations. Though on rare occasion, [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory there is no allegory at all]]: the trope is just the natural outcome of the circumstances the story is set in. This story is familiar to many real-life minorities, one prominent example being the {{queer|AsTropes}}/LGBT+ community, so it's not that surprising that it's so often used in fiction. Besides the queer community, similar circumstances may also apply to other persecuted groups like [[ANiceJewishIndex Jewish]] or {{disab|ilityTropes}}led people, so a metaphor for one such group may be {{applicab|ility}}le to another. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | If there is a stigmatized difference that is not readily apparent or can be disguised (especially one that [[PubertySuperpower appears when the character is old enough to hide it]]), chances are that characters will try to hide it to avoid being judged, and that if/when their secret [[TheUnmasquedWorld is revealed]], it will come as a definite shock... and invite [[FromBadToWorse mortal]] [[FinalSolution danger]]. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | As one can imagine, this trope can have myriad UnfortunateImplications, especially if the {{Muggles}} have [[InformedWrongness entirely justifiable reasons to fear the fictional entities in question]], such as [[HorrorHunger instinctive predatory impulses towards humans]], genuinely being AlwaysChaoticEvil apart from the occasional [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch angsty heroic one]], or being able to [[BewareTheSuperman blow somebody's head off]] by [[EyeBeams glaring at them really hard]]. That said, remember that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | See also: SpaceJews, FantasticRacism, FictionalDisability, AmbiguouslyGay, CureYourGays, HideYourLesbians, DiscountLesbians, DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything, AllOfTheOtherReindeer, WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent, WantedAGenderConformingChild, RainbowLens, and StagesOfMonsterGrief. |
| 13 | ---- |
| 14 | !!Examples: |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 19 | * PlayedForLaughs in ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'' [[spoiler:''Next'']] when heroes face the fact that a charming prankster they traveled with is millennia-old and extremely powerful [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Mazoku]]. [[LoveFreak Amelia]], [[LordErrorProne of course]], immediately, and [[GenkiGirl passionately]] exhorted him to "become a real human". Even ''[[IdiotHero Gourry]]'' saw just how grotesque this was. |
| 20 | * Done in a more sensible fashion in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers''. It's more along the lines of "Have you tried not being a group of morally-devoid combat cyborgs?" At the end of her fight with Nove, Wendi, and Deed, Teana tells Nove that if she cooperates, she will be able to start over and enter rehabilitation, prompting Nove to respond that they, being combat cyborgs, are made to do battle. Teana responds that [[spoiler:Subaru]] is a case of someone who was made as a combat cyborg but nevertheless became a kind person. Teana's three opponents get the message and enter rehabilitation, with Wendi and Nove crediting Teana as the one who inspired them to change. |
| 21 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': When Himiko Toga's Quirk first appeared when she was a little girl, [[BloodLust it had the side effect of making her attracted to blood]]. Her parents were disgusted and demanded she suppress both her urges and her Quirk. The standard school psychiatrist recommended the same, which didn't help. She played the part for years, until eventually in middle school she snapped under the pressure, and murdered her crush to drink his blood. She's been a SerialKiller ever since, [[BlueAndOrangeMorality who just can't see how her actions are wrong]]. |
| 22 | [[/folder]] |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 25 | * ComicBook/XMen, to the point of extreme LampshadeHanging, where people (like ComicBook/SpiderMan) in some issues get gays and mutants confused. Mutants who can pass for human are sometimes referred to being "in the closet". The biggest group of people rallying against mutants are ''evil conservative Christians'', who think their existence is a sin against God. There have been numerous attempts to "cure" mutants, as well as to kill them off as "abominations". Basically, after the racial civil rights of the '60s and '70s cooled down, the franchise was adapted to mirror the gay rights struggle, which it actually fits better in many respects (since mutants can be born to anyone, don't become [[PubertySuperpower different until puberty]] and you [[CampGay can]] [[ButchLesbian sometimes]] tell their condition by looking at them, but [[StraightGay not]] [[LipstickLesbian always]]). |
| 26 | ** Then during the '90s during the gay AIDS epidemic, mutants were given a disease called the Legacy Virus that was essentially mutant AIDS. When asked when it would be cured, writers responded "[[{{Anvilicious}} not until AIDS is cured]]". Apparently, nobody at Marvel actually ''expected'' a cure for AIDS to elude humanity for over two decades, so it became a PlotTumor of asking [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the greatest scientists in the universe who can create dimensional portals and cybernetics]] "When is that cure coming again?", every month. So the cure was eventually found. [[RealitySubtext Funny, that.]] |
| 27 | ** See the ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' entry below. |
| 28 | ** Parodied in [=ItsJustSomeRandomGuy=]'s Youtube series ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'': |
| 29 | --->'''Superman''': But I've got friends who are mutants! Like... uh, Spider-Man?\ |
| 30 | '''Spider-Man''': Hey, I'm not a mutant! ...NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat. |
| 31 | ** This is taken to its logical extreme in ''Dark Avengers-X-Men: The Beginning'', where it's revealed that the San Francisco neighborhood known as the Castro is a mutant neighborhood instead of a gay community like in real life. Vote no on Prop X and all that. ''Goddammit, Marvel, there are actual gay people in your universe.'' This is especially baffling when you consider that M-Day and other events eliminated all possible similarities between gay people and mutants. There are, at a maximum, ''500'' mutants alive worldwide. Theirs is the last generation; no more are being born. So, among other things, the idea of mutants as an even somewhat visible minority anymore is insanely ridiculous. |
| 32 | *** And then changed ''again'' in ''ComicBook/GenerationHope''. With Hope's return and survival? Mutants begin being born again, thus becoming a minority again. |
| 33 | ** A special issue that dealt with a teenage boy being "outed" as a mutant. After training to control his powers, he went home to find that his parents, originally rejecting him, have finally accepted him; that the girl he had a secret crush on is now interested in him; and that his oldest friend since they were babies has shut him out completely. Hmmm... |
| 34 | ** The author of the article ''[[http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2014/feb/18/ellen-page-has-super-powers-but-why-is-this-newsworthy Ellen Page has super-powers, but why is this newsworthy?]]'' milks this for all it's worth where he writes an article discussing ''[[Film/XMenFilmSeries X-Men]]'' actor Creator/ElliotPage [[ComingOutStory coming out]] by replacing every mention of homosexuality with "mutant with super-power" and ran with it. |
| 35 | ** Creator/ChipZdarsky gave WordOfGod [[https://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2020/07/leaning-on-the-closet-door-x-menfantastic-four-and-trans-allegory/ confirming]] the intentionality of parallels readers saw in ''Fantastic Four + X-Men'' between Reed and Sue Richards' abusive behavior towards Franklin and parents refusing to accept that their children are trans or otherwise LGBT. |
| 36 | ** Many real-life minority-rights groups are beginning to find the association a bit condescending, considering comics' ongoing problem with diversity, seeing it as the co-opting of a struggle for characters that are overwhelmingly straight and white. It also doesn't help the comics rarely reflect the real-life progression these groups have had. |
| 37 | * ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' played with the trope with Karolina, who felt different all her life without ever knowing why, and there eventually comes the major revelation that [[HideYourLesbians she is an alien]]. However, it turned out she was an [[TwoferTokenMinority alien]] ''[[TwoferTokenMinority and]]'' [[TwoferTokenMinority gay]], and she asked ''herself'' this question. When the team had unknowingly let a vampire into their hideout, before Karolina came out to her friends, she mentions to the newcomer how she hates always feeling different and abnormal, and she decides that she wants to feel like a normal teenage girl (and since she is sixteen, and he is cute, [[OneThingLedToAnother and they are alone...]]). Of course, it is never that simple, and in a very RealLife way (except for the vampire and alien bits) she falls into a suicidal depression when she can not fit in like she wants to, but she also learns to accept herself, and is accepted by her friends, and eventually becomes proud and unapologetic of her heritage and sexuality. |
| 38 | ** This is later used when Karolina begins to date Xavin, who willingly spends time as a girl with her after finding out she is a lesbian. Some Majesdonians (Karolina's alien species) later track her down and, upon hearing that she and Xavin are in a relationship, say that it is "disgusting"...[[DiscriminateAndSwitch because a Majesdanian is dating a Skrull]]. |
| 39 | * Something-verted in ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'', in which Billy's parents overhear him and Teddy having an argument about which of them has to tell their parents something first. They assure the boys they already know and unreservedly welcome Teddy to the family. Thing is, they actually are a couple, but that ''specific'' conversation was about them secretly being superheroes. |
| 40 | * Played with in ''ComicBook/ThePride'', where Owen's parents tried to have him "cured"... because he was obsessed with becoming a superhero, even before he discovered that he had superpowers. Surprisingly, they had considerably less of a problem with the fact that he was gay. |
| 41 | * ''ComicBook/TheWitchBoy'' takes place in a magical society where men become shapeshifters and women become witches, but the protagonist Aster is a boy who cannot transform and secretly tries to study magic. It is easily read as a metaphor for discrimination in gender roles, with [[MenActWomenAre men being pushed toward violent activities and women towards domestic ones]]. Though Aster never displays explicit discomfort specifically with being assigned male, it's shown his preference for magic isn't merely personality when [[spoiler:Mikasi tastes his soul and discovers it is that of a witch. Inversely, his grandmother turns out to be a partial shapeshifter.]] |
| 42 | * ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Jan is a mutant, and nobody knows it: everybody thinks that Pym gave her those shrinking powers. When they were having a marital discussion Pym complained that, as part of her mutation, she eats insects, has a disgusting hygiene, and frequently leaves the bed filled with eggs. |
| 43 | [[/folder]] |
| 44 | |
| 45 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 46 | * ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Bobby Drake's mother being completely unable to accept that her little boy is anything more than an ordinary human, despite ample evidence to the contrary - and she's in complete denial about the way his brother treats him too. His father though is more accepting and frustrated by his wife's denial. The conversation, as ever, bears more than a little resemblance to parents finding out that their child is gay. It takes a gentle bit of {{Telepathy}} from Professor Xavier to clear out the reflex denial. |
| 47 | * ''Fanfic/CodexEquus'' deconstructs it with Phoenix King Naur. Since birth, Naur was constantly treated by [[AbusiveParents Irminsul and Arvan]] (and by extension, the [[JerkassGods Elternteil Deer Pantheon]]) as a disappointment because he was born embodying Fire, and was discouraged from using his Fire domain at all. This left Naur very miserable in his youth, and it later contributed to his nasty falling out with his parents after he finally grew fed up with their abuse and toxic hypocrisy. Even after becoming a benevolent and successful Phoenix King of Caernar, Naur's abusive upbringing left him with serious issues like an inferiority complex and [[HairTriggerTemper a really bad temper]] that he tries his hardest to rein in. Fortunately, he has Mentálne, Amour-De-Soi, and various benevolent family members and allies to help him through it, but it's noted that Naur's recovery is still far from over. |
| 48 | * In ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'', vampires do simply change upon turning in a few key ways. Most of them are hard to understand, and after a few questions from her father about stuff that's perfectly normal for a vampire, Bella thinks: |
| 49 | -->''I half expected him to ask if I'd ever tried to stop being a vampire.'' |
| 50 | * ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': [[spoiler:Flutternice]] is a ''major'' deconstruction. [[spoiler:Nightmare Whisper has convinced her her Special Talent is inherently evil and that she should hate it and suppress it ''for eons''. This naturally has left the girl's mind a wreck]]. |
| 51 | --> '''[[spoiler:Flutternice:]]''' Five times the pain for you means five times the love you know I have for you! Nonononono! Mommy said those thoughts are bad bad bad! I need to smile! But be sad when I need to hurt somepony! She said hurting you is bad, but I need to hurt you so you don't hurt yourself! Mommy is right! So that means I can hurt you and you know it's because I love you! Yippie! |
| 52 | * ''Fanfic/YouSeeThem'': Deconstructed with Ren Amamiya, who [[ISeeDeadPeople can see the ghosts of others]] but often faces yells and protests from his parents that he was hallucinating. This left him with plenty of self-confidence issues and hesitation to use his powers, even when the ghosts of Futaba and Yusuke's mothers want him to help their children. [[spoiler:Then comes TheReveal that [[AbusiveParents his parents]] ''knew'' he could see the dead, but have been trying to {{Gaslight|ing}} him into thinking he doesn't have them [[IJustWantToBeNormal so they have a normal life]]. Ren and the other Phantom Thieves are enraged to hear that, and their confrontation ends with Ren emancipating himself from his parents and staying with his family of choice]]. |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:Films -- Animation]] |
| 56 | * Perry from ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman'' desperately wants his son to be "normal" and stop [[ISeeDeadPeople talking to ghosts]]. [[OpenMindedParent Sandra]] is quick to point out that most of his behavior is due to [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold fear of how others will treat his son]]. [[spoiler: At the end of the film, he even awkwardly tries to speak with his mother's ghost.]] |
| 57 | [[/folder]] |
| 58 | |
| 59 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 60 | * The Blue Rajah, a cutlery-throwing superhero from ''Film/MysteryMen'', is mortified to be caught by his mother rummaging through her cutlery drawers, and desperately tries to brazen it out by daring her to disapprove of his superhero lifestyle. She turns out to be far more supportive and loving than he expected. |
| 61 | * One of the jocks in ''[[Film/{{Cursed2005}} Cursed]]'' assumed that this was what the newly-infected werewolf was concealing. As the jock in question had been hiding his own sexual orientation, confusion ensues. |
| 62 | * ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' |
| 63 | ** TropeNamer. In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Bobby Drake's parents find out that he's a mutant and have pretty much exactly this reaction. Complete with his mother asking him if he's "tried...'' '''''not''''' ''being a mutant?" The filmmakers consulted Creator/{{Ian McKellen}} for the scene due to his experience being gay during much less forgiving times. Many viewers consider it {{narm}}, but this is likely the ''point,'' as many a homosexual who have endured the 'real' version of the line have likely wondered how close family could seriously ask such an ignorant question. This pops up a second time. When Nightcrawler asks Mystique why she doesn't use her shapeshifting powers to blend in with normal humans, she replies, "Because we shouldn't have to." |
| 64 | ** Similarly to the ''X2'' example above, prequel ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' has an LGBT metaphor, which is admittedly [[{{Anvilicious}} less subtle]]. Charles and Erik look like average humans and can completely [[PassFail pass for 'normal']], but have still strongly affected their lives. Raven, on the other hand, can pass for "normal" at the cost of it being very exhausting and undermines her self-confidence, making her somewhat of a metaphor for a transgender person. [[spoiler:Raven's comparison is even blatantly explained through a conversation with Erik -- she doesn't have to perfectly "pass" as a non-mutant woman to be beautiful and have worth.]] |
| 65 | *** There's also Charles accidentally "outing" Hank [=McCoy=] at the CIA facility. Fortunately, his boss was cool with it and only disappointed that Hank didn't feel he could be open about his mutation earlier. Hank even says something along the lines of "YouDidntAsk, so I didn't tell." |
| 66 | * This crops up in ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' when Gonzo discovers he's an alien; "But I didn't choose to be one. I mean, I've always had alien tendencies, and this just makes sense to me." |
| 67 | * Jack feels this way about Greg being a nurse in ''Film/MeetTheParents''. Even as he's extending an olive branch to Greg and trying to be less intimidating and close-minded, he basically paraphrases the page quote. |
| 68 | * ''Film/WhiteFrog'': During an argument with his autistic son Nick, Oliver shouts, "Why can't you just try to act normal? I am tired of you making me feel like you're a ticking time bomb! Try to act normal or else!" |
| 69 | * ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'' has a variant in the form of TheReveal about Creator/TimCurry's infamous "[[CreepyCrossdresser sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania]]" known as [[DrFakenstein Doctor Frank-N-Furter]]. Turns out that he and his entourage are so flamboyant because they're [[spoiler:aliens from the planet Transsexual in the galaxy Transylvania]]. |
| 70 | [[/folder]] |
| 71 | |
| 72 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 73 | * Werewolves are treated this way in Literature/HarryPotter. |
| 74 | ** Rowling has said that werewolves and Lupin in particular were actually a metaphor for segregation in general, but more specifically as a FictionalDisability akin to HIV/AIDS. Remus Lupin's lycanthropy forces him to need many special accommodations just to live day to day, such as a potion he has to take for the rest of his life, or the more elaborate quarantine Hogwarts had to set up for him as a child. Lampshaded in the movie by Sirius Black, whose family has a history of mental illness (not helped by [[RoyalInbreeding aristocratic inbreeding]]) and who turns out to have become BoredWithInsanity during his time in prison: |
| 75 | -->'''Remus:''' Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally the flesh reflects the madness within.\ |
| 76 | '''Sirius:''' Well, you'd know all about the madness within. Wouldn't you, Remus? |
| 77 | ** The movie version of ''Azkaban'' is particularly {{anvilicious}} about this. In the book, Lupin has no problem talking about being a werewolf at the end-of-the-book wrapup with Harry, whereas in the movie he hesitates and uses lots of euphemisms that make it sound like he's talking about [[DoubleEntendre something else entirely]]. Lupin's actor David Thewlis likely did this on purpose, as he was convinced his character was gay and expressed disappointment when Lupin married a woman. |
| 78 | -->'''Lupin:''' This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving, and parents will not want a wer... er, ''someone like me'' teaching their children. |
| 79 | -->'''Lupin:''' Besides, ''people like me'' are... Well, let's just say that I'm used to it by now. |
| 80 | ** He lampshades his heavy use of euphemisms somewhere along the line, saying, "James used to call it my 'furry little problem'. Many of my classmates were under the impression that I owned [[HairRaisingHare a very badly behaved rabbit]]." |
| 81 | * The world of the ''Literature/MercyThompson'' series plays around with this trope. There's a lot of religious opposition, especially toward the fae, but it's quickly demonstrated to be a [[TheFairFolk lot more reasonable than it seems at first glance]]. Sticking those fae forced out of the closet onto literal reservations, however, certainly fits a version of this trope. On the other hand, there ''are'' gay werewolves, who are discriminated against both as they would be in the real world, and by werewolves that have their own discriminatory beliefs on the matter. |
| 82 | ** Homophobia among werewolves is partially explained by the near immortality of the species. Many or most are centuries old, born when [[ValuesDissonance homosexuality was unacceptable]], and as they grow older they find it harder to change with the times. The Columbia Basin pack, which does have a gay member, is explicitly stated to have accepted him in large part because many of the other members were only a few decades old. And Mercy still notes that he's lower in rank than a hetero werewolf of his dominance and [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership fighting ability]] would have been. And he's ''third'' in the pack. |
| 83 | * In the fantasy series ''Literature/TheBraidedPath'', people born with magical powers are called "Aberrant." Veteran Aberrant Asara gives protagonist Kaiku what can only be described as a "coming out of the closet speech", urging her to accept her powers and be proud of them... moments before a big LesYay ShipTease moment. |
| 84 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' invokes this trope, as wizards are supposed to maintain secrecy at all times and not reveal to the rest of the world that they exist, lest non-wizards become terrified and kill them. Averted in the case of the series protagonist, who not only puts "HARRY DRESDEN, WIZARD" on his office door and is listed in the Yellow Pages under "Wizards," but also goes on his universe's equivalent of Jerry Springer to talk about magic and promote his business. ''Twice.'' |
| 85 | ** Amusingly, Harry's association with [[SuccubiAndIncubi White Court]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire]] [[spoiler:and his half-brother]] Thomas Raith has led people to assume he is gay. They tend to have a NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat attitude to it, and when they're prejudiced, Harry has used that to his advantage. And Murphy won't shut up about it, so he's probably never going to live it down. |
| 86 | * A mild version of this is in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight'' series. In ''Marked'', when Zoey gets the [[PowerTattoo Mark]] of a vampyre, all she knows is that vampyres often disappear. She then discovers that there is a school for them (the titular "House of Night") and that many celebrities are vampyres. Being a vampyre is treated similarly to being gay in this universe. Because of this, her [[TheFundamentalist strict Christian]] stepfather disowns her. Vampyres also have to cover up their Mark in public to avoid being harassed. |
| 87 | * In Robert Jordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', male channelers are treated like this... at the very best. Justified, though, as they are doomed to go insane, which will have disastrous effects on anything and anyone in the vicinity, and at the end die a horrible death. |
| 88 | * ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'': In ''Literature/NewMoon'', Bella pulls this pretty much [[{{Pun}} straight]] (in wording, at least) on [[spoiler:Jacob]] when confronting him after figuring out that he's [[spoiler:a werewolf]]. |
| 89 | -->'''Bella:''' [[spoiler:Could you...well, try to ''not'' be a...werewolf?]] |
| 90 | ** In the film Jacob responds: "This isn't a lifestyle choice, I was born like this." Through a bit of conversation, it becomes clear that she has no problems with [[spoiler:the werewolf pack simply ''being'' werewolves]]; the reason she wants them to stop is that she thinks they're responsible for the mysterious deaths going on in town. Upon being told that they're not, the issue is dropped. [[note]] Of note here, is that this is an analogy for being Native American: and a very apt one at that. Many Native Americans pass for white and blend into white communities. However, if outed, they can face all manner of discrimination including questions or comments similar to this.[[/note]] |
| 91 | %% * Dusk from [[Literature/{{Silverwing}} Darkwing]]... fits this perfectly. |
| 92 | * One of the most {{Anvilicious}} examples is Raxtus, the "fairy dragon" from the ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' series. These quotes make it pretty obvious: |
| 93 | -->"I was incubated and hatched by fairy magic, and I came out...unique." |
| 94 | -->"I'm the pretty dragon. The funny dragon. Problem is, dragons are supposed to be fearsome and awe-inspiring. Not witty. Being the funny dragon is like being the bald mammoth. Being the pretty dragon is like being the ugly fairy." |
| 95 | -->"My father is...the king of dragons...And I'm his greatest disappointment. Raxtus the fairy dragon." |
| 96 | -->"Guess what my breath weapon does? Helps things grow! And the only magic I can do is defensive stuff like hiding, or else healing. Again, like a fairy." |
| 97 | -->"I can't manage to look like a person...I look like a boy fairy with butterfly wings." |
| 98 | * In ''Literature/{{Hero}}'' by Perry Moore, Thom is an extreme example of this. He has healing powers, but his father, a former (non-superpowered) superhero who left in disgrace, now hates anyone with powers. Then there's the fact that Thom's also gay... |
| 99 | * In Bill Brittain's book, ''Wings,'' the main character grows a pair of batlike--and ultimately functional--[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin wings]]. He is forced to have them [[BittersweetEnding surgically removed in the end]], however, at the insistence of his father. |
| 100 | * Dwarfs in Literature/{{Discworld}} are suddenly going through a period of this. The series parodies OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame by having the genders be ''identical''. Females have beards, dress the same as males, and dwarfish courtship consists largely of trying to tactfully find out what the other dwarf's gender is. But ever since ''Literature/FeetOfClay'', a few dwarfs (mainly the younger ones) have started wearing dresses and makeup, and admitting they don't actually like beer all that much (they keep the beards, though). Older, more conservative dwarfs are horrified to find that some of their sons may actually be ''daughters''. |
| 101 | ** It's also entirely possible that some of the dwarfs doing this ''are'' biologically male (their culture doesn't even really recognize the concept of gender; dwarfs are ''dwarfs''), making this seem even more like a metaphor for gender identity; it's not about what they were born as, but what they want to live as. |
| 102 | * Creator/HPLovecraft: |
| 103 | ** According to Robert M. Price, "The Outsider" [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150319212402/http://crypt-of-cthulhu.com/homosexualpanic.htm has compelling parallels]] to a coming-out story. Though the implications are probably unintentional, this story may be one of the oldest examples of this trope. |
| 104 | ** Lovecraft also wrote a more famous story about a ''certain kind'' of people. As children, these people don't appear distinct from anyone else, but as they grow up, they start to become...''different''. Some of them can pass for normal, others stick out like sore thumbs, but they all eventually join their brethren and come to terms with what they are. Initially, the protagonist feels disgust at these people's sexual practices and alien lifestyle, and he leaves their community in a panic. But afterwards, he feels drawn to their way of life and (though he initially denies it) accepts that he is one of them and joins them. Is this a story about an ArmouredClosetGay man coming to acknowledge his identity? No, it's ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'', and the people in this story are FishPeople! |
| 105 | *** When he wrote this, Lovecraft's actual intent may have been somewhat more awkward by today's standards. The FishPeople breeding with humans likely represented interracial sex and marriage, and being the flaming racist that he was, Lovecraft portrayed this as a Very Bad Thing™. Lovecraft might have even drawn inspiration from his own horrified discovery that his grandmother was...''Welsh'' ([[SarcasmMode oh noes!]]). Of course, since [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UEEce0uNrUY/UBqbjLcO8PI/AAAAAAAACMg/YY5xoI4P86M/s1600/SNAP.jpg interracial sex and marriage in Lovecraft's time were stigmatized much like homosexuality]], the homosexuality parallels in ''The Shadow Over Innsmouth'' [[{{Applicability}} aren't surprising]]. |
| 106 | * Speaking of dark and disturbing tales about land dwellers falling in love with fish folk, the UrExample of this trope could very well be "Literature/TheLittleMermaid", which has been [[https://www.themarysue.com/little-mermaid-queer-subtext/ interpreted]] to represent Creator/HansChristianAndersen's own inability to be with the man he loved. This would make the trope OlderThanRadio. |
| 107 | * In ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'', Clary gives Simon pamphlets about coming out to help him tell his religious mom he's a vampire. |
| 108 | * In the "Nice Girls" series of vampire romances by Molly Harper, we get this played out pretty much verbatim once the lead character's newly undead status is discovered by her parents. Jane Jameson's mother actually asks if she has tried not being a vampire, and constantly brings her pot pies in the hopes that if she just tries to eat solid food... As the series progresses, Jane's mother joins the "Friends and Family of the Undead" self-help group and gets a "vampire pride" bumper sticker. I have no idea whether Ms. Harper was aiming for any form of allegory with this and the books play it all mainly for laughs, but the parallels are obvious. |
| 109 | * In ''Literature/TheBrokenEarthTrilogy'', orogenes are treated as dangerous pariahs who are suffered to live only under strict circumstances. In the second book, ''Literature/TheObeliskGate,'' a conversation between a father and his (orogeny) daughter has ''strong'' connotations of a child trying to come out to her disgusted father, who mutters something about "a cure for her condition," before trying to strike her. She's eleven. |
| 110 | * ''Literature/ReleaseThatWitch'': Some witches simply don't use their powers to prevent themselves from being spotted by the CorruptChurch and burned at the stake. Unfortunately, magic energy can be toxic if it accumulates too long, especially during puberty, and many witches have died from internal wounds. Not helping is that some coven leaders are oblivious to the pattern of 'useless' witches holding their magic in and typically getting the worst of the wounding, and order them to do no magic, ensuring their demise. Roland defies this trope by supporting the practice of witchcraft to the point of paying a monthly salary of one gold coin just for practicing and draining reserves. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 114 | * ''Series/TrueBlood'': |
| 115 | ** Vampires are very analogous to gays. They "come out of the coffin" to demand civil rights and are mostly opposed by members of fanatical religious sects who spout catchphrases such as "God Hates Fangs". Also, the show sometimes casts vampires like racial minorities, made more overt due to its setting in the American South. During one scene, a bigoted policeman repeatedly calls Bill "boy" while treating him unfairly. However, due to the high number of murderous vampires in the show, there's a fair bit of BrokenAesop and StrawmanHasAPoint going on. Actually, for all that he is "nice" now, this used to include Bill just as much. |
| 116 | ** While many viewers find that it fits the trope, the creators have outright denied that vampires are an allegory for homosexuals and Alan Ball calls this interpretation "lazy." If anything, the show, and the books, are preaching the opposite moral, targeting the "everyone should all just get along" and "society is victimizing me for being special" memes from the '90s and ripping them down mercilessly. After all, even in the case of "good" vampires, the people that treat their condition as a NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat thing are dead wrong, often literally. Some have criticized the implied metaphor, pointing out that gays generally have neither the urge to rip people's throats open nor superpowers to allow them to do so with impunity -- although that doesn't stop it from being used to awesome effect. |
| 117 | --->'''Protester:''' Hey, fang-banger!\ |
| 118 | '''Hoyt:''' You better not be talking to me.\ |
| 119 | '''Protester:''' What if I was?\ |
| 120 | '''Hoyt:''' See that woman right there? Not ''that devil'', but that ''woman'', yeah, she got fangs. And yeah, you can bet your ass that we are doing it ''all the time'' because we are in love! And there is not one damn thing wrong with ''being in love!'' Now, how can you do this, and still call yourself a Christian?\ |
| 121 | '''Protester:''' I ''am'' a Christian, God damn it!\ |
| 122 | '''Hoyt:''' I am clearly more of a Christian than you. Because I got ''love'' in my heart. And you got nothing but hate. |
| 123 | ** Despite all that, there are some cases where the show successfully leans into the metaphor. In the last season, Bill [[spoiler: who is slowly dying of Hep-V]] ends up at a lawyer's office with a bunch of other vampires who are slowly dying of a bioweapon the Louisiana government devised to kill vampires, trying to draft up their wills because [[UndeadTaxExemption they weren't prepared to have to actually deal with who inherits their holdings after becoming recognized as legal entities once more]]. This is highly evocative of the situation of many gay men during the AIDS crisis, who didn't really have a way to ensure their life partners inherited their holdings, a situation that saw many estranged families storm in after the funeral and take everything. |
| 124 | * ''Franchise/{{Buffyverse}}'': |
| 125 | ** ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' pulls this a few times. First and foremost, Joyce's reaction to learning about Buffy and vampires in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E22BecomingPart2 Becoming Part 2]]" is, literally, "Have you tried... ''not'' being the Slayer?" She later describes herself as "marching in the Slayer Pride parade." To be fair, Joyce's reaction is a lot more understandable than most examples on this page since her biggest concern is that Buffy could get seriously hurt or killed being the Slayer. |
| 126 | ** Granted, from time to time, Buffy has [[RefusedTheCall tried to not be the Slayer]] ("[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS1E12ProphecyGirl Prophecy Girl]]", "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E1Anne Anne]]") or been faced with the possibility that she's not even destined to be the Slayer, [[ThereIsAnother due to there being]] [[TheChosenMany others now]] ("[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E9WhatsMyLinePart1 What's My Line, Part 1]]/[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E10WhatsMyLinePart2 Part 2]]", "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E3FaithHopeAndTrick Faith, Hope, and Trick]]", "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E22Chosen Chosen]]"), etc. The SlidingScaleOfFreeWillVsFate plays a pretty central role to Buffy's character arc throughout the franchise. |
| 127 | ** In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E15Phases Phases]]", Larry is suspected of being a werewolf, and Xander has a talk with him about having urges and desires he can't control... but it turns out that Larry's not a werewolf, he's just gay. |
| 128 | *** The ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "[[Recap/AngelS02E17Disharmony Disharmony]]" then reverses that: Cordelia misreads the signals she's been getting from the new vampire Harmony and ends up thinking Harmony's a lesbian. She calls Willow to ask "why didn't you tell me?" and the conversation [[http://vrya.net/bdb/clip.php?clip=5488 is full of mixed signals]]. Finally: |
| 129 | ---->'''Cordelia:''' Harmony is a vampire? That's why she -- oh, my God, I'm so embarrassed! All this time I thought she was a great big lesbo! ...[[VerbalBackspace Oh, yeah? Really?]] [[NotThatTheresAnythingWrongWithThat Well, that's great! Good for you]]. |
| 130 | ** Not to mention Willow and Tara's "witchcraft = lesbian awakening" subplot. Lanterns were still being hung on that one in the final season. |
| 131 | --->'''Anya:''' ''[about to do a spell with Willow]'' This isn't gonna get all sexy, is it?\ |
| 132 | '''Willow:''' I'd be shocked. |
| 133 | ** Subverted by Tara's family. The women in the Maclay family are raised believing they must always struggle not to become demonic monsters -- which turns out to be a lie to keep the women subjugated. The allusions to a homophobic family are also strong in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E6Family Family]]". |
| 134 | ** Doyle from ''Series/{{Angel}}'', who is half-human and half-demon has to deal with the issue of "passing" as a human, and in "[[Recap/AngelS01E09Hero Hero]]", he meets some demon relatives who look too much like demons to ever have the luxury of making the choice that Doyle does. |
| 135 | * ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'' hilariously [[DiscussedTrope discusses]] and [[PlayingWithATrope plays]] with this trope upside down and sideways. Caroline, a young vampire, is seriously discriminated against and ''tortured'' by her father who is trying to cure her of her vampirism through punishment. Her mother's explanation for her father's behavior? Her parents were "raised a certain way to believe certain things" about vampires that aren't necessarily true. He even ''chooses to die'' instead of becoming a vampire because his beliefs are all he has. Irony of ironies? Her father ''is'' gay and left his wife because he could no longer live a lie. Needless to say, Damon points out the incredible... quirkiness of the situation. |
| 136 | * The live-action series ''Series/TheTick2001'' had an episode of this trope, centered around Arthur coming out as a superhero to his mom and sister. Tick is referred to as Arthur's "Partner" and "Special friend". In one scene the mom and sister, upon first entering the restaurant Arthur and Tick frequent, notice a superhero leaving and ask, "Is this one of '''those''' kind of places?" Creator Ben Edlund later regretted putting this in people's minds when they made the episode about the relationship between superhero and sidekick, which he described as "very marriage-like" in the commentary. |
| 137 | * ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': |
| 138 | ** Invoked in "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS03E06TheAbandoned The Abandoned]]" when Odo tries his hardest to convince a found [[SuperSoldier Jem'Hadar]] to pursue interests other than killing or fighting. |
| 139 | ** Also invoked with respect to Dr. Bashir's [[NoTranshumanismAllowed genetic enhancement]]. Bashir is outed as having a trait that is not only considered revolting and wrong by the general public but is also illegal and can lose his military job and even his citizenship, even though Bashir wasn't the one who chose the trait in the first place. "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E16DrBashirIPresume Dr. Bashir, I Presume?]]" reads as if it's a metaphor for the forced outing of gays. However, they kind of spoil the [[AnAesop Aesop]] by having Julian be the only "augment" ever to appear in the show who's neither a wannabe {{Ubermensch}} (Khan Noonein Singh, those kids created by Data's identical great-to-the-power-of-umpteen grandfather in ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'') nor some more mundane shade of cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs like the BlessedWithSuck augments who show up in "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E09StatisticalProbabilities Statistical Probabilities]]" and ultimately fail to be of any help whatsoever. |
| 140 | * ''{{Series/Dinosaurs}}'' has an episode where Robby suspects that he might be (GASP) an herbivore! Herbivores are treated the same way in dinosaurs society as gays are, complete with "herbivore bars" and being called "Vego" as a slur. FridgeLogic makes this ''weird'' once you realize that several of the dinosaurs characters, including Robby, are based on (B.P. Richfield's Triceratops comes to mind, although he did try to eat Robby once) ''are'' herbivores (in Robby's case, Hypsilophodon). |
| 141 | * ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' use this trope. And in that case, when they say 'monster', they mean killer. |
| 142 | * In ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'', Camelot's oppression of magic users can be read as an allegory for homophobia. Part of the prejudice against sorcery is based on the belief that it's a learned skill, mirroring the real-life debate over whether homosexuality is innate or a "lifestyle choice". In the series four finale, Merlin even tells [[spoiler:Agravaine]] that he "was born with it" (meaning magic). And there's the constant Arthur/Merlin ShipTease... |
| 143 | * [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in ''Series/TheLeagueOfGentlemen'''s ChristmasSpecial, which dealt with the UnfortunateImplications of equating gay people with bloodsucking vampires. |
| 144 | -->I am not a vampire! I am just a queen. |
| 145 | * Completely inverted in Swedish comedy show ''Hjälp'' (Help), whenever resident sissy Benjamin tries to explain to his family that he's just an average guy. When came out to them and told them he was straight, his sister called him revolting, his mother started crying and his father disowned him. Causing Benjamin to meekly tell them that he was only kidding, of course, he's really gay. |
| 146 | ** Taken to ridiculous extremes in the third season; |
| 147 | *** [[spoiler:When he accidentally becomes a bank robber, his father gave him his old Luger that he used to rob the post office with and offered him to come along to Denmark for a hit ("some pesky witness that needs shutting up"). Then there's the family tied up in the bathroom...]] |
| 148 | *** [[spoiler:When he ends up being recruited by some Nazis, his parents start recollecting how they first met at a Nazi rally and how proud they are of him following in their footsteps.]] |
| 149 | *** [[spoiler:When he's forced to convert to Islam (as part of a knife-point marriage), his parents proudly reveal that they are actually part of an Al Qaeda terrorist cell and asks him for help in bombing the local Danish hotdog stand.]] |
| 150 | * A Joel-era episode of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' equates robots with homosexuality. Tom and Crow both come out as robots. |
| 151 | * Played with in the ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' sketch about men who live as mice. |
| 152 | * In ''Series/{{Glee}}'', the character of Bryan Ryan crusades against show choir, because he's resentful that his time in New Directions didn't turn into lifelong stardom. It turns out that he's "living a lie," and tells his wife he goes on business trips [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything but instead goes off to New York to see Broadway plays]], and has a stack of playbills in his basement which are "like porn." Possibly a parody of the trope, since ''Glee'' features openly homosexual characters and has dealt directly with gay issues in other plotlines. |
| 153 | ** Not to mention that he's played by openly gay Creator/NeilPatrickHarris. |
| 154 | * ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' originally had this as a major plot point. Claire's friend Zach was going to embrace his homosexuality, mirroring Claire's embrace of her new powers. Although Executive Meddling nixed the gay reveal, which is perhaps why Claire ends up wangst ridden for the rest of the series. |
| 155 | * ''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman'' had two that tried to be legit [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters of the week]], but failed. [[spoiler: And in one instance, one of the Vyram elite is subject to this.]] |
| 156 | ** Dryer Dimension ''tries'' to be a terrifying menace, but can't resist helping people in need. [[spoiler: By the end of the episode he gives up evil and becomes a hairdresser. Really. By that extent, that makes him the only creature from Vyram to survive the series.]] |
| 157 | ** Trash Dimension was the same. He never wanted to do no harm to anyone in the first place, because the main part of his mind comes from a teddy bear which Ako used to care a lot for when she was a child. Anyway, [[spoiler:he came back to his senses thanks to Ako/Blue Swallow, only to have a disgusted [[TheBaroness Maria]] kill him, inadvertently angering Blue Swallow in the process.]] |
| 158 | ** [[spoiler: In the weirdest twist, this happens to ''[[TheHeavy Count Radiguet]]'' of all people. After his attempts to overthrow [[TheEmperor Empress Juza]] ended with him being banished to Earth and changed into a human, Radiguet actually began to undergo something of a decent, benevolent life, even saving the life of a terminally ill girl named [[MoralityPet Saki]] and becoming her boyfriend. He eventually regains his memories and returns to evil, [[TheStarscream killing Juza out of revenge.]] But shortly after his murder of Juza, Saki appears in front of Radiguet in his true form of a Vyram rather than the more handsome human he once was. Nevertheless, Saki still cares for him enough to stretch out to his feelings. She begs to know if Radiguet enjoyed being a human and could actually feel love. This gives Radiguet pause, as he actually seems to consider his options, and [[HopeSpot it looks as though he may actually have a little humanity in him...]] but in a horrific {{Fauxshadow}} moment, [[KickTheMoralityPet he vaporizes Saki in a fit of rage and disgust]], retorting that he has no such affinity for something as "meaningless" as love. This ultimately cements Radiguet as [[CompleteMonster the cruelest bastard in the entire show]], and making it evident that he is BeyondRedemption and [[RedemptionRejection will never accept that he could ever be a good person.]] It won't end well for anyone who suggests such a thing.]] |
| 159 | * Parodied in an episode of ''Series/{{Misfits}}'', in which a series of misunderstandings involving Finn's powers and his attempts to hide them cause Greg, a gay muggle, to believe that Finn is gay and fall in love with him. |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 163 | * Music/ThePolice's Roxanne. Essentially telling a prostitute to not be a prostitute. |
| 164 | [[/folder]] |
| 165 | |
| 166 | [[folder:New Media]] |
| 167 | * After Elton, a gay entertainment site, addresses this trope: |
| 168 | ** [[http://www.afterelton.com/blog/dennis/two-gay-guys-video-blog-wrap-102-vampires Here]] |
| 169 | ** [[http://www.afterelton.com/TV/2008/9/alanball_trueblood?page=0,2 And here]] |
| 170 | [[/folder]] |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 173 | * Much of ''TabletopGame/TheWorldOfDarkness''. |
| 174 | ** Especially the Changelings of ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'', since the other supernatural creatures are born or turned from sires or parents, but Changelings may be born to any family, love theater, sex, and the arts[[note]]PS: the Nockers say "fuck that."[[/note]], and have a miserable time fitting in with "banal" normal society. Changelings also either come into their fae identities in early childhood (realizing they're "different" from the other neighborhood kids) or during puberty (dealing with this new rush of sensations and body issues). |
| 175 | ** This is also found in ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'' (''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'') and ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' (''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness''). Although they're technically born as a werewolf (or other Changing Breed/Fera), they don't awaken to their true nature until a dramatic, life-changing event that usually happens no earlier than puberty. That said, lycanthropy seems to be just as related to [[PubertySuperpower puberty itself]], especially considering the whole monthly-cycle connection (for further exploration of this theme, see ''Film/GingerSnaps''). |
| 176 | *** There's also the minor detail (at least in ''Apocalypse'') that the rate of Garou births in their established families, one in ten, is the same as the oft-cited estimate of the percentage of gay people in the general population. |
| 177 | ** ''TabletopGame/BeastThePrimordial'' uses this trope heavily, associating Beasts with numerous marginalized groups, relying heavily on the ideas of found families (even among other supernaturals), coming into your own by embracing that which you fear or view as aberrant (recognizing the monster in your nightmares as the other half of your soul), and dealing with enemies who hate you because they see you as an abomination. This clashed... roughly with the idea of Beasts being nightmare monsters that survive by feeding on fears they inflict on mortals (WordOfGod says lack of editorial oversight led to the "queer found family" and "you are a ravaging monster" themes not meshing well). In the draft given to Kickstarter backers, the UnfortunateImplications (and the fan reaction to them) were intense enough that the developers decided to revise it before the final publication (for instance, the coming-to-power narrative of Beasts got retconned away from ComingOutStory and more towards "you let the monster in your nightmares conquer you," but there was still room for the earlier interpretation). |
| 178 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' (the old SF RPG) balanced psionic characters by making psionics illegal in the Imperium. |
| 179 | * And there's ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'', of course, where everyone (EVERYONE!) has an unregistered mutant power but having an unregistered mutant power means a death sentence from the Computer...you COULD register your power but that puts you under suspicion. Get your clone warmed up. |
| 180 | ** Not to mention everyone also belonging to highly treasonous secret societies. |
| 181 | *** And it being entirely possible to be a secret member of the anti-mutant league while being a secret mutant... |
| 182 | *** Something that at least one edition of the game compared to "passing for white as a member of the Ku Klux Klan." |
| 183 | ** Everyone having a mutant power is a treasonous rumour spread by commie mutant terrorists. There are only registered mutants and the occasional mutant terrorist. Please report anyone saying otherwise to your local termination center. Remember: Rumours are treason. Have a nice daycycle! |
| 184 | *** There are versions/variations of the game where not everyone has a mutant power - why pass up this opportunity for increased mayhem? Because there are also variations where not everyone who has a mutant power knows that they do. This works much better when the players believe it's possible that they genuinely don't have a mutant power. |
| 185 | * ''TabletopGame/TrinityUniverseWhiteWolf'' has hints of this with Magneto-like BigBad Divis Mal, who is gay; WordOfGod is that the title of ''Aberrant'' refers to him and that the metaphor for the response to his sexuality is deliberate. |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Theater]] |
| 189 | * There's a comedic short play called ''Jimmy the Antichrist'' about a boy coming out to his parents as, well, the Antichrist (though he's not as evil as that title would suggest). It's all very DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything, complete with the parents saying "Have you tried ''not'' being the Antichrist?" This is lampshaded several times by Jimmy's sister, who keeps asking him whether he's sure he didn't mean to say he was gay. |
| 190 | ** This was performed excellently at NFL (National Forensic League, not National Football League) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFcpsfbu7Qw Nationals in 2006.]] |
| 191 | [[/folder]] |
| 192 | |
| 193 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 194 | * In ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'', Baretreenu was so adamant that her young son Gulcasa never realize that he was a demon that she placed a powerful, permanently damaging seal on his powers and concealed his true identity even from himself. Over a decade later, when he realizes he has demon blood anyway, a very big deal is made out of his choosing to live as the person he was born as. Gulcasa points out that demon blood in and of itself isn't a bad thing, and what's important is whether he personally makes good or bad choices with his life; his mentor Medoute retorts that his demonhood is absolutely an inherently evil thing and that she can't forgive his decision to be true to himself. This, among [[Analysis/BlazeUnion other things]], makes the scenario read very much like a ComingOutStory. |
| 195 | * ''Franchise/MassEffect'' touches on this with biotics - people who gain GravityMaster powers from exposure to Element Zero while ''in utero''. To make the most of their abilities, they need special implants attached during puberty (unless they're [[SpaceElves asari]]). As humans are still new to the galactic community, many human biotics face discrimination due to fear, religious reasons or false ideas of their abilities. This also applies to the turians, who've been around a lot longer - their military mistrusts biotics due to their use as spies or assassins during the Unification War. Turian biotics are grouped together in 'cabals', with mixed results. |
| 196 | * In the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series, mages are basically magical mutants born with a stronger connection to the [[SpiritWorld Fade]] than others. Due to the role of ancient magisters in creating the [[TheHorde Darkspawn]], as well as their vulnerability to DemonicPossession, mages are immediately taken to [[WizardingSchool Circles]] to be trained and constantly watched by [[KnightTemplar Templars]], who also double as [[MageKiller Mage Killers]] if they become possessed or try to escape. The only way to remove someone's magic is to be made Tranquil, which is essentially a [[FateWorseThanDeath magical lobotomy]]. |
| 197 | ** There's also questioning of this kind toward Qunari following (or 'failing' to follow) the Qun as well (but with racial and cultural/religious overtones), and the way the mercenary responds to Saemus after killing Ashaad seems to carry both the FantasticRacism and disgust toward the kind of she might have thought they were having. |
| 198 | * ''Videogame/BaldursGate'' will have this invoked if you have good and evil characters in the same party. |
| 199 | -->'''Khalid:''' ''(to Montaron)'' I don't mean to be confrontational, but could you be a little less... evil? |
| 200 | [[/folder]] |
| 201 | |
| 202 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 203 | * [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/2347.html Played with]] in ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic''. (TheRant has a link back here.) |
| 204 | ** Also "have you tried not being a Nazi" (about Ervin) |
| 205 | * Also played with in a now-defunct superhero webcomic called ''Queer Nation'', where everyone gay got superpowers from radioactive dust given off by a pink comet and was written as X-Men with the subtext changed into text. Oh, and bisexuals got superpowers too, but they only worked half of the time. Asexuals and pansexuals weren't addressed. Trans people had powers that were mostly [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway useless]] until something amazing [[MagikarpPower would happen that would kick them into god-tier]]. One of the main characters was a transwoman who called herself Miss Thang and started with the ability to manipulate clothes (first just moving them, then morphing them), but it was implied that it would one day extend to complete metamorphic control over all matter. |
| 206 | * Used in ''Webcomic/{{Darken}}''. A werebear character can suppress the bear inside him by an act of will. But apparently trying to concentrate on not being a bear is ''hard''. |
| 207 | * Parodied in [[http://www.amazingsuperpowers.com/2008/01/pill-confession/ this strip]] of ''Webcomic/AmazingSuperPowers''. |
| 208 | * Played for laughs near the beginning of ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'', where Marina claims NWordPrivileges for 'anathema', the term Immaculate Dragon-Blooded use to denounce Solars and Lunars like her as soul-stealing demons. |
| 209 | * [[http://www.robot-hugs.com/talks-with-family/ This]] WebComic/RobotHugs strip, in which the creator's mother suggests their depression is a result of being queer, and maybe if they stopped that, they'd feel better? |
| 210 | * During a flashback in ''Webcomic/SisterClaire'', Oscar naively suggests those with magic abilities could just [[http://www.sisterclaire.com/missing-moments/missing-moment-la-marea-ritorna-3 stop using them to fit in.]] Clementine and Magpie quickly remind [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Oscar]] how painful it is to deny your true self just to fit in. |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 214 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" Stan finds out his dog Sparky is gay and tries to command him to not be gay the same way you would command a dog to do tricks. |
| 215 | -->'''Stan:''' Don't be gay, Spark. Don't be gay. |
| 216 | * In ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' the title character's TheJinx status is genetic and treated more as a FictionalDisability than a HereditaryCurse, with the result that his best friend Melissa's father reacts to the chaos his presence causes in this way. |
| 217 | -->'''Mr. Chase:''' Does this Murphy's Law thing have an off switch? |
| 218 | -->'''Milo:''' I haven't found one yet! |
| 219 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' episode "My Fair Jet", Sean and Sydney try very hard to get the alien Jet to behave like a human so he can blend in and not risk his true identity being exposed. They try to get him not to be an alien even though that's pretty much impossible, and Jet's alien quirks end up saving the day in the end. |
| 220 | [[/folder]] |
| 221 | |
| 222 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 223 | * People with clinical depression are often told by others to "cheer up", "get a better/more positive attitude", or "get some exercise",[[note]]The last one can help to some extent, at least in the short term,[[/note]] rather than being encouraged to seek therapy and/or medication. |
| 224 | * A common HeteronormativeCrusader response to LGBT people, completely discounting the fact that [[ComingOutStory coming out]] isn't something done on a whim without having spent time questioning. |
| 225 | * A common response to autistic people as well[[note]]"You probably ''could'' figure out basic social cues if you really ''wanted'' to."[[/note]], to the point that autistic people are even taught to not perform behaviors that are mostly harmless (like stimming). |
| 226 | * A frequent tactic of UsefulNotes/VictimBlaming. Many a BullyMagnet have essentially been told "Have you tried ''not'' being a BullyMagnet?" |
| 227 | * This trope can apply to many a mental illness, disability [[note]](often known as an "invisible disability" in this case)[[/note]] and crippling condition that isn't immediately visible and apparent, especially if the condition, illness, or disability in question has ups and downs or largely functional good days and debilitating bad days. People who see the good days (or the up periods) may assume that the afflicted are able and ready to make every day a good day without realizing that those good days are often the result of preparation or sheer chance not entirely within the afflicted's control. Alternatively, the good days are followed by an unnoticed period of recovery from the strain and stress of the afflicted forcing oneself to act "normal" and cannot be done every day without negatively impacting the person's mental and/or physical health. |
| 228 | * A primarily historical example: back when being left-handed was regarded as a '[[ASinisterClue sign of the devil]]' (which is still the case in some communities today) it was commonplace for steps to be taken to correct what was considered just an aberrational behaviour. Shaming was the least of it, as proponents of this belief forced kids through a wide variety of harms both psychological and physical, all in service to the notion that one could simply ''learn'' to be right-handed, with a bit of ''effort.'' |
| 229 | [[/folder]] |
| 230 |
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