The fact that the game was not perfect *just* because it didn\'t decide to explain what happened to trans people is the most idiotic thing I\'ve ever seen. It\'s not problematic- if the developer wanted to explore the concept, they would\'ve.
Ring-a-ding-ding, baby.
Given that so much of the content in this game is optional, you probably missed the area where you can recruit Bo Wyatt, Harvey Alibastor, and Queen Roger. I think that area of the game is a realistic picture of the fate of the likely fate of transgender women, as well as trans-feminine and/or homosexual cisgender men, if all cisgender women abruptly ceased to be. (The subject of transgender men is not explored, but it's very likely they're all dead as well, since gender-based mass bio-weapons are easier to imagine than gender-based mass psycho-weapons.)
But yeah, I think it's a realistic picture of what would happen to the biologically male (L?)GBTQ community. With the rise of sexual tension would come hateful and fearful sentiments of tribalism, and people would seek out an air of masculinity for protection. Machismo culture would likely become so oppressively infectious and widespread that transgender women would try to kid themselves into identifying by their birth-gender despite themselves so that they could more comfortably pursue masculine ideals and thereby ensure no one could hurt them. As Queen Roger says, "You messin' with my queers, fat boy? ... I'm a crossdresser, not some pansy. Puttin' on panties didn't make my balls disappear." That's the sound of a transgender woman who knows it's not safe for her to be true to herself right now, and is taking a very healthy attitude toward that knowledge.
And these folks are definitely a representation of the biologically male (L?)GBTQ community, make no mistake. One of them says something like, "It's nice that our community has been able to thrive. It's just a shame that it's under these circumstances." This is actually a profound message of acknowledgement for the community's existence, and for what it would be going through during these events. "What do you want, outsider? Here for work, or here to judge?" "Why do they call us the Killer Bees? ... I actually find it quite charming either way." These are definitely transgender women and/or homosexual and/or trans-feminine men speaking, not just heterosexual cisgender cis-masculine men putting on a show for cash. And yet, even though they're doing work they genuinely enjoy for what it is, it's still work, work that they have to do AS work, and not REAL romance, not just a part of their lives like anyone else's. That's degrading, and damaging, and you can hear it in their dialogue that they know it. At long last, now that the hypothetical possibility of straight sex is a prayer rather than a given, these people are free to express their identity and sexuality — but because the world's gone mad and everyone now hates everyone else, that's ALL they're free to express, because building actual, real, lasting and independently meaningful relationships with anyone on any grounds whatsoever is now off the table. Gay and transgender prostitutes for inexpensive use by cis straight men: a broken world's version of being "progressive."
In summary, I don't think the fate of transgender people, or at least the fate of transgender women, is left unaddressed at all. Like the game's depictions of the fates of just about any other community in a global crisis like this, its depiction of what happens to transgender women is explicit, disgusting, subversive, disrespectful, morally outrageous — and, worst of all, probably accurate.
The idea that you think a game that came out years before the trans community really started to blossom is problematic because of the lack of representation of said people is a weak and ludicrous argument. Also it is not the gender that got nixed, it was the entire biological sex that got eliminated because of the flash, so the lack of reproduction in a dying society I would imagine takes a bigger precedence over any sort of gender exploration theme because of the basic human survival instincts that would kick in after such an apocalyptic event. This is not the correct game for exploring such issues, and you only have yourself to blame for that expectation.
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An incredible game, but...
The Lisa series is one of the best examinations of abuse to date. While there are many works that look at abuse, there are significantly less that talk about the truly negative aspects of it. Brad is shown to have PTSD from his trauma - he is violent, he is tortured psychologically, he hallucinates and has trouble discerning what is real. He adopts two children to redeem himself from his role in the suicide of his sister, but cannot give his children the good parenting they deserve due to his past. Dusty is not even acknowledged, and Brad loses patience with the curious Buddy, calling her an idiot, forcing her to kill to make her "stronger", and not allowing her to go outside.
Brad's sole mission after finding Buddy was to keep her safe and to give her a real childhood, and in both instances, he fails. Buddy hates him and considers him the worst person in her life, and from her perspective, she is right. His love for her may have been genuine, but this does not justify the abuse. Though the player knows that Brad is trying his best and just can't overcome his past, Buddy can't know this. All she knows is the abuse he's given her, and she hates him for it. The most interesting part of all this is that the game validates both characters' experiences, not choosing sides. Most works show abuse as a simple bad experience, so it was a welcome departure by the Lisa games to show the truth of how a victim may turn out.
Olathe is very interesting as well. Though the details of what happened to create it and how it all works are never specified, this is probably for the best, as it would be difficult to create such a scenario that would not seem farfetched or otherwise silly in a game that, despite its strange moments, is grounded in a gritty, realistic place. Buzzo becomes a much more interesting villain in the Joyful, where he becomes repentant after the horrible things he did to Brad, and becomes almost sympathetic as he seeks to redeem himself. His role in the creation of Olathe is left uncertain, aside from his peddling Joy, which makes him all the more fascinating.
However, even the best games can have something missing. Though the story is solid, one area is left unaddressed - the fate of transgender people. LISA is very good about being diverse, and shows people of many races and explicitly includes gay characters, making it more realistic. There is, however, no mention of any trans people, and in a land where an entire gender was eradicated, this is problematic. An exploration of what the Flash meant for trans people would have been an interesting thing to analyze, and its lack of mention feels like a huge oversight. Though this is really the only fault story-wise, it's so significant given the scenario that it seems ridiculous it was not addressed.
Despite this, however, the LISA series is still one of my favorite video games of all time, and deserves the highest praise. It's heavy, poignant, and above all, real. 9.5/10