Cartoon: If Not Now, Then Never

There’s a timelapse video of this cartoon being drawn. And for the first time, the video includes Frank Young’s coloring process! (Previous timelapse videos have only been of cartoons I colored myself).

This cartoon was directly inspired by a column by journalist Erin Reed:

But by the end of 2023, the reality was clear: every state that passed a transgender sports ban went on to enact some of the most draconian anti-trans laws in history. These included bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth, laws prohibiting drag and shutting down Pride parades, bathroom bans, restrictions forcing trans teachers to go by incorrect pronouns, and even measures to deny transgender people accurate driver’s licenses and birth certificates. Over 1,000 anti-trans bills were introduced nationwide. Far from “easing” the pressure on transgender people and their allies, the sports bans ignited a wildfire, emboldening lawmakers to escalate their attacks.

That’s because accepting transgender bans in sports means accepting a Republican framework explicitly designed to justify further eradication efforts. If transgender people are deemed “dangerous” on a soccer field, why wouldn’t they also be considered “dangerous” in a bathroom? If sports bans require invasive medical checks to determine someone’s assigned sex at birth, wouldn’t that logic also support bans on updating driver’s licenses and IDs? If being transgender results in widespread pain—caused by the very laws targeting us—does that not feed into the argument that allowing teenagers to transition is “not in their best interest,” thus justifying bans on care? And if trans girls are denied Title IX protections in sports participation, protections afforded to all other girls, does that not erode the many other ways Title IX safeguards them—against harassment, in bathrooms, and in equal educational opportunities? These bans aren’t isolated—they’re part of a calculated strategy to chip away at transgender rights until there’s nothing left.

Erin Reed’s newsletter, Erin In The Morning, is essential reading for keeping up with transphobic legislation in the US. Which, sadly, is a massive task.

Looking at the art now, I wish I’d spent more time drawing the background to panel four. I don’t remember what I was thinking, but I faked the perspective instead of doing it properly, and the result was good enough but not great. Panel two’s perspective was drawn the correct way, and it looks much better for it.

For panel one, I drew the Capitol Building freehand and I’m reasonably happy with how it came out. I used a “mirroring” function in the drawing program, so I only drew the left half of the building and the right half was automatically put in as a mirror of the left. This tool is very useful for me because I’m irrationally uptight about objects not being symmetrical when they should be. (In my own comics, that is. I’m not bothered by it at all in other people’s comics.)

Seriously, there are times when I’ve redrawn a simple and irrelevant object – a coffee mug, say – six times over trying to get the two sides to match. It’s much better for my mental well-being to use a tool for it instead.

As usual, the fun was in drawing the figures. I did an image search for “women in congress” and found a ton of outfits to swipe for my main character. I’m particularly pleased with how she came out in the last panel (and Frank’s colors added a lot there).

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This cartoon has four panels. They mostly focus on two members of Congress. The first is a bald middle-aged man, usually wearing a collared shirt with a necktie. The second is a middle-aged woman, dressed mostly in skirt suits.

PANEL 1

The man, looking very intense, is waving a piece of paper that says “BILL” in large letters. The woman has her arms crossed and looks thoughtful. The Capitol Building can be seen behind them.

MAN: We must ban trans from participation in sports!

WOMAN (thought): If I give in on sports, it’ll be easier to resist future anti-trans bills.

PANEL 2

The same two, in different outfits, are now chatting in a hallway, with him standing in a doorway to an office.

MAN: Now that we’ve banned trans people from sports, we have to do bathrooms. Bathrooms are like locker rooms, so it’s really the same issue.

WOMAN (thought): I should give in on this too – people are sensitive about bathrooms.

PANEL 3

The two are in different outfits, standing in front of a fancy desk.

MAN: We need to ban changing gender on birth certificates and driver’s licenses to enforce our bathroom and sports bans, right?

WOMAN (thought): That does make sense…

PANEL 4

The woman is on a city sidewalk, talking to three angry-looking constituents. On of the constituents is holding up a newspaper, with a large headline saying “47th TRANS BAN BILL PASSES.”

WOMAN: I’m sorry. There was nothing I could have done to resist.

CHICKEN FAT WATCH

“Chicken fat” is long-dormant cartoonists’ vernacular for unimportant details we sneak into the drawings.

PANEL 1 – Woodstock from “Peanuts” is standing on top of the Capitol dome.

PANEL 2 – There’s a portrait on the wall of Commander T’Ana from “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”

Lower on the same wall, there’s a little recessed alcove. Standing in the alcove is a mouse wearing a collared shirt and tie, holding his morning coffee and contemplating the world.

PANEL 4 – The name of the newspaper is “Daily Opiate.” The subheadline says “Trans People Now Banned From Public Parks and Eating Ice Cream.” The story is accompanied by a photo of a Klansman giving a thumbs up. A different story at the bottom has the headline “Cartoonist Unsure of What to Fill Space With.”

If Not Now, Then Never | Patreon