ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the concept of visibility influences the reception, form, and function of trans literature. The chapter begins by laying out a critical definition of visibility. In the context of trans literature, visibility is often understood as a substitution for representation, or, more accurately, the degree to which an accumulation of representation has made something or someone appear known to the public. For example, we are currently experiencing a moment of unprecedented trans literary production. This is also a moment of heightened trans visibility. Positive representation, which is often assessed by quality or originality of narrative alongside the quantity of diverse trans or nonbinary characters, is primarily understood as a cultural “good.” It is imagined to make trans people safer, more accepted, and humanized. Drawing on the writing of scholars such as Jules Gill-Peterson, Juliana Huxtable, Cáel Keegan, and Laurel Westbrook, this chapter argues, instead, that visibility functions in more complex, harmful, and opaque ways. This chapter brings in literary examples to illustrate how visibility is produced by trans literature and, in turn, how calls for visibility shape trans narratives themselves. Some of these texts include: Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir Gender Queer, Ryka Aoki’s science fiction/fantasy novel Light from Uncommon Stars, Becky Chambers’ Monk & Robot series, and the poem “Still Life” by Cameron Awkward-Rich. By tracing how different aspects of visuality prompt repeating rhetorical moves, this chapter demonstrates how visibility is central to an understanding of trans literature and trans literary production.
