Sophie Labelle’s Comic Helps Me Feel Safer, Seen, and Like I’m Not Alone

My name is Sarah “Sneff” Neff, and I use she/her and they/them pronouns. I am a Project Lead for Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology at Charles River Labs – Mattawan. I am also the lead of the Mattawan site’s chapter of Proud at Charles River, which is an LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group. To mark Internatinational Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia, I wanted to highlight someone important to me.

My favorite LGBTQ+ changemaker is Sophie Labelle. She is the writer and illustrator for Assigned Male, a pro-LGBTQ+ webcomic that draws from her experiences as a transgender girl and woman. The comics range from lighthearted quips about LGBTQ+ life experiences to more serious commentary on social issues around gender norms, privilege, and transphobia. Some of her comics bring me comfort as something to which I can relate, while some of her comics are more like tools for me, easy to share on social media and show to other people to spread her message. The bright art catches the eye, and the messages are usually easy to understand and digest. While her work might not necessarily change the minds of staunch anti-LGBTQ+ people, it brings representation to the LGBTQ+ community, including representation of LGBTQ+ children. It helps de-stigmatize talking about identity with children as well as giving children agency over their identity.

"In our current social and political climate, going on social media can be upsetting and damaging to mental health. Having Sophie’s comics show up on my feed helps me feel safer, seen, and like I’m not alone."

Sophie has done tours to promote her comics, holding events in bookstores, cafes, and other similar locations. On her most recent tour, protestors tried to get her events cancelled, but the host cities either kept her original venue or ad a secondary venue open their doors to her. She even added extra dates and locations to the tour rather than back down in the face of opposition. Sophie held strong in order to engage with fans, share her work, and show the world that LGBTQ+ people aren’t going away.

In our current social and political climate, going on social media can be upsetting and damaging to mental health. Having Sophie’s comics show up on my feed helps me feel safer, seen, and like I’m not alone.