What cartoons have transgendered characters? These transgendered cartoon characters (and a few cross-dressing characters) break the mold in terms of their sexuality and sexual identity. They show viewers that it's OK to be yourself, whatever that is. While some viewers will be too young to understand what is going on and simply giggle at the cross-dressing characters, others will learn that personal expression is acceptable. Either way, each of these characters are entertaining to no end and for that, we love them.
Whether America's favorite characters are cross-dressing to defeat their enemy or just because they enjoy disguising themselves as the opposite sex, you have to wonder if they aren't in between genders or at the very least, reconsidering their sexuality. Remember all those times you loved watching Bug Bunny cross dressing as a woman? These animated transgender cartoons are helping the world to understand and finally accept people (and characters) whose gender identities are different from our own. And that's a good thing!
8 Transgender and Cross-Dressing Cartoon Characters,
Bugs Bunny
It's no secret that America's favorite cartoon character Bugs Bunny has one very popular go-to trick for deceiving his enemies, particularly that hillbilly Elmer Fudd. Looney Tunes character Bugs feels no shame in seducing his foes by dressing as a woman, anywhere from a schoolgirl to a geisha and Norse Valkyrie. He ferociously bats his eyelashes and gets uncomfortably close to their face to distract them, daring to kiss them sometimes.
In "What's Opera, Doc?" Bugs Bunny even gets the stern and violent Elmer Fudd to perform ballet with him. Some of his favorite pastimes include styling hair, giving manicures and letting shoe salesmen tickle his feet.
We can admit that Bugs cross dresses for a good purpose but as a cartoon character, he has the potential to come up with any number of tricks and yet he still chooses to dress in drag.
Mr. Garrison
Mr. Garrison, the teacher at South Park Elementary who uses puppets like Mr. Hat and Mr. Twig to teach, has one of the most complicated sexualities in TV history.
Before his sex change in season 9, he finally begins to accept his homosexuality and even has a lover, Mr. Slave. In "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina," Mr. Garrison tells Dr. Biber that he has always been a woman on the inside and that getting a sex change is his last chance at happiness. So he becomes Ms. Janet Garrison.
However, when Ms. Garrison finds out that vaginoplasty doesn't include reproductive organs, that she has no period and can't get pregnant, she is disappointed. She carries on several lesbian relationships before deciding she wants to be a man again. She pays for a laboratory to grow a penis on a mouse and gets a second sex change. He has remained that way since but who knows how long it'll be before he gets another one.
Roger
Roger may or may not be considered transgendered, but he certainly has an affection for the female gender as an (apparent) male. Roger's most famous alter egos are Laura Vanderbooben and a wedding planner named Jeannie Gold. He becomes Laura Vanderbooben to get sexually harassed at work and be able to sue the company for a settlement. In one scene, he struts through the office in a tight outfit, swaying his hips, but none of the men turn to look at him.
As Jeannie Gold, a former prostitute in Argentina, Roger helps Stan and Francine renew their wedding vows. In another episode, Roger gets a waitress job on a cruise ship where the Smiths are taking a vacation and dresses like Olivia Newton John and sings her hit Xanadu.
Roger and Stan have many intimate moments, from Roger telling him he needs him when they're both drunk to acting in a play called "Pinata Man" together. Roger steals the female leading role and dresses up as a senorita. He rips Stan's shirt off, licks his chest and lets Stan lick his feet. They both get arrested for public indecency right after the show. In another episode, Stan and Francine find Roger dressed as a princess. Stan thinks he needs a kiss from a prince to wake up and Roger shoves his tongue down Stan's throat.
Stewie Griffin
Yes, Stewie Griffin is only one year old but Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane has said his sexuality has been left ambiguous on purpose. It's unclear whether or not he identifies as a woman, but he definitely seems to like dressing in woman's clothing. Being a toddler, Stewie has the freedom to explore his options and learn what he really likes.
In "Go, Stewie, Go!" he becomes Karina Smirnoff in order to audition for Jolly Farm Revue. He is able to fool Brian into thinking he's a woman at a bar and comes on to him. When he becomes his alter ego Desiree and goes to dinner with Brian to help him make a girl jealous, several men at the restaurant recognize Desiree. In "Boys Do Cry," Stewie becomes "Stephanie Griffin" to protect himself from some priests that want to exorcise him because they think he is possessed by Satan. The Griffins flee to Texas, where Stewie enters a Little Miss Texas pageant and manages to win. He tells Brian that he "feels right" in his female disguise.
Him (Powerpuff Girls)
Him, the most powerful villain in the Powerpuff Girls, is a cross-dressing Satan with red skin who often wears colorful eye shadows and dresses in a red jacket and skirt with a belt around his waist. He also has a ruffly pink tulle around his neck and skirt along with black high-heeled hooker boots up to his thighs. If that is not the definition of a cross-dresser's wardrobe, I don't know what is.
Instead of using sheer force to destroy Townsville he plays psychological tricks on the girls, using their naivete and fear against them. In one episode, he turns into a butterfly to bug Bubbles.
He has a rubber ducky named Mr. Quackers that he takes baths with. His voice ranges from thundering and angry to high-pitched and mockingly sweet and he enjoys making dramatic poses.
In a Cartoon Network bumper he cuts Ms. Bellum's hair (the Mayor's assistant) and shakes his hips in celebration. Ladies and gentlemen, Him is really a Her.
Fisheye (Sailor Moon)
The American version of Sailor Moon completely changed Fisheye's gender to female. In the original Japanese version, he was a fish turned human and a male, like the other two members of the Amazon Trio, who are also both effeminate. Unlike Tiger's Eye and Hawks' Eye, Fisheye dresses like a woman most of the time and pursues men, openly admitting his attraction to them. He gets his male victims to fall in love with him before revealing his real gender. He famously fell for Mamoru, who rejected him.
Team Rocket (Pokemon)
The Pokemon couple of Team Rocket, who is usually trying to steal Ash's Pikachu, has switched gender roles. Jessie is really bossy and prone to outbursts while James often whines in an effeminate voice and is oddly the one who holds a red rose in his hand.
Most of the time, James cross dresses as a geisha or nurse. In one episode, both of them disguised themselves as egg sellers, complete with old-fashioned dresses, bonnets and baskets of eggs. In another episode in which the two wore bathing suits, James put on an inflatable body suit to make him have large breasts.
Similarly, Jessie doesn't mind playing the masculine part sometimes. In "The Purr-fect Hero," she took on the role of a magician, wearing a tuxedo and top hat while James disguised himself as the magician's assistant in a pink dress.
SheZow
Created by American writer Obie Scott Wade, SheZow is a cartoon about a boy who assumes a female identity while fighting crime and saving the world. When the series' main character, Guy, finds a power ring that his late Aunt Agnes used to wear, he transforms into the female superhero SheZow.
Although Wade specifically mentioned that the character is not transgender and is only wearing women's clothing, the show caused a ton of controversey in the Christian community. Says Wade:
"SheZow is not transgendered. He's a boy, his gender never changes, he's just trapped in a silly costume."
Even if SheZow is not exactly transgender, it's still a step in the right direction for the trans community. It's a show aimed at children that delivers a message about gender identity, and how everything doesn't have to be so black and white.