As a gender fluid bot myself, it is a happy day for this to be made a part of the cannon history of Transformers!
I was overjoyed as a young protoform when upon my first sitting in that theater so many cycles ago and being overjoyed with the introduction of a female Cybertronian. Arcee was the first step towards my understanding that all things are possible.
Then Powerglide had a relationship with a non-bot! WOW!
In recent years, we learned that not only is love possible, but a bond like humankind’s marriage happens on Cybertron with bots like Chromedome & Eject becoming one in the Conjunx Endura. Amazing for myself, considering my how much I love my wife.
Along with the Conjux Endura... same sex relationships! POW!
And we found along the way that our beloved Arcee is the result of a sex change. A process forced upon her by an evil scientist, but amazingly, she found her identity in this new form.
And now, on a cartoon aimed primarily at children, Transformers have taken the next brave and inevitable step forward with the introduction of the character Nightshade. A bot who prefers thet/them pronouns!
Hallelujah! Praise be Primus!
Now I, personally, have not been cool with the whole "they/them" usage. Not that it's unethical or immoral or anything, it's just sloppy use of language. They/them implies more than one individual persons, not genders in a single unit. As a stickler of the English language, it just seems sloppy, uncreative and already in use.
My personal pronouns - if I even remember or care to use them for my self - are Shim/Shii (pronounced Shy). It feels more... me. A balanced conglomerate amalgam of Him/Her & He/She. My choice, right.
But if someone slips... sees big guy, beard, etc and says "Sir" or sees the long hair, kilt, purse, jewelry and uses "Miss"... WHO CARES! So long as I am being acknowledged.
Humans are flawed creatures. But so long as we (they) keep trying, I'm cool with that!
Congratulations, Squishy Mortals!
And CONGRATULATIONS, TRANSFORMERS!
