Disappointed but not surprised to see the “omegaverse is transphobic” shit popping up again. Gather round, for I’m about to weave you a tale of how labeling a/b/o as transphobic actually created more works that were transphobic.

Prior to 2014 or so, there was a lot of a/b/o and

mpreg in fandom. Circa 2013, I remember seeing the first “omegaverse is transphobic/ mpreg fics are transphobic” sentiments stirring on the dark blue hellsite. The answer to this supposed transphobia was to “write those stories with trans characters.”

So they did. People began

writing trans characters in their fanfic, and in most cases, that was fine. People were sensitive, realistic, and tried to be respectful, even if they were cis.
But the problem, dear reader, is that a/b/o and mpreg are PORN GENRES. They exist primarily for porn. Function: porn

So you have people who WANT to write mpreg or WANT to write a/b/o, but think that if they write that, they’re going to get taken to task for being transphobic.

So instead, they write the story with trans characters. They reduce an entire real life identity to a porn genre.

(As a lesbian, let me tell you, having your real life identity being treated solely as porn fodder? Feels bad man, even if you’re a reasonable adult who knows that other people’s porn use isn’t an attack on you)

Now, of course, that’s not every case. Plenty of people write

trans content for reasons of their own including wanting to reflect their own experiences or wanting to explore what that experience MAY feel like- writing as an empathy tool can be fantastic.

But the truth is that by suggesting that a/b/o and trans stories are THE SAME, you

are saying that trans men, specifically, are vehicles for porn preferences.

So what’s actually transphobic here? A fictional universe, where you can inflict all sorts of sexy horrors on an omega without upsetting ANY real life omegas? Or treating a real identity as porn?

I’ve been in fandoms where trans men have felt uncomfortable at the sheer VOLUME of trans fics, especially trans pregnancy fic and ART, that was made in the fandom.

I’m not saying people shouldn’t write a trans narrative or that trans narratives should be replaced by a/b/o,

in fact that’s the last thing I want. What I am saying is that when your reasoning for NOT creating porn in a fictional universe is because real life people exist whose experiences are outwardly similar, it’s not actually BETTER.

Write a/b/o. Write trans narrative. Write long, plotty, involved a/b/o where the concept of being trans IN omegaverse comes into play. Write the smutty trans porn of your dreams.
But don’t write those things because someone has convinced you writing a specific trope is harmful.