Traps in Anime and Pop culture
Lost has a great overview of the reference to “traps” in anime and manga culture.
A “trap,” in this context, is normally an effeminate looking male character who either crossdresses or is indistinguishable from a traditional cis-female. They are called traps because they can fool people into thinking they are the sex they present as rather than the one given to them by society at birth.
Lost writes:
So what is wrong about the term “trap?” Well, to start it is based on the transphobic belief that anyone with a penis is a man, no matter how they identify. Otherwise there would be no “trap” and no discussion on whether being attracted to a “trap” is gay or not.
It also furthers a transphobic stereotype that trans people are trying to trick people. It furthers the idea that trans people can’t be trusted and will lie about everything. According to this logic, since trans people can’t be trusted to tell the truth then they shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions about their own body.
In particular interest to those of us on this forum, it is also used by people to further Blanchard’s transphobic typology that claims that all trans people are either gay men trying to seduce straight men or that trans people are transitioning just to get off sexually (by being allowed to trick people into letting them go into the women’s changing area for example).
Further, this stereotype is often evoked in gay or trans panic defense by those who kill gay or trans people. These people claim that they were so enraged because they were deceived that they lost all control and just killed the person.
Despite that, many people in the anime community try and defend it.Supposedly, according to those who defend the trope, the trap character is not about trans people but rather traps are really just a homosexual male wanting to seduce a heterosexual male into having sex with him or a heterosexual man trying to get access to changing rooms to peak at women or other such non-sense.
Ignoring the fact that is exactly what is meant when people claim that trans people are being deceptive, that argument is flawed because most trap characters aren’t trying to seduce anyone by tricking them and are either heterosexual cis-males who either just looks female or dress that way against their will, or the trap character is actually a transgender characters.
