The Last of Us, Trans Rights, and Bodily Autonomy

Do kids have the right to make some decisions about their own bodies?

Spoilers for Season 1 of “The Last of Us”

In 2013, the widely anticipated game “The Last of Us” came out on the PS3 to massive acclaim. It was nominated for numerous awards, and won 257, making it one of the most decorated video games ever. It was lauded for both its game play and its rich storyline.

TLOU wasn’t the only thing to come out in 2013. That summer, my oldest came out as gender fluid. Two years later he would come out as a trans man, but the journey began in 2013. What it means to have a trans family member moving through the world came into sharp focus that year for the first time.

Fade to black.

Screen text: Ten Years Later

“The Last of Us” finally got adapted for screen and it once again has amassed a ton of critical accolades in addition to its popular success. It has been hailed as one of the best adaptations ever made, and has scored some of the highest viewer numbers of any HBO show. 

And while I think everyone who is coming out as trans in my family has done that, trans rights are at the front of my mind again. There have been 465 anti-trans bills introduced this year. In my own state, a bill recently passed that will severely limit access to healthcare for trans minors, while several other states have banned it entirely. Anti-drag bills are popping up, with language that is broad enough to potentially criminalize being trans in public. 

You may be thinking to yourself, how do these things possibly relate? And it comes down to two words.

Bodily autonomy.