Sophie Labelle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sophie Labelle |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 22 April 1988 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
|
Notable works
|
Assigned Male |
Sophie Labelle (born April 22, 1988) is a Canadian cartoonist, public speaker, and writer. She is famous for creating the webcomic Assigned Male. This comic is inspired by her own life as a transgender person.
Labelle is also an activist who supports the transgender rights movement. She gives talks about the history of transgender people and why it's important to support them.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sophie Labelle grew up in a country area of Quebec, Canada. Before becoming a full-time artist and writer, she worked as an elementary school teacher. She also helped run a camp for gender-creative kids, helping them feel comfortable and accepted.
Career as a Cartoonist and Author
The Assigned Male Webcomic
Labelle is best known for her webcomic Assigned Male. The comic tells the story of an 11-year-old transgender girl named Stephie. Through Stephie's adventures, the comic explores topics like gender norms (society's ideas about how boys and girls should act).
Labelle said she was inspired to create the comic while working with transgender children. She wanted to create a positive character who could respond to the negative things trans kids sometimes hear. She also made educational guides to go with her comics. These guides help create safer and more welcoming spaces for young transgender people. The Washington Blade newspaper called her comic "hilarious" and a great example of how to be funny without being mean.
Books and Other Works
Besides her webcomic, Labelle has written many books and small magazines called zines. These works are all about gender identity (how a person feels inside about their gender). Some of her books include The Genderific Coloring Book, A Girl Like Any Other, and Ciel at Camp Fabulous.
One of her books, Ciel in All Directions, won an award in 2022 from the Bank Street Children's Book Committee. She has also created materials about sex education for an organization called Trans Student Educational Resources.
Facing Online Bullying
In 2017, Labelle planned to launch a new comic book. However, the event was canceled because she and the bookstore received online threats. This type of online harassment is called cyberbullying. Her personal information was shared online, and her website was attacked.
After this experience, Labelle spoke out in favor of new laws in Canada to protect people from bullying based on their gender identity. She continues to advocate for stronger laws against cyberbullying.
Selected Works
- "It's overflowing!" A coloring book about gender and sexes (2015)
- The Best of Assigned Male (2021)
- Ciel in All Directions (2021)
