(loved trope) Trans characters who do not/cannot pass but everyone still respects their identity

[u/altrightobserver]

• Lev from The Last of Us Part II: Lev is a trans boy who cannot medically transition due to being in a zombie apocalypse with a fascist government, yet the main cast in the story supports and affirms him as male.
• Denise Bryson from Twin Peaks: A trans woman DEA and FBI agent. She does not pass in the series, which is an integral part of her character; her boss simply tells people who don't like it to "fix their hearts or die."
• Cordelia from Vinland Saga: As a trans woman living in Northern Europe during the Viking age, it is impossible for Cordelia, who has a hulking, muscular figure, to transition to female. But despite not looking the part physically, everyone is cool with it and refers to her as female.
• Ladiva from Granblue Fantasy: A pro wrestler who makes no attempts to pass (save for hair) and is still beloved by the cast as a maternal figure, serving as a stark contrast to her species' women who are petite.

Edit: typos and incorrect lore fixes

[u/Away_Doctor2733]

I mean not everyone affirms Lev's gender, that's the reason he's on the run and why Abby helps him. But I take your point that the "good" characters (and I do think Abby is good at this point in her redemption arc) affirm his gender. 

[u/altrightobserver → u/Away_Doctor2733]

Everyone meaningful to the story I mean

[u/vitolinny → u/altrightobserver]

but he does pass to abby. she simply always assumes he is a boy and he never corrects her. you can see she says things like “you’re a good brother” and “they wanna kill a little boy because he shaved his head?”. i’m pretty sure this all happens before she hears yara use any pronouns for lev and it certainly happens before she is explicitly told by yara

[u/ItIsHardToPickAName → u/vitolinny]

I would add that Lev is pretty young. He may pass less as he gets older.

[u/vitolinny → u/ItIsHardToPickAName]

yep, abby says lev looks like an 8 year old pretty early on in their interactions. she simply assumed he was a boy from the start, perhaps also thought he was younger and thus more androgynous.

on reflection, the “you’re a good brother” line comes after she hears him deadnamed by the seraphites so by this point abby’s words could be intentionally affirming, but abby asking why they wanna kill him, lev saying “i shaved my head”, and abby responding with “they wanna kill a little boy because he shaved his head?” happens before they encounter seraphites together and she hears pronouns used for him.

also when she first asks why they’re being hunted, and he simply says he shaved his head, she says “fine, don’t tell me” implying to me that she doesn’t even initially consider that might be the truth or the significance of the traditional hairstyles for seraphite men and women. if she has noticed the tradition, her meaning could even be, “wait, isn’t that what the males in your group do? what’s the problem with a little boy doing it?”