This is an increasingly valid part of our modern lives. Cisgender, for those unaware, is the term referring to someone who identifies as the gender they were assigned at birth, as opposed to transgender people, who identify as a different gender than the one assigned from birth.
There are many people like Rachel who identified as cisgender for years only to realize, maybe late into their lives, that they are trans and have always been trans.
They have always felt different from everyone else, but until they actually addressed those other issues, they didn't understand or know how to process their feelings. RELATED: Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling Trailer Returns the Comedy Icon to EarthĪs the LGBTQ+ community and their concerns become increasingly discussed in mainstream society, many people who once identified as cis and straight have come to realize that, no, they aren't. The '90s cartoon often satirized then-modern society, from the cold reality of business to the suffocating nature of creative pursuits. It seems bewildering that fans would be offended by a character changing and coming to understand themselves in a more intimate way over time. Not only that, but this creative decision possibly resulted in the special being shelved for years. The decision for Rachel to come out came from the people who made the original Rocko's Modern Life. Reasons that probably had a lot to do with the trans storyline. In fact, the special was finished back in 2017, but Nickelodeon hesitated to release the special for as-of-now unconfirmed reasons. The specials were finished long before Netflix purchased streaming rights. Netflix had nothing to do with any creative decisions behind Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, just as they have no creative influence behind the upcoming Invader Zim special. RELATED: Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling to Feature a Transgender Character On Nickelodeon's suggestion, Murray consulted the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) to ensure that the script avoided any transphobic jokes or scenes. The special, long before Netflix signed a deal to debut it, was going to feature Rachel Bighead coming out as trans. The show's creator and Rachel's voice actor, Joe Murray, took extra care to write Rachel in a way that was accurate and representative of the trans experience.