Transgender Sex Workers in Grand Theft Auto V

According to an article posted by Mitch Alexander, “The only ‘significant’ (i.e., visible) trans* characters are stereotyped sex workers that can be found in [Grand Theft Auto V], and can be heralded with disgustingly transphobic lines such as ‘Hello, sir. I mean, madam.'” A tumblr post collects the dialogue options for the player-character when interacting with this women and for the passive dialogue these characters say if the player waits and listens to them talk among themselves.

Elsewhere in the game there is a stripper named Peach at the chain of strip clubs called Vanilla Unicorn. She was voiced by a male voice actor and appears to be meant to be read as a trans woman. She is notably the only stripper who cannot be taken home by the player-character in either GTA V or GTA online. A video of Peach dancing and speaking can be seen here.

LGBTQ references in this game series:

Grand Theft Auto (1997): El Burro

Grand Theft Auto II (1999): Tetsuo

Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 (1999): Pretty Charlie

Grand Theft Auto III (2001): Gay Pedestrian; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002): The Psycho; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004): LGBTQ References; LGB Characters; Queens; OG Loc Mission

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005): Kazuki Kasen; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006): Reni Wassulmaier; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008): Brucie Kibbutz; Tom “French Tom” Rivas; Bernie Crane/Florian Cravic; Bryce Dawkins; LGB Love-meet.net users; Elizabeta Torres; Talbot Daniels; Marcus; The Hater; Eddie Low;  Unnamed Homosexual NPCs; LGBT NPCs in LCPD Database; LGBT Media Personalities; LGBTQ References 

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned (2009): Trans Man

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (2010): Anthony “Gay Tony” Prince; Clay “Pain Giver” Jackson; Jacob; The Celebinator; Evan Moss; LGBTQ References

Grand Theft Auto V (2013): Trevor Philips; Peter Dreyfuss; Transgender Sex Workers; Locations; LGBTQ References

Citations:

  1. Alexander, M. (2013, October 3). Grand Theft Auto V: Misogyny & Transphobia. GayGamer.Net. http://gaygamer.net/2013/10/grand-theft-auto-v-misogyny-transphobia/
  2. Badtransjokes. (2013, October 1). Before I even started playing the new GTA I knew. Bad Trans Jokes Tumbler.
  3. Peach. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Peach
  4. TarnishedXsoul OUTLAWZ. (2015, July 14). R18 + PS4 Grand Theft Auto V Stripper: Peach. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVPx4E9lqN4
  5. Vanilla Unicorn. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/Vanilla_Unicorn