Looking for a quote

[readingredhead.livejournal.com]

I unfortunately only have the first three books with me at the moment, and I'm looking for a quote in which someone -- I think Tom or Carl? -- says of the Powers, "They change bodies and genders the way we change clothing." Or something like that. I initially thought it might have been at the end of High Wizardrdy when the One's Champion reveals that it's been hiding inside Peach all this time, but a cursory examination of that chapter has not yielded any results. If anyone remembers where the exact quote is, and wouldn't mind typing it out for me, I would be forever in your debt!

The reason I'm looking for the quote is that I've been thinking recently about the way in which transgender or genderqueer characters are treated (or might be treated) in science fiction and fantasy universes, and I feel like the Young Wizards universe is set up in a way that (perhaps uniquely in what I've read) emphasizes the essence of selfhood/personhood as distinct from gender labels. At first this spawned fic ideas, but now I'm contemplating a more bloggish response to the topic, and I'd love this quote as an example to non-YW readers to support any claims I might make about the YW-verse.

Comments

[gfish.livejournal.com]

It's from A Wizard Abroad, Nita to Ronan a few pages into chapter 11:

Nita burst out laughing: for the moment, at least, Ronan sounded normal. "Give me a break! As if the Powers care about something like gender. They change names and shapes and sexes and bodies the way we change T-shirts." She rubbed one ear. The One's Champion, in the last shape She commonly wore, had bitten Nita there several times. "Doesn't make Them any less effective on the job."

[ashoakandthorn]

I don't have a copy, but this might be in A Wizard Abroad in relation to Ronan, and him being an Avatar?

[gfish.livejournal.com]

And I should say, I've always thought trans/genderqueer characters would naturally be accepted in the YW universe. But I (rather egotistically!) think that about most issues I care about. I've mentioned on another thread my belief that most wizards would naturally be poly, for instance. :)

Slightly tangential, but I was really pleased to see a trans woman in the most recent Tamora Pierce novel. It was very nicely done, I thought.

[independence1776]

I also agree that they'd be naturally accepted. There isn't room for bigotry in wizardry.

Also, I love that Tamora Pierce includes alternate genders, sexualities, etc. and doesn't make it an "issue" story. (I really hope Tris is flat-out asexual.)

[odette-river.livejournal.com]

Was this the latest Beka Cooper book? /really needs to read that series