Sophie Labelle is a unique transgender cartoonist and public speaker who’s taken the world by storm, all while rocking some seriously awesome hair. The French-Canadian author of Serious Trans Vibes and Assigned Male, Sophie has been drawing comics since 2014 and living her best life in Finland with her Finnish husband. But it doesn’t stop there, she’s also the author of several children’s books, novels, and educational guides, all centered around transgender issues and gender identity. Sophie’s talks span from kindergarten groups to university classrooms, spreading knowledge, humor, and trans joy wherever she goes.
Born and raised in rural Quebec, Sophie initially worked as an elementary school teacher. Through her work, she noticed how damaging society’s messages can be for transgender youth, so she created Stephie, a transgender girl in Assigned Male, who responds with humor and courage to the negativity thrown her way. A true activist in the transgender rights movement, Sophie advocates for trans inclusion, transfeminism, and, of course, gender euphoria.
Monika: Now, when two transgender ladies meet, like me and Sophie, you can bet the conversation is sure to be amazing, filled with insight, laughter, and probably some stories of defying expectations. So let's dive into the world of humor, activism, and the transformative power of comics with Sophie Labelle! Welcome to my blog, Sophie!
Sophie: Thank you for having me!
Monika: One thing that immediately drew my attention is where you live, Finland. It’s not exactly the most common destination for Canadians. What brought you there? Was it inspiration, a love for the country, or maybe your husband?
Sophie: I actually meet a lot of Canadians and Quebecers here. It feels a lot like home. People won’t stop talking about hockey. The story is actually not that interesting. I was on a book tour, and that’s when I met my husband! I love languages and wanted to learn Finnish, but he was terrified of learning French, so I moved here instead.
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| Available via serioustransvibes. |
Monika: How did you meet your husband? Was it love at first sight, or more of a "Hey, we both like comics" kind of moment?
Sophie: He was actually friends with the organizers of a talk I gave during Pride, and he joined us for sushis and drinks afterwards! It was a coincidence, but then he was also going to the Helsinki comic festival the following weekend, so we traveled together and he showed me around.
Monika: So, what's it like living in Finland? In one of your public appearances, you illustrated this culture shift with a hilarious anecdote about going to the movies with your husband, where you’re often the only one laughing in the theater. What's going on there, are you just that funny, or is Finland’s sense of humor a bit different?
Sophie: People show their emotions very differently here. They find North Americans exuberant and over-the-top.
Monika: Let’s talk about comics now! Growing up in Quebec, you were immersed in a very different comic tradition compared to the rest of North America. While many might think of Marvel, DC, or The Simpsons when they think of Canadian cartoonists, you’ve often pointed out that French Canada has a strong European comic tradition, especially from France and Belgium. How did this unique comic culture influence your own artistic style and storytelling?
Sophie: Oh yeah, we just don’t really have access to American comics in general, because they only get translated into English when anthologies are released. So growing up, most of what I had access to was French-speaking European comics. Astérix and Spirou were my introductions to comics!
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| "I think humour is a mask rather than a medicine." |
Monika: I have to admit, I used to be totally obsessed with Thorgal, a fantasy adventure series that’s part of the classic Franco-Belgian BD tradition. I mean, who could resist the adventures of this rugged and handsome Viking hero? I was so into it that I used to dream about being Kriss of Valnor, the fierce, beautiful, and deadly warrior who was Thorgal’s greatest nemesis.
Sophie: I’ll have to check it out!
Monika: You’ve shared in public how ADHD used to send you on this wild rollercoaster of starting amazing projects only to abandon them before they were finished. And then Assigned Male happened, and suddenly, 1,600 pages later, you're writing novels too! Is it safe to say that you’ve unlocked the secret to creative success?
Sophie: Oh it’s not a secret, I think it’s just that I work best under pressure.
Monika: Stephie, the 11-year-old transgender girl from Assigned Male, goes on a journey of self-discovery and embracing her gender. How much of you do we see in Stephie? Is she a reflection of your own experiences, or did you create her as a completely separate character?
Sophie: I don’t think that’s true. She doesn’t really have a “journey of self-discovery”. She is simply trying to be herself, but it’s other people around her who are giving her a hard time about it. I think that’s very relatable to a lot of people, me included. But the resemblance ends there. We had very different childhoods, given how I ended up being a runaway kid because I was trans.
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| Available via serioustransvibes. |
Monika: You're doing so much for children, writing comics, books, and even doing presentations in schools. I imagine children are much more open-minded and receptive than adults since their minds aren't yet clouded by all the complicated stuff we adults tend to come up with. So, how do you balance keeping things understandable for kids without oversimplifying the narrative too much?
Sophie: I don’t think it’s my job to make things “understandable”. My goal is to give tools to trans and queer people, including kids. I want to empower them to fight back. I’m not trying to teach them anything, so that helps.
Monika: In May 2017, you released Dating Tips for Trans and Queer Weirdos, and I know that it was met with some serious challenges, including threats against you and the bookstore hosting the launch. You had to take down your social media and website for a while, which is absolutely horrifying. How did you navigate that incredibly difficult time?
Sophie: I also had to move because they doxxed me. I’m still traumatized. I probably aged a lot in these few weeks. I’m certainly not the same person I was before that. But having a strong community that supported me back then was lifesaving.
Monika: Speaking of dating, could you share some of your top tips? Because let me tell you, my dating life has been a bit of a rollercoaster, especially with online dating. I’m always wondering, ‘Are they into me… or into the fact that I’m trans?’ So, any wisdom you could drop on how to successfully navigate that dating jungle?
Sophie: Oh you misunderstood, that comic is not a guide, please don’t take any dating advice from me, haha. But I stopped dating cis people, they’re a bit too complicated for me.
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| "I also had to move because they doxxed me." |
Monika: Transition can be such a nerve-wracking experience, and it's easy to get caught up in feelings of depression along the way. What did you do to prevent that depression from overwhelming you and to keep looking at the bright side of life? Was it humor? Would you agree that humor is often the best medicine?
Sophie: I think humour is a mask rather than a medicine. I use humour to say hard things without feeling too vulnerable. I was very depressed in Elementary school, before coming out, so I don’t think I successfully prevented depression. I was quite suicidal. Even though I ended up on the street because I was trans, that was still better than living a lie.
Monika: We all know that the journey to becoming our true selves often comes with a hefty price, like losing friends, family, jobs, and all that jazz. I’m definitely no stranger to that. But I’m curious, did you have to pay a heavy price for being your authentic self? What was the toughest part of your coming out?
Sophie: I didn’t speak to my mom for 3 years after my stepfather kicked me out of his house for being trans at 13. Then I spent most of my teenage years dating this boy from my hometown. Out queer kids were quite rare in the area, and it was a blessing that we found each other. He was very supportive of me, especially after I ended up on the street, but we ultimately broke up because I wanted to medically transition.
Monika: How do you handle the pressure of "passing," given the constant judgment society places on our appearance?
Sophie: I don’t, I just stay in the forest and hide under the moss.
Monika: Did you ever feel pressure to meet a certain ideal of femininity, like I did by trying to look like the women around me?
Sophie: My grandmother taught me to sew at 6, and I started organizing fashion shows shortly after that, so most of my life, I’ve always been very much interested in just doing my own thing.
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| Available via serioustransvibes. |
Monika: What was the most surprising part of your transition that you didn’t expect, either positively or negatively?
Sophie: I haven’t given much thought about my own transition for a few decades now, I’m not getting younger. I guess it’s how quickly the slurs and insults people were yelling at me on the street or at school turned into catcalls and sexual harassment?
Monika: A lot of trans women are writing their memoirs. Have you ever thought about writing your own book?
Sophie: I tried a few times, but I always get bored quite fast. I had a few traumatic experiences, and every time I make jokes about them, people just get very awkward. Once I can find the right angle, maybe I will.
Monika: If you could tell your younger self one thing about being a transgender woman, what would it be?
Sophie: Being friends with other trans girls is the most healing and powerful thing that will happen to you.
Monika: Finally, what’s next for Sophie? What dreams and goals are you working toward now?
Sophie: Dismantling techno-fascism and eating as little microplastics as I can. I’m not sure I’m making any progress but it keeps me busy! I’ve been working on my next children’s book since the pandemic, I hope to release it soon. Otherwise I’m participating in a new queer comic anthology by the legendary Stacked Deck Press about sports. I’m telling a story inspired by that time I cycled across Canada, a decade ago! The Kickstarter has launched recently.
Monika: Sophie, thank you so much for sharing!
Sophie: It was a pleasure! Stay safe out there.
All the photos: courtesy of Sophie Labelle.
© 2025 - Monika Kowalska
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