Due to the lack of queer terminology from that period and Krazy Kat's fluctuating pronouns in the original comic strip, I will categorize Krazy Kat as androgynous and queer, and refer to them with they/them pronouns unless explicitly stated otherwise in a specific strip or short.
For Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing, the copyright description archived by the Library of Congress gave masculine pronouns for Krazy Kat. I shall keep androgynous and queer to reflect Herriman’s perspective on Krazy Kat and how the audience would have interpreted the short, while also including gay and implicit to reflect the information obtained in the copyright description.Based on Clyde Petersen's own experiences, this coming-of-age story centers around a queer child living with a schizophrenic mother and their shared time during a spontaneous road trip.
]]>A retelling of the Greek myth about Hermaphroditus. In this version, the nymph Salmacis finds one of Cupid's arrows. After she accidentally pricks herself, she develops a sexual craving. She soon crosses paths with Hermaphroditus and wants him to experience the same desires, but he resists her advances. Salmacis is persistent, and after she follows him into a pool and forces herself upon him, she begs the goddess Cybele (herself connected with gender nonconformity, as instanced by the galli of Cybele) to have them remain together. This results in the two becoming combined into one being.
While this short does contain intersex representation, Hermaphroditus is often associated today with the term hermaphrodite. Using this term to describe intersex individuals is outdated, stigmatizing, and an incorrect descriptor. Regarding why one should not use this word, visit Intersex Society of North America.