About the tag debate, have two cents from this queer trans person I very much agree that ...

About the tag debate, have two cents from this queer trans person

I very much agree that J is a trans woman. It is clear, obvious and was stated and hinted at several times. The dysphoria and gender identity crisis faced by J was very obviously not that of a gay man ( cuz yes, there can be dysphoria there too because of compulsory heterosexuality. Many queer people raised in very heteronormative settings and cultures might understand this. In your mind, to be able to love the same gender you have to be of the opposite one, which sparks a heck ton of dysphoria. Trust me, I WOULD KNOW.]

HOWEVER, this story was marketed as a BL, written as a BL, intended to be a BL, heck the male lead is said to be gay and does his coming out to his aunt which is your biggest clue and several other instances where it just SHOWS that the author very much presented this as BL.
Is it okay and fine ? No, absolutely not, but the tags just shows how the art was marketed. Say I write a story and tell you right from the start that those two characters have feelings for each other and you as a reader think there is very little of it so it shouldn't be taggued as such. But, I wrote it with romance between those two characters in mind, I sold it with romance between those two characters in mind and I marketed it with romance between those two characters in mind. It should be even more so relevent when there is a cultural disparacy between me; the artist, and you; the reader.

The whole issue goes back to the fact that Japanese are not on the same page on gender identity issues as the Western World. Again, having lived for a long time there, I can tell you that to most people, trans people are just gay people who went through with the whole procedure. In the early 20th century Western world, "masculine" presenting queer women were said to be men trapped in women's bodies, which is cringe, but you know, early 20th century. Japan is kind of still in that wave but while still being more progressive. This is why a Japanese word such as an "Okama" (which J is described as) exists and is, by Western standards, LITERALLY more than four identities at once; it's a feminine gay man, a trans woman, a straight dude in touch with feminity, a drag queen and some more, basically, any AMAB with feminine characteristics.

Is it okay to mix in several identities ? No, of course not, don't do that you rude paperclip. I am just trying to explain WHY there is a BL tag ╮(￣▽￣)╭