What’s that feeling when you don’t want to date someone but want to BE them? It could be GENDER GOALS!
This is something I’d struggled with for nearly my entire life and I thank the trans community for putting this into words for me. It wouldn’t be the first time either!
If you haven’t seen or read The Last Unicorn yet, I highly recommend. It’s an incredibly beautiful movie and story.
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↓ Comic Transcript
Page 1
“Gender Goals” a comic by Jey Pawlik, is done in mint greens and choppy black lineart.
Narration: As a kid I watched The Last Unicorn a LOT.
A young Jey with long hair is sitting in front of an old CRT TV watching The Last Unicorn. On the screen The Unicorn ponders “What do men know? Because they have seen no unicorns for a while does not mean that we have all vanished. We do not vanish. There has never been a time without unicorns.” The TV scenes are done in a cool blue colour with a static texture overlayed on top.
Jey’s mum pokes her head in with a “!!” and is excited about this development. She flutters around little Jey and says “OH! You’re watching the unicorn movie again? Something CUTE?! Something GIRLY?! Ohhh~ I’m so happy!” much to little Jey’s annoyance. The background behind them has turned from Jey’s usual green to purple with a floral pattern.
Narration: But it wasn’t the unicorn I liked best.
The movie now shows The Unicorn and Schmendrick the Magician walking together. The Unicorn says “You may come with me if you like. Though I wish you’d asked for some other reward for having freed me.”
Schmendrick responds “Well, I thought about it. But you could never have granted my true wish.”
The Unicorn says “No. I cannot turn you into something you are not. I cannot turn you into a true magician.”
Page 2
Narration: There was just something about him.
A close-up of Schmendrick as he speaks in the movie “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” Showcasing Schmendrick’s big hook nose, droopy eyes, and wobbly jaw.
Narration: I just didn’t know what it was.
Little Jey has stars in their eyes against a blue background. Stars hang around Jey as they watch for Schmendrick.
Jey’s mum comes in with a knowing smile and sends waves of unicorn merch, dresses, toys, posters, books and more into the room. The waves, that resemble unicorns themselves, wash little Jey away as their mum says “I know just what this is! My beautiful little girl is finally embracing her cute girly side with UNICORNS! UNIIICORNS!” a reference to the movie itself. The background is a pastel purple.
Little Jey is covered in various unicorn paraphernalia and looks disheveled and shocked while their mum leans in and says “You should try on the unicorn dress I bought for you, heart emoji” Jey’s mum is circled by a purple floral pattern.
Jey’s mum pulls up the blue coloured VHS of The Last Unicorn and says “Oh! Let’s watch it together this time!”. The purple floral pattern being ever stronger as Jey looks on from the foreground.
Little Jey pouts under the pile of unicorn merch.
They get up and leave their mum, unicorns and TV behind them while saying “No.” A dark shadow over them, in a “this eight-year-old is having strong feelings but isn’t sure what” kind of way.
Narration: I stopped watching after that.
Page 3
Narration: As I grew older, I’d continue to latch on to similar kinds of boys.
Jey walking towards the right and getting older with each iteration of themselves. A blue static is overlayed behind them showing characters that Jey liked a lot but wasn’t sure why. We see: Naruto, Sora, Izzy, Lucas, Bolin, Hiccup, Stanford Pines, Sans, Greg Universe, Porco Rosso, Snufkin, and Samwise Gamgee.
Narration: I found them comforting.
Narration: They could make mistakes.
Hiccup is shown holding on to Toothless with a worried expression.
Narration: Make people laugh.
Greg has his arm around Steven as both laugh together.
Narration: They weren’t “conventionally attractive” but they were still loved.
Frodo kissing the top of Sam’s head who’s crying.
An early 20-year-old Jey is pulled in by their friends at the time. One friend says “I know just what this is! You like-like him~ Got a big ol’ crush!
With another friend saying “You want to marry him!”
Jey is surprised over a pink background filled with hearts.
Jey walks away pondering this. They say “Is that it? I guess it makes sense. What else could it be?” as their friends continue chatting about love in the background, with floating hearts all around them, and little heart falling off of Jey’s shoulder.
Page 4
Narration: But something still pulled on me for years after. Telling me that wasn’t it.
Jey, now in their mid to late-20s, ponders this while over a background that’s shifting from the pink to a blue.
Narration: Maybe it was time for a re-watch.
Max, Jey’s partner, asks “What movie should we watch tonight?” and Jey responds with a “!!”
Narration: Then, it finally dawned on me.
The two get cozy on a couch together with big pillows, blankets and bowls of popcorn. The lighting is blue over the mint greens. A modern TV is in the foreground while the opening of The Last Unicorn plays “Music emoji, When the last eagle flies Music emoji”
Narration: Being allowed to make mistakes.
A scene from the movie after Schmendrick turns The Unicorn into a human. Molly yells at him.
A scene from Jey’s life when a friend got mad at them and yells at them with tears in her eyes.
Narration: Making people laugh.
A scene from the movie when Schmendrick is working as the King’s jester and is juggling.
A scene from Jey’s life, they’re making a big gesture with their arms and their grandfather laughs heartily.
Narration: Not being “conventionally attractive” but still finding love.
The last scene with Schmendrick in the movie, when he and Molly look on at The Unicorn together, smiling.
A matching panel with Jey and Max leaning in close together and smiling.
Page 5
Narration: I know JUST what this is now!
An explosion happens around Jey, as the characters they love are flying out around them. Jey is excited!
Text on just a blue background
Narration: It wasn’t the unicorn. It wasn’t a crush. It was always—
Jey points at the TV screen and exclaims “GENDER GOALS” as the final scene between The Unicorn and Schmendrick happens. The Unicorn says “You are a true wizard now, as you always wished. Does it make you happy?”
Max giggles and says “Oh, you’re so right~”
Schmendrick responds “Well, men don’t always know when they’re happy. But I think so.
Gender Goals by Jey Pawlik was transcribed by Jey Pawlik on February 25th, 2026
“Gender Goals” a comic by Jey Pawlik, is done in mint greens and choppy black lineart.
Narration: As a kid I watched The Last Unicorn a LOT.
A young Jey with long hair is sitting in front of an old CRT TV watching The Last Unicorn. On the screen The Unicorn ponders “What do men know? Because they have seen no unicorns for a while does not mean that we have all vanished. We do not vanish. There has never been a time without unicorns.” The TV scenes are done in a cool blue colour with a static texture overlayed on top.
Jey’s mum pokes her head in with a “!!” and is excited about this development. She flutters around little Jey and says “OH! You’re watching the unicorn movie again? Something CUTE?! Something GIRLY?! Ohhh~ I’m so happy!” much to little Jey’s annoyance. The background behind them has turned from Jey’s usual green to purple with a floral pattern.
Narration: But it wasn’t the unicorn I liked best.
The movie now shows The Unicorn and Schmendrick the Magician walking together. The Unicorn says “You may come with me if you like. Though I wish you’d asked for some other reward for having freed me.”
Schmendrick responds “Well, I thought about it. But you could never have granted my true wish.”
The Unicorn says “No. I cannot turn you into something you are not. I cannot turn you into a true magician.”
Page 2
Narration: There was just something about him.
A close-up of Schmendrick as he speaks in the movie “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it.” Showcasing Schmendrick’s big hook nose, droopy eyes, and wobbly jaw.
Narration: I just didn’t know what it was.
Little Jey has stars in their eyes against a blue background. Stars hang around Jey as they watch for Schmendrick.
Jey’s mum comes in with a knowing smile and sends waves of unicorn merch, dresses, toys, posters, books and more into the room. The waves, that resemble unicorns themselves, wash little Jey away as their mum says “I know just what this is! My beautiful little girl is finally embracing her cute girly side with UNICORNS! UNIIICORNS!” a reference to the movie itself. The background is a pastel purple.
Little Jey is covered in various unicorn paraphernalia and looks disheveled and shocked while their mum leans in and says “You should try on the unicorn dress I bought for you, heart emoji” Jey’s mum is circled by a purple floral pattern.
Jey’s mum pulls up the blue coloured VHS of The Last Unicorn and says “Oh! Let’s watch it together this time!”. The purple floral pattern being ever stronger as Jey looks on from the foreground.
Little Jey pouts under the pile of unicorn merch.
They get up and leave their mum, unicorns and TV behind them while saying “No.” A dark shadow over them, in a “this eight-year-old is having strong feelings but isn’t sure what” kind of way.
Narration: I stopped watching after that.
Page 3
Narration: As I grew older, I’d continue to latch on to similar kinds of boys.
Jey walking towards the right and getting older with each iteration of themselves. A blue static is overlayed behind them showing characters that Jey liked a lot but wasn’t sure why. We see: Naruto, Sora, Izzy, Lucas, Bolin, Hiccup, Stanford Pines, Sans, Greg Universe, Porco Rosso, Snufkin, and Samwise Gamgee.
Narration: I found them comforting.
Narration: They could make mistakes.
Hiccup is shown holding on to Toothless with a worried expression.
Narration: Make people laugh.
Greg has his arm around Steven as both laugh together.
Narration: They weren’t “conventionally attractive” but they were still loved.
Frodo kissing the top of Sam’s head who’s crying.
An early 20-year-old Jey is pulled in by their friends at the time. One friend says “I know just what this is! You like-like him~ Got a big ol’ crush!
With another friend saying “You want to marry him!”
Jey is surprised over a pink background filled with hearts.
Jey walks away pondering this. They say “Is that it? I guess it makes sense. What else could it be?” as their friends continue chatting about love in the background, with floating hearts all around them, and little heart falling off of Jey’s shoulder.
Page 4
Narration: But something still pulled on me for years after. Telling me that wasn’t it.
Jey, now in their mid to late-20s, ponders this while over a background that’s shifting from the pink to a blue.
Narration: Maybe it was time for a re-watch.
Max, Jey’s partner, asks “What movie should we watch tonight?” and Jey responds with a “!!”
Narration: Then, it finally dawned on me.
The two get cozy on a couch together with big pillows, blankets and bowls of popcorn. The lighting is blue over the mint greens. A modern TV is in the foreground while the opening of The Last Unicorn plays “Music emoji, When the last eagle flies Music emoji”
Narration: Being allowed to make mistakes.
A scene from the movie after Schmendrick turns The Unicorn into a human. Molly yells at him.
A scene from Jey’s life when a friend got mad at them and yells at them with tears in her eyes.
Narration: Making people laugh.
A scene from the movie when Schmendrick is working as the King’s jester and is juggling.
A scene from Jey’s life, they’re making a big gesture with their arms and their grandfather laughs heartily.
Narration: Not being “conventionally attractive” but still finding love.
The last scene with Schmendrick in the movie, when he and Molly look on at The Unicorn together, smiling.
A matching panel with Jey and Max leaning in close together and smiling.
Page 5
Narration: I know JUST what this is now!
An explosion happens around Jey, as the characters they love are flying out around them. Jey is excited!
Text on just a blue background
Narration: It wasn’t the unicorn. It wasn’t a crush. It was always—
Jey points at the TV screen and exclaims “GENDER GOALS” as the final scene between The Unicorn and Schmendrick happens. The Unicorn says “You are a true wizard now, as you always wished. Does it make you happy?”
Max giggles and says “Oh, you’re so right~”
Schmendrick responds “Well, men don’t always know when they’re happy. But I think so.
Gender Goals by Jey Pawlik was transcribed by Jey Pawlik on February 25th, 2026
