The first queer character in Discworld (before all the trans characters in
Monstrous Regiment) was the footnote in
Jingo about Mr Harris from the Blue Cat club, whom Mrs Palm argued for admitting on the grounds that “unnatural acts is only natural, after all.” (Although it can be argued that the dwarfs are
most of where Pterry puts what he says about gender: moving from transmasculine as an assumed base state to ciswomen
The footnotes are terrific.
Pratchett uses direct address to great effect, especially when he footnotes the footnotes.
“Lancre’s standing[2] army[1]
[1]Shawn Ogg
[2]Except when he was lying down.”
And the extended joke about the speed of succession to the monarchy as particle physics—“kingons, or possibly queons, unless they strike an anti-particle or republicon”—“but this argument by the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle was never developed, because at this point the bar closed…”