Hang on. Is the question, “Is Jeph going to write a story-arc where Claire being trans is an important plot point,” or is it, “Is Jeph going to tell us if Claire has a dick or not?” Because those are entirely different questions.
OTOH, some people just aren’t very good at giving blowjobs and handjobs. Trust me, I’ve dated them. If you’re a penis-owner dating someone like that and penetration were not an option, that could, um, suck.
This is a comic that is in part about sexual relationships between the characters. What type of sex they are having is a natural point in issue for the audience - pretending it isn’t is a bit of an absurdity; and worse - needlessly coy.
It isn’t as if the audience for this particular comic is going to clutch its collective pearls in dismay, whatever the answer may be.
[quote=“Malthus, post:1539, topic:535967”]
Reminds me somewhat of the classic Fleisher cartoon “Barnacle Bill”.
Bimbo (as Barnacle Bill) and Betty are in a room with the curtains drawn; the neighbours are seen gossiping; the curtains draw back - to show them playing checkers. 
I’m waiting for the analog to this strip (which obviously is never going to happen):
Voice 1: “Your eyes are amazing.”
Voice 2: “Hee, so are yours.”
Voice 2: “…what now?”
Voice 1: “Your dick is amazing, too.”
Voice 2: "I know, right? Ever since I was 14, it’s been like, ‘damn, girl!’ "
Squeegee said most of it. The other point is that if all someone cared about was an orgasm, they wouldn’t have to date anyone to get that.
Now, THAT would be funny.
I’d say it’s in part about the romantic relationships between the characters - which necessarily includes sex, of course, what with this being the 21st century and all, but actual bedroom antics have very rarely been a part of the strip - squeegee’s link is about as explicit as it gets. We do not, for example, know if Tai uses a strap-on on Dora, or if Faye takes it up the ass from Angus. I don’t see why we should expect that sort of detail from Claire and Martin’s relationship.
Are we reading the same comic strip? 
Sex jokes are a staple. What about the sex-obsessed robot and his recently-seen running robotic dildo?
Sure, we are not explicitly shown raunchy sex - but making the whole topic tabu for one character strikes me as unnecessary. It is, as I noted, coy.
Note we are not talking about exact techniques here or anything. It’s not like the comic would ever make an anal sex joke.
http://questionablecontent.net./view.php?comic=2615
I’m not saying the strip doesn’t make jokes about sex, nor am I saying the strip won’t ever make sex jokes involving Claire. I’m saying that the specific mechanics of what the characters do in bed is generally not something the comic goes into much detail about, and whether Claire has a penis or a vagina is exactly that kind of specific mechanic. I’m sure at some point we’ll have a comic with Martin and Claire* in bed together, under the covers, either pre- or post-coital, with some punch line related to the fact that either just had or are about to have sex. I don’t see any particular necessity to know the status of Claire’s junk for that joke to happen.
*Twice now, I’ve mistyped that as “Martin in Claire.” Freudian much?
I should think that, as Marten has been portrayed as straight-an-arrow throughout the run of the comic, what Claire might have under the hood may have some relevancy. It seems to me that in a relationship between an apparently hetero man and a trans-woman, the issue of her sexual characteristics would probably matter. Maybe a little, or more than a little, but I think it needs addressing. Unless Marten makes mention of a past dalliance with a man, which I think would neatly deflect such a discussion, though it would be a bit boring.
His dad’s openly gay, his mum’s a retired dominatrix, and he has no problem talking to either of them about it. I doubt unconventional sexuality of any sort would overly bother him.
This topic of conversation is… odd, for want of a better word. Are people really thinking that anything other than penis in vagina sex is somehow unusual or noteworthy? Brings a whole new meaning to “Straight Dope”, I guess.
I don’t think it’s that. I think that it would be perfectly normal to want to know what organs your partner is sporting, even if it supposedly doesn’t change how you feel about them. Avoiding the whole thing in-comic seems a bit artificial.
That said, I can roll with it. It’s just a comic. My own personal eye-roll came from Jeph saying that it’s “none of your business” in regards to a fictitious character who has no “business” one way or the other on account of them being imaginary.
Yes, precisely.
Marten and Claire are going to have sex. Jeph is going to make that clear. But, since QC is not a pornographic comic, the only way her genital status will come up in that is if Marten and Claire have their discussion about limits and desires on panel.
Which they won’t, because 1) Jeph’s never shown that on panel before, despite Marten and Claire not being the first couple that needs to discuss it (all of them SHOULD have, but non-kinky cisgender mixed-sex couples have an easy default); 2) he wants to avoid putting his foot in it, and it’d be way too easy for him to do so if he did write the scene; 3) those discussions are boring as shit to people who aren’t involved with the sex that’s about to happen…hell, they’re boring as shit to people who are (to the point that some people are more willing to risk committing sexual assault than to have them), they’re just something that needs to be gotten out of the way.
You’d be surprised at how many completely straight guys don’t mind a dick on their girlfriend.
Well, yeah, but unless you’re going to be sleeping with Marten or Claire, that doesn’t affect you. I strongly suspect that’s the point Jeph is making by not talking about it - that if you happen to know someone who’s trans, then their genitalia is none of your business unless they choose to make it so. To my recollection, we don’t know the genital configuration of any of the characters, so talking about Claire’s would be a break from tradition, and would support the idea that discussing trans people’s bits in a way you wouldn’t with cis people’s is acceptable.
Now I have to say it: are we reading the same comic? Marten is not at all relaxed around his mother, especially in any conversation about sex - involving her career or otherwise.
That said, I tend to agree with you that the concept of people doing any of these things wouldn’t bother him, but the idea of himself doing some of them certainly might.
So he’s drawn the line at boy-girl buttsex already, which has a certain relevance here, even fairly unremarkable as hetero-anal is. Sure he looks pretty comfortable, but it assumes a lot that he’ll stay that way. As I said, we’re obviously not going to witness that conversation, but Claire and Marten would certainly have it. There’s absolutely nothing more personal than sex.
I don’t know that Jeph is actively trying to make that point, so much as he’s the kind of guy for whom that’s the default assumption, and is really weirded out by people who think it is appropriate to bring it up.
As someone who’s dated a few transsexuals, that’s pretty much how it goes. Asking a transperson what they’ve got in their pants is just about the surest way to guarantee you’ll never find out. If you’re going to date a transperson, you just have to accept that you’re basically in a Schroedinger’s Crotch situation. You don’t know what you’re going to find until you get to third base, the wave-form collapses, and you find out if there’s a pussy or not.
I don’t recall suggesting it would. To be accepting and understanding of the fluid nature of gender and sexuality is one thing, as it pertains to others. Where he stands on that spectrum is another matter. And to the story, that’s of some little consequence.
[QUOTE=Miller]
You’d be surprised at how many completely straight guys don’t mind a dick on their girlfriend.
[/QUOTE]
What makes you assume that?
Trying to use logic to determine someone’s fetishes vs squicks is a risky endeavor, prone to failure.