Tag Archives: Transgender

Hilary Swank Says There is a ‘Long Way to Go’ on Transgender Acceptance

Hilary Swank has spoken up recently about her portrayal of a transgender male in the 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry.

Swank was largely unknown when she starred in the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a trans man who was beaten, raped and murdered by his male acquaintances after they discovered he was transgender.

During an appearance on Thursday’s all-new Meredith Vieira Show, Swank was asked about the progress made for the transgender community since the film’s release.

I think we have taken strides since that movie, like you said 15 years ago. We have a long way to go. It’s astonishing to me that we are here in 2015 and there are so many issues that need to be looked at and handled and we shouldn’t dictate who people should love.”

Swank has been a proud supporter of LGBT rights for many years. In fact, she recently received the GLAAD award and Outfest award for her work in the famous film.

When asked if she ever expected the movie to spur so much conversation, she would have to say no.

I had no idea. If I had known that at the time, I probably would have collapsed from the enormous responsibility of that,”. “It was an enormous responsibility just to play someone who had lived and been murdered so brutally and whose life was taken short because of their choice of whom to love.”

In a world filled with many more issues, Swank argues that Americans should spend their time on far more important causes instead of preventing equal rights for the LGBT community.

Let people love people and let’s focus on what truly needs looked at and help homeless people, homeless pets, sick people. Look at the rest of the world, let’s focus on those things.”

SeX.ED 101 | WTF Is Gender?

Gender (n.) – the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones).

What does it mean to be a woman or man? Whether we are women or men is not determined just by our sex organs. Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics. How do you act, talk, and behave like a woman or man? Are you feminine or masculine, both, or neither? These are questions that help us get to the core of our gender and gender identity.

Watch | A Trans Teen’s Powerful Speech To His Classmates About His Transition

Tom-Sosnik-02Moved by the recent death of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn, 13-year-old Tom Sosnik of Fresno, California stood before his classmates earlier this month to announce that he is transgender.

“I am no longer ‘Mia.’ I never really was. And now I finally stand before you in my true and authentic gender identity as Tom. I stand before you as a 13-year-old boy.”

Tom Sosnik

 

Tom also told classmates that if any of them were struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity, he was there for them.

He then added; ‘I went through a series of horrible breakdowns. And I would stand under the water in the shower crying. I knew I wasn’t happy. He also took some time to let other students know if they were struggling with their sexual identity or orientation, he was there for them.

“I want you to know that if no one else accepts you, I always will.”

Tom Sosnik

Sweden Adds Gender-Neutral Pronoun to Dictionary

Editors at the Swedish Academy have announced that the official dictionary of the Swedish language will introduce a gender-neutral pronoun in April, .

“Hen” will be added to “han” (he) and “hon” (she) as one of 13,000 new words in the latest edition of the Swedish Academy’s SAOL.

The pronoun is used to refer to a person without revealing their gender – either because it is unknown, because the person is transgender, or the speaker or writer deems the gender to be superfluous information.

“For those who use the pronoun, it’s obviously a strength that it is now in the dictionary.”

Sture Berg, editor

The word “hen” was coined in the 1960s when the ubiquitous use of “han” (he) became politically incorrect, and was aimed at simplifying the language and avoiding the clumsy “han/hon” (s/he) construction. It is a combination of “han” and the female pronoun “hon”. However, it never gained widespread use until recently.

The Swedish trans community began using it, and pushing for its wider use, in the early 2000s. It now can be found in use in educational and legal documents.

It can now be found in official texts, court rulings, media texts and books, and has begun to lose some of its feminist-activist connotation.

The Swedish Academy’s dictionary is updated every 10 years. New entries are determined by their frequency and relevance.

The new edition goes on sale on 15 April.

Why We Need Transgender Pronouns

A person’s gender is always valid. Even if you don’t understand.

When we we use pronouns like “she” or “he” to identify a person, we might be making an assumption about that person’s gender that differs from their preferred gender identity. Some people express their gender identity ambiguously, meaning you might not know which pronoun to use just by looking at them and have to make an assumption. For other people, appearances can be deceiving– even people who clearly look to be one gender may identify as a different gender than you would assume. When someone has a different gender identity than you would assume that means a different pronoun.

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Queer Appeal | The Best LGBT Films From Sundance 2015

So, we’re now well-and-truly into the new year, heavily into award season, and the start of the film festival circuits around the world. This year’s festival had a lot to offer the LGBT moviegoer.

The star-studded week-long festival screened almost 120 films. Among the genres that were presented, the LGBT category seemed to grow in strength from the previous year. From documentaries on Larry Kramer and Tig Notaro, to an ex-gay drama starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto to a Lily Tomlin playing her first leading role in a film in 27 years.

Below are some titles that have queer appeal, so we suggest you keep a lookout for them throughout the year.

Grandma

2015 is the year of Lily Tomlin. With a new Netflix TV show with Jane Fonda and awarded by the Kennedy Centre, she is back. Grandma, is a great story. Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin) has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a daylong journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.

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Cast: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, Sam Elliott.
Director and screenwriter: Paul Weitz

The Summer of Sangaile

Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, near her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love the only person who truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė.

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Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté

Girlhood

Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys’ law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom.

Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma

The Amina Profile

During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian-American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSMKXg0qSpU

Director: Sophie Deraspe

Beaver Trilogy Part IV

A chance meeting in a parking lot in 1979 between filmmaker Trent Harris and a young man from Beaver, Utah, inspired the creation of an underground film that is now known as Beaver Trilogy. But the film itself is only part of the story.

Director: Brad Besser

I Am Michael

The controversial true story of a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor.

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Director: Justin Kelly
Cast: James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Emma Roberts.
Screenwriters: Justin Kelly, Stacey Miller

It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise

This portrait of Hilary Knight, the artist behind the iconic Eloise books, sees him reflecting on his life as an illustrator and his relationship to his most successful work. The film also premieres March 23 on HBO.

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Director: Matt Wolf

Larry Kramer in Love and Anger

Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.

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Director: Jean Carlomusto

The Mask You Live In

Is there a “boy crisis” in America? Is our male population suffering due to our emphasis on power, dominance, and aggression? The Mask You Live In explores how our narrow definition of masculinity is harming our boys, men, and society at large and unveils what we can do about it.

Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Dope

Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek to being dope to ultimately being himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT3tHzqmkng

Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa

Nasty Baby

A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigate the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt.

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Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O’Hare.
Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva

The Royal Road

This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican-American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjTj4WN46dA

Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner.
Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson

Tig

This documentary explores comedian Tig Notaro’s extraordinary journey as her life unfolds in grand and unexpected ways, all while she is battling a life-threatening illness and falling in love.

Sundance-2015-07

Directors: Kristina Goolsby, Ashley York
Screenwriter: Jennifer Arnold

Coach Shannon Beiste Shares His Decision to Transition in Glee’s New in Groundbreaking Storyline

Fox’s Glee has been no stranger to LGB storylines, and but in a new episode they look to finally cover the T.

In a new episode, viewers of the series learned William McKinley High School’s football coach Shannon Beiste, played by three-time Emmy nominee Dot Marie Jones, is transitioning from female to male.

The football coach shared with school principal Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and assistant football coach Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet) that he has gender dysphoria – the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe people who identify as transgender.

Dot-Marie-Jones-Coach-Beiste

In a moving monologue, Beiste explained that her transition wasn’t about who she wanted to go to bed with but who she wanted to go to bed as. She then explained that she’d be having surgery to remove her breasts and begin taking testosterone as Glee kicked off a story that will see her character over the course of the season see Shannon become Sheldon.

“I’ve felt like this my whole life. Growing up I was really confused – I thought I was just a tomboy. No matter what I did, I never felt at home in my own skin. I never felt like my body matched who I was in the inside. I’ve got to do this for my own peace of mind, I’ve got to get my body in alignment with how I see myself.”

Sylvester, naturally, gets a few zingers in: ‘When you think about it, it’s not that big of a stretch.’

But even the normally heartless Sylvester shows she has a heart when she tells Beiste that his job will be waiting for her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aq-lQKj45I

Cucumber, Banana, and Tofu – 3 Interconnected LGBT Shows Across 3 Different Channels

Watch the trailer for Russell T Davies (creator of ‘Queer as Folk’) new three-fold LGBT themed series ‘Cucumber’, ‘Banana’ and ‘Tofu’.

Both shows are set in Manchester and will focus on interweaving characters from different generations. The series looks to explore “the passions and pitfalls of 21st century gay life”, telling gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender stories, as well as love beyond labels.

The shows were co-produced by Channel 4 and will air in the UK next week. There are also plans to air the show in US in early 2015 on Logo TV.

Cucumber and Banana are two original drama series. Cucumber follows 46-year-old Henry and his long-term boyfriend Lance in the aftermath of “the worst date night in history” and will air on Channel 4.

While ‘Banana’ follows the lives of ‘Cucumber’s younger characters in more detail, will be shown on E4 right after Cucumber airs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afASM_sXbl4#t=13

Tofu, meanwhile, is an online documentary series about sex and sexuality. This show will will be available online at 4OD.

This is Davies’s first work with Channel 4 since ‘Queer as Folk’ ended in 2000. He also worked on Doctor Who, and creating its spinoff shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Cucumber, Banana and Tofu begin in January 2015, starring Vincent Franklin, Cyril Nri, James Murray, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Rufus Hound and Freddie Fox.

 

Taiwan’s Trans Citizens No Longer Have to Undergo Surgery for Gender Recognition

The topic of reproductive organs in relation to gender has long been a thorny one. So to speak, your sex is defined by what’s between your legs and your gender is defined by what’s between your ears and the two are not mutually exclusive.

However, for many people this does not make sense. In part the belief that those with vaginas are female or that those with penises are male (and you cannot be those genders without the ‘appropriate’ parts) are fuelled by centuries of misunderstanding, along with modern uses of phrases like ‘lady parts’ or ‘man parts’ along with ‘comedy’ videos like this.

But gender and sex are more than just an ideological issues as they provide challenges for those looking to have their gender recognised. Taiwan is one of several recent countries to acknowledge these problems and have now overturned a 2008 administrative order in which trans citizens had to undergo an evaluation by two psychiatrists and have sex reassignment surgery to remove organs deemed by the order as “gender specific”.

The decision comes after pressure from Taiwanese advocates to allow all citizens to self-identity when it comes to their gender. In December 2013, the Ministry of Health and Welfare agreed with their argument and recommended to the Ministry of the Interior that trans* citizens shouldn’t have to jump through surgical hoops just to have their gender identity recognised.

This is a huge stepping stone not just because sex reassignment surgery can be both dangerous and expensive but because having your gender legally recognised is also massively important in terms of administration. For example, trans people can have difficulty in finding housing or employment and often face discrimination, violence and harassment too.

From now on, gender reassignments will be processed by a team of people that includes gender specialists, psychiatrists and and transgender representatives. The ideal goal for many people would just be ‘being granted gender recognition without requiring a committee to approve it first’ but this is a good step in the right direction regardless.

Take a Look at ‘Living Different’ – Oxygen’s New Docu-series About Inspiring Young Women

Oxygen’s has a new docu-series out called ‘Living Different’, which premiered this week.

Each week the show profiles inspiring young women “out to change the world by simply being themselves”, with the first episode, #LoveWithoutLabels, featuring two queer women and a trans man.

The episode feature Lizz, who came out to her very conservative Mexican Catholic family, but after her longtime partner Stacey begins transitioning to male, Lizz struggles with explaining their relationship to her mother.

The other lady featured was firefighter-turned-model Rain Dove who walks in both menswear and womenswear, and dates men and women. She struggles, however, with a lack of real acceptance from her father and, during the episode, she tries to reconnect with him.

Catch Living Different on Oxygen and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtags #LivingDifferent and #LoveWithoutLabels.

7 LGBT Festival Films That We Recommend You Watch Before the Year is Out

Film Festivals are about discovery, it’s where the slightly more niche and indie films go to get seen, and for critics to talk them up and tell the public why they should pay attention (even when big production companies or movie distributors haven’t).

That’s often the case for many LGBT films with many big budget publishers shying away from the queer content that many of us crave. Now we move into a new year, and take time out to see what queer related films caught our eyes.

Appropriate Behavior

Making cultural and ethnic identities the subject in this tale, Appropriate Behavior’s lead character, Shirin, must reconcile her identity as a ‘politically correct bisexual’, ‘a hip, young Brooklynite’ and ‘an ideal Persian daughter’ as she, like many young people, struggles to fit all of the pieces to her identity jigsaw together.

Desiree Akhavan is the familiar name behind the project having also picked up acclaim for The Slope, a lesbian webseries that she also worked on so, with plenty of budding talent behind it, Appropriate Behavior deserves more than the appropriate amount of interest.


 52 Tuesdays

When your mother reveals to you that she is trans* and is set to transition, that’s something that will certainly accelerate your maturity as your come to terms with such a huge decision. That’s what happens to 16 year old Billie in 52 Tuesdays as she not only has to be there for her mother as he transitions, but her time with him is also limited to Tuesdays, making it paramount for the mother-daughter duo to stay close.

Keeping within the film’s theme, the Australia-set movie was actually filmed across the course of a year as shooting took place every Tuesday. 52 Tuesdays was a big hit at Sundance, with director Sophie Hyde winning the ‘World Cinema Directing Award’ for her work.


I Love Your Work

If 52 Tuesdays’ filming schedule was somewhat peculiar then I Love Your Work’s is even more mind-boggling. Being made up of over 2000 10-second clips, I Love Your Work riffs off the popular saying that you might say to an actor or director of your favourite movie, only in this film, those movies happen to be porn. As an interactive documentary, the Jonathan Harris directed piece covers the private lives of 9 women who make lesbian porn with some describing Harris’ piece as “beautifully designed.”

Beautifully designed as it may be, I Love Your Work is also around 6 hours long, given the fact that footage was taken at 5 minute intervals over 10 consecutive days, but that perhaps provides a more accurate look at the day to day of the porn industry rather than a dramatised serial that someone wants to make headlines out of.


The Case Against 8

A documentary that is shot more in the traditional sense, The Case Against 8 as filmed across 5 years as those in California struggled to overturn Proposition 8, the law that saw the liberal-leaning state of California ban gay marriage. Before the ban, California did allow for gay marriage, with high profile couples like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi actually getting married just prior to the ban, which is why many saw it as ludicrous when Prop 8 actually passed.

As a result, The Case Against 8 is a phenomenal watch as it follows the team that took the first marriage equality case to the U.S Supreme Court in a move that has led the way for many couples to do the same and progress the same-gender marriage rights across the United States.


The Foxy Merkins

Also focusing on the topic of sex, but very much in a different way to that of I Love Your Work, The Foxy Merkins is based around two lesbian prostitutes in New York City. One of them, a newbie to the queer sex worker world and the other one, who is described as ‘an expert on picking up women’, make for a hugely hilarious pairing.

The Foxy Merkins is essentially a queer-centric buddy comedy that sees the two women meet a delightful selection of characters that you probably wouldn’t see in another film with a widespread release, needless to say, this film is refreshing.


The Skeleton Twins

Usually when a film centres on siblings who have fallen out or who have never gotten along, it takes something dramatic to bring them together and they end the film happily, reminiscing over the parts of their childhood that they actually liked. That’s very much the case of The Skeleton Twins but don’t expect it to be all smooth sailing.

As the film with the biggest amount of starpower on this list, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play twins Maggie and Milo (Milo’s ex boyfriend is played by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell) who have a reunion after they both ‘cheat death on the same day’. The fact that they actively confront the differences between them to fix their lives rather than passive aggressive behaviour or ridiculous pranks that usually take place in similarly themed movies may make for uncomfortable viewing but with a cast like that, The Skeleton Twins isn’t one to miss.


My Prairie Home

Another intriguing form of filmmaking, My Prairie Home is a documentary and a musical that is described as a ‘poetic journey’. Put in better terms, My Prairie Home is compiled of visual interpretations of trans* singer Rae Spoon’s music, all set with beautiful landscapes of Canadian prairies.

It’s easier to watch than it is to describe because the music can’t be put into many words but if you’d like something offbeat that will be a delight to your ears, check My Prairie Home out.

Emily Brothers, The UK’s First Trans Parliamentary Candidate

Things have changed massively in the past 14 years for the United Kingdom’s LGBT citizens. For example, same gender marriage is now legal in both England and Scotland and there are several anti-discrimination acts in place to protect LGBT people, whilst people are now able to legally change their gender on official documents and sex reassignment surgery can now be done via the NHS.

Yet despite these big moves, there is still much work to be done, particularly in terms of trans rights. To get a Gender Recognition Certificate not only do you have to have transitioned two years before applying, but you also have provide ‘supporting evidence’ for you GRC case, essentially forcing people into convincing the government about their identity.

There are also a great deal of misconceptions and intolerant opinions surrounding trans people. Looking to change those and champion trans rights in the process is Emily Brothers, a parliamentary candidate for labour who has just come out as trans.

Coming out in an interview with PinkNews, Brothers told the publication that,

“I don’t want to be somebody who has notoriety as having a transgender background, but I also believe it’s an experience that has value to it, that I can be a positive role model. For a lot of people of a transgender experience that can be very challenging but for me, it was absolutely the right thing to do. I am happy and content as a woman, and also as a gay woman.

There is vast under-representation of disabled people and people with transgender experience in public life, and there is of course vast under-representation of women in parliament, and that needs to change.”

As a politician, trans rights, disability rights and the NHS will be three of her main focus areas as not only is she both trans and disabled but she spent many years in hospitals as a child because of her condition (she lost her sight to glaucoma as a child) and understands the important and the need for free public healthcare. 

With Brothers now standing for parliament in Sutton and Cheam, a successful campaign will undoubtedly bring much needed diversity and a fresh way of thinking to Westminster. And with Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeting his support, saying that he is both “proud” of Brothers and noting that she has an “important voice” in Labour’s movement, it seems that she could bring real, significant change to UK politics.

Doctor Who’s Michelle Gomez On Her Character’s New Gender

Airing in the family friendly times-lot of 8PM on a Saturday night, the most recent series of Doctor Who were never really expected to push the boundaries. There was a always a risk that pushing the queer boat out would alienate parents convinced that LGBT content is not ‘wholesome’ enough for their child.

Yet, against all odds, Doctor Who has been an unlikely source of queerness. Not only is John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness ‘omnisexual’ (he has loved across all genders and species, apparently) but Madame Vastra and her wife Jenny are a same-gender married couple who are touted as fan favourites.

Recently, the show also did some good for trans viewers when it introduced Missy. Missy (formerly the Master) was always the male antagonist to the titular Doctor and now Michelle Gomez, the actress who plays her, has discussed what it means.

Michelle-Gomez-01

In an interview with Gay Times Magazine, Gomez explained,

“The thing is is that with casting me and having this face, you never really know whether I’m a man or a woman anyway. You just pop a bit of red lipstick on me and I’m sort of Paul O’Grady’s love child.

We still don’t know whether Missy is the Master or the Master is Missy or whether I actually do have an enormous… [looks down] or not. Maybe I am packing. We just don’t know do we, really? That’s something between my husband and I.”

Michelle Gomez

There’s no denying that Gomez’ words are offensive – equating gender with genitalia is incorrect – but they also highlight a concern about Missy’s portrayal.

During the interview, GT also asked Gomez if she anticipated the trans positive reaction to her character to which she replied “You mean did I know I was going to be the Master? [laughs]” seeming to sidestep the question altogether. Going off of this there is a possibility that Missy being female was never meant to be a big deal or was never meant to be seen as trans at all (rather, it was just meant to be a new step in the Master’s lifetime that just happened to be female).

That will be further disappointment to Doctor Who’s trans fans though as GT notes that the actress is “definitely tongue-in-cheek” maybe the smallest glimmer of hope remains.

‘Boys Meets Girl’ is a Queer, Trans-Inclusive Love Story

Girl has boyfriend, girl meets girl, two girls become friends and they eventually fall for each other. Think that’s another example of that queer movie trope? Think again as both girls turn out to be bisexual and one of the women is actually transgender.

That’s the plot of ‘Boy Meets Girl’, a hilarious upcoming indie.

http://vimeo.com/95299762

Starring Ricky Jones (played by trans woman Michelle Hendley) as a twenty-something fashion blogger in Kentucky, Ricky soon meets rich girl Francesca who, after moving back from boarding school has bagged herself a Marine with issues as her fiancé. As the story goes, Ricky and Francesca strike up a friendship and despite having only ever dated boys, the relationship between the two women soon develops into something more.

Having been wheeled out at a recent spate of queer film fests, ‘Boy Meets Girl’ has received rave reviews. Not only does the film provide a refreshing take on gender identity (Ricky’s identity as a trans woman is discussed but the people in her rural town are accepting and it’s not really a big deal), it also deals with bisexuality well.

As well as addressing bisexuality, ‘Boy Meets Girls’ tackles the idea that sexuality is fluid, with none of the creepy biphobia or sudden gay awakenings that we’ve come to see from other queer media including ‘Glee’ and ‘Imagine Me and You’.

Furthermore, ‘Boy Meets Girl’ is also breaking ground by casting a trans actress in a trans role (and in starring the character as the lead). As has been discussed on the blog, this is a startling rarity so the fact that director Eric Schaeffer has also said the following is music to the ears:

“I also wanted to make sure every moment of this story rang true and was never false. Doing a lot of research in the transgender community taught me a tremendous amount and taught me there are many differing viewpoints within that community about certain issues. Having a transgender actress play the part made me feel confident that while the story could not reflect every transgender woman’s experience, at least I would not be making up an experience from my imagination that was not vetted by a transgender woman so I could make sure it was at least germane and authentic to her experience and therefore valid.”

Eric Schaeffer

‘Boy Meets Girl’ is set to be released next year, so we’ll keep you posted once we know more.

Why Is Hollywood So Bad at Casting Trans Actors as Trans Characters?

In terms of numbers, movies and TV shows are improving when it comes to LGBT characters. But while there are plenty more LGBT characters on our screens (both big and small) there are some glaring issues with their portrayal that stick out like a sore, offensive thumb.

Namely, there’s the fact that the majority of the LGBT characters we see are white, bisexuals either don’t exist or are promiscuous harlots and transgender characters are commonly robbed of their own storylines in favour of being on the end of some unfortunate transphobic jokes.

And, when trans characters do get their own stories, it’s rarely done right. There’s also the fact that time and time again, we are seeing what few trans characters we have be portrayed by cisgendered actors and actresses, which is disrespectful to the identities that they are portraying and disrespectful to the many trans actors who’ve been denied a chance of fame.

In this vein, the films that come to mind are ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ (Hilary Swank played a trans man), ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ (Jared Leto played a trans woman), ‘TransAmerica’ (Felicity Huffman played a trans woman) and upcoming films ‘The Danish Girl’ (Eddie Redmayne plays a trans woman) and ‘Three Generations’ (Elle Fanning plays a trans man). The fact that these films are just the tip of the iceberg – is absolutely shocking.

Worse still is that not only are these opportunities for the visibility of trans actors essentially being gifted into the hands of cisgendered actors, the movies themselves often have serious issues. For example, both Huffman and Leto received high praise for their roles (Leto even won an Oscar) but these are movies where little to no respect is giving to the trans characters.

The official synopsis for TransAmerica literally calls Huffman’s character “transsexual” whilst Leto’s character Rayon is constantly misgendered and disrespected throughout the film and at one point the lead character even suggests using a gun to give Rayon a sex change.

Arguably, cisgendered actors are not the only piece of the problematic puzzle but they are an example of Hollywood’s failures.

Much in the same way that you wouldn’t expect a white person to understand what it’s like to face all of hardships and micro-aggressions of a racist society, you shouldn’t expect cisgendered actors, directors and producers to be completely clued in on how to portray trans characters. This is not necessarily their fault(s) but it can and should be rectified by working with trans actors, filmmakers and consultants.

A good example of this is Transparent. Transparent airs on Amazon Instant (and therefore isn’t included in the statistic that .001% of the 796 broadcast series regulars are transgender) but it features cisgendered male actor Jeffrey Tambor in the lead role.

However, not only is Tambor’s character Maura supported by best friend Davina (who is a trans woman played by trans actor Alexandra Billings), but it features trans man Dale (also played by a trans actor) as a potential love interest for Maura’s daughter too. And, the show itself was made by creator Jill Soloway because of her own experience of having a trans parent and Soloway also made the decision to hire trans staffers for behind the camera work too.

So if Transparent can get it right (along with Orange is the New Black, which features TWOC inmate Sophia Burset) why can’t others? The main reason for this is clear – using trans stories for dramatic effect is bold and gains awards but hiring trans actors to actually play those roles is considerably risky.

Many point out that unlike with same sex relationships, there is little voyeuristic quality to displaying trans lives and characters. Questioning your gender or dealing with body dysphoria does not – for straight, cisgendered audiences at least – have the same pull as ‘two girls fall in love and make out a whole bunch in the process’. But shouldn’t we be asking for these stories to be presented for the sake of awareness and not whatever cishets think?

Absolutely. It could be pushed that the huge success of OITNB and Transparent can be attributed to the fact that they are good shows and gain from having trans characters rather than including them at their detriment. Looking at the roster of trans-related media out there: The T Word, Laverne Cox’s documentary on trans youth, ex-Navy SEAL Kristen Beck’s memoir about her transition (which became a best seller) and Tyra Banks is also putting together a trans docu of her own, it’s apparent that there is an appetite for hearing these stories. For their actual value and not for creepy, intrusive reasons either.

Could we see more trans characters – and with them, trans actors – in the future?

Demand determines everything in Hollywood and as executives look at what’s selling (queer stories) there’s good chance that they will ‘buck the trend’ and produce some good results in the process. That might seem a little optimistic but as traditional and TV movies look to compete with the inclusive shows on Netflix and Amazon Instant, it’s more than a little bit possible.

Cross your fingers and watch this space.

Doctor Who Introduces Trans Female Character

Despite being one of the longest television shows in history (having aired since 1963), Doctor Who has been unable to shake off its core problems. For example, the show has for a very long time come under fire for its treatment of women, as many feel that it’s unfair that a woman hasn’t been given the chance to be the lead as the Doctor. Always the bridesmaid, never the white, male and cisgendered bride, so to speak.

The show also does little in terms of queer characters. John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness was decidedly queer, like the actor himself, and most recently Madame Vastra and her wife Jenny caused a small minority to file OFCOM complaints (yes, they were that disgruntled) when they two shared an incredibly chaste kiss in a Saturday DW episode.

Furthermore, the show has also hinted at the not so heterosexual identity of Clara Oswald (current companion, former Dalek in one episode) even appearing to make her flirt with another woman, but the show hasn’t really followed through.

It’s a contentious issue then; Doctor Who trying to keep up with the times but not alienating the tiny portion of its user base that it is (seemingly) ignorant and especially vocal. But, we took giant step forwards in queer representation last week when Doctor Who introduced a trans female character to the show.

For some time, a character called the Master has plagued the Doctor. The only other Time Lord in existence besides the titular character, the two have never got on. The Master has also always been male until last week when the Master showed up as female character, the ‘Mistress’, asking to be called ‘Missy’ for short.

But, as any rumbling in one of the biggest shows on the planet will do, we are now having to ask some important questions. Namely, does the Mistress count as ‘trans’ and does this mean that the titular Time Lord will be female at some point too?

Well to tackle the tricky topic of Time Lord labelling (try saying that ten times fast) the Mistress could be interpreted as a trans character because the literal meaning means to move from one gender to another. The Master was male, the Mistress is female and they are the same person albeit with a different gender identity, so naturally, trans is the label that everybody is prescribing.

However, Time Lords regenerate. They can change face, gender or race when they die – although we have only seen the main Time Lord as white and male – and this is how the BBC has kept the show running with new actors playing the Doctor for the past five decades.

Arguably, gender fluid would be a better label for the Mistress, assuming that she will transition back in a future regeneration or just acknowledging the fact that she can. And, even though she might not be trans (again, this is depending on your definition) the fact that the Beeb is demonstrating that changing your gender identity is perfectly normal is at least a good message to put out there.
As for the topic of a female Doctor, Doctor Who showrunner Stephen Moffat told Digital Spy that “It’s absolutely narratively possible [that the Doctor could be a woman] and when it’s the right decision, maybe we’ll do it. It didn’t feel right to me, right now. I didn’t feel enough people wanted it.”

Yes, after casting not one, or two but four white men as the role of the Doctor since 2005, Moffat says that not enough people are banging down his front door for a female Doctor. He probably sits in his living room with ear defenders on, then.

But still it does pave the way – or at least put an order in for the paving slabs – for a female Doctor to happen in the future. Whilst Moffat wasn’t listening, plenty of people were vocal enough when the new Doctor was announced that they wanted him to be of colour, a woman or maybe even both.

It’s a long shot then and if I was a betting woman I’d say that we’d see a more diverse protagonist in one more regen or two. Even that seems optimistic but without a TARDIS to hand, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

Laverne Cox Unveils Trailer for Her Upcoming Transgender Documentary on MTV

Laverne Cox has unveiled the first trailer for her new her hour-long documentary exploring transgender issues, which will be a collaboration with MTV.

She says:

“We live in a world where people are often judged for being different, but this is a celebration of those differences – as well as how we’re the same.

We’ll follow the courageous lives of young trans people, from the moment of realisation to dating, family and the often-dangerous obstacles they faced on the path to self-discovery. For many of us, the ‘T’ in LGBT means more than transgender.

It also means truth. The cast members in this documentary are fearlessly living their truths and in sharing their stories will send the message to other trans youth that it’s OK to be who you are.”

Laverne Cox

Cox is the highest profile transgender actress in the US, and recently made history as the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy award, though she ultimately lost out to Orange is the New Black co-star Uzo Aduba.

The T Word is set to broadcast on MTV in the US on Friday, October 17. A UK broadcast date is yet to be confirmed.

Cox is also set to appear in the second season of MTV’s lesbian drama Faking It.

Boys Wear Skirts to School in Protest After Trans Classmate Is Fined for Doing the Same – #VouDeSaia

Being a young person in school can be difficult at the best of times. There’s the pressure of having high grades, trying to maintain a personal life during exam season and then there’s the realization that adulthood (and the responsibility that goes with it) is soon approaching. Stressful stuff. But, for transgender student Maria Muniz, things got so much more so when her school, Colégio Pedro II in Brazil, decided to fine her for wearing a skirt to school.

However, thanks to some ingenious thinking by her classmates, Colégio Pedro II may be backtracking. The decision to fine Muniz was made due to the school’s harsh dress code. While the original fine was certainly unfortunate, her classmates took it upon themselves to protest the ruling the only way they felt fit…by wearing skirts to school themselves.

Both boys and girls at the school decided to show up in skirts which caused officials to change their minds. Speaking to Brazilian publication Globo, they say that they are considering relaxing the dress code.

Not only that, but following the protest the school posted an image of the students in their skirts to Twitter which became popular on the site and saw users tweet using the hashtag #VouDeSaia in support, which translates as ‘I’ll Get By’.

Muniz also adds that “for me, wearing a skirt was about expressing my freedom over who I am inside and not how society sees me, I am really happy about the way my classmates supported me and hope it serves as an example to others to feel encouraged to do the right thing. I was always taught at school to accept who you are. I am only trying to live that.” So even if the dress code hasn’t been fully repealed (yet), Muniz’ fine has at least been overturned so it sounds like their protest paid off.

Being Trans in Brazil: Prejudice and Murder

Summer brought a glitter ball of worldwide Pride events, and in Brazil they held the biggest Pride going. However looking past the partying, we sometimes forget about the day-to-day bravery of transgender people, and the discrimination they face.

Our world has yet to take those accepting steps towards equality, and finally turn its back on discrimination. In ‘accepting’ LGBT countries, the murder of trans women is still rising, and in Brazil abuse is a daily occurrence.

In Brazil there is no word for transgender people – it is just ‘transvestite’, which is also the word used to discriminate against trans women.

Although Brazil has laws in place to protect the trans community, in practice people say and do otherwise. Trans women are freely ridiculed in the media, and in TV ‘novellas’, the nations favorite viewing, they are stereotyped as a comedy fool or street prostitute.

This prejudice doesn’t stop there, it runs deep. Families often see trans family members as a disgrace, leaving them without support and homes. The educational system and foster homes discriminate as well.

According to Grupo Gay da Bahia, every two days a LGBT person is brutally murdered in Brazil. According to the statistics only 2% of these attackes were aimed at lesbians. Most of them are on trans people.

The problem is that people do not report such crimes. In general Brazil’s police is rather weak in the face of the large scale of crimes and corruption, as well as their own prejudices. In fact, a large amount of hate crimes in Brazil are initiated by the police. This often prevents people from reporting them at all.

The largest crime committed is rape of lesbian women. If the woman comes forward the crime will never be seen as homophobia, but solely as rape by definition.

The truth is, Brazil is far less accepting than people think. The law may seem friendly, but people continue to discriminate and commit hate crimes again the LGBT community.

10 Questions to Never Ask a Transgender Person by Laura Jane Grace

Laura Jane Grace is an American musician best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!.

Grace came out as a transgender woman in Rolling Stone, since she has penned her truly heartbreaking (yet, god-this-is-amazing) record Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Now, she has decided to lay it all bare in her new web series, “True Trans With Laura Jane Grace.”

The web series premieres on AOL Originals on October 10, with Grace jumping at the opportunity to reach out to all the people she had admired from afar over the years — other people dealing with gender dysphoria, an issue she had been grappling with for as long as she can remember.

Over the course of touring with Against Me!, Grace spoke with different people every day — sometimes several interviews occurring each day — and learned that she’s not the only one in a constant state of flux and learning.

“I think there’s a lot of momentum behind people beginning to understand gender identity and the differences in the gender spectrum and where people fall. I think that it’s great seeing things like Laverne Cox on the cover of Time magazine or seeing a transgender CEO [Martine Rothblatt] on the cover of [New York magazine]. Maybe the headline that went along with that was a little sensationalist.”

Laura Jane Grace

10 questions to never ask a transgender person by Laura Jane Grace

Transgender Person Transgender Person 09 Transgender Person 08 Transgender Person 07 Transgender Person 06 Transgender Person 05 Transgender Person 04 Transgender Person 03 Transgender Person 02 Transgender Person 01

Jamaican Parliament Set to Review the Country’s Sexual Offences Act

Jamaican Parliament is set to review the country’s Sexual Offences Act. The Jamaican criminal code currently prohibits sex between men through the colonial era buggery law, but the 2009 introduction of the Sexual Offences Act further criminalised same-sex relations.

Earlier this month, Labour MP Diane Abbott, the chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Jamaica, reiterated calls for the country to move away from its anti-gay stance.

Jamaican LGBT rights lawyer Maurice Tomlinson has sent an open letter to all members of the country’s Parliament urging for reform.

It reads…

“The law does not prevent HIV: The Sexual Offences Act of 2009 preserves the ban on private consensual adult male same-gender intimacy found in the 1864 Offences Against the Person Act (the anti-sodomy law). However, despite the continued existence of this colonially imposed law, Jamaica has the highest HIV prevalence rate among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Western Hemisphere (33%). Hence, the law violates the right to privacy of consenting adults, with no societal benefit.”

Maurice Tomlinson

Mr Tomlinson said the legislation is “unfair to women” and “hurts women”

“Law preserves the 1864 Offences Against the Person Act, which provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for anal rape and life imprisonment for vaginal rape. Hence, if a man raped a woman anally he would get significantly less time than if he raped her vaginally. This is patently unjust.”

Maurice Tomlinson

Mr Tomlinson accused Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller of a “blatant betrayal” for refusing to abolish Jamaica’s buggery law.

As part of her election campaign in 2011 Mrs Simpson-Miller vowed to review the legislation. However, since then, the issue has remained unresolved.

Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens

 

Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens

Watch the unofficial video for “Beautiful Girl” by Vybz Kartel, the “voice of the Jamaican ghetto” at Noisey.

In Jamaica, attacks, murder, and rape are common occurrences against LGBTI people, with little to no retribution or justice brought against those responsible. After being forced from shacks, derelict buildings, and their own families, many homeless LGBTI Jamaicans have found refuge in the storm drainage systems of Kingston — known locally as the gully.

For trans girls and gay men unable or unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary, and for many, a hope of change to come.

VICE News travelled to the New Kingston area to see what LGBTI life is like in Jamaica — where just being who you are can mean living a life underground.

Watch this powerful report from Vice

Kicked Out for Being Trans

Watch this insightful video and learn more about one transgender teen’s life on the streets, and other gay, lesbian and bisexual youth who become tragically homeless at such a young age.

“People look down upon us, without stopping to think that no homeless person is on the streets by choice. Something in their lives, or some events, have led to them being on the street.”

Anonymous transgender youth featured this in a powerful video, as a camera follows behind him, as he visits the places he used to sleep and ask for spare money.

He recalls how expressing his desire to medically transition at age 15 was “[my] introduction to the streets.”

He goes on..

“…as soon as I started living as male full-time, everything changed. I became very much more self-confident; I was beginning to be able to be the person I wanted to be.”

While he found many other homeless youth for companionship, life was restless and disheartening.

“…cracked down on clearing out places where there are homeless people sleeping because it’s an ‘eyesore'”; how the average person can’t fully understand hunger; and how most passersby will offer food to a dog before a human, yet the rare kindnesses of strangers can “restore your faith in humanity just a little bit.”

Another Day, Another Controversial Joan Rivers Quote

Another day, another controversial Joan Rivers quote. It seems that the incendiary comedian is at it again (when she’s not tearing down people’s outfits or appearances on E!’s Fashion police) as she’s now turned her attention from the Hollywood, red carpet attending populous to the President and the First Lady of the United States.

According to Rivers, President Obama is gay, with her words fired off to a journalist who asked her if we’d ever see a gay or lesbian president. “We already have it with Obama” was her response (which was subsequently captured on video below).

Although despite her suggesting that he’s unfortunately closeted and is in no way to be open or proud about his sexuality, it did seem to be more of a pointed barb in the Pres’ direction. She was invalidating his sexuality as a (seemingly) straight man in a (seemingly) happy marriage with Michelle Obama. A woman who, Rivers says, is transgender. “You know Michelle is a tr*nny. A transgender. We all know” Rivers continued, firing off the incredibly offensive transgender slur like it was anything but.

This isn’t the first time Rivers has landed herself in hot water either as last year TMZ asked her about MSNBC’s firing of Alec Baldwin (prior to his homophobic rant) and she chose to defend him, hurling a string of racist and homophobic slurs in succession, covering Chinese people, gay people, black people and plenty other identities too for good, offensive measure.

This is even despite the fact that she has actually been outspoken in support of the LGBT community, with the comedian even attending a gay marriage earlier in the week. Interestingly enough though, both MSNBC and E! (the network which Fashion Police airs on) are owned by the same parent company so whether the backlash of Rivers’ recent statements see her fired too will have to be seen.

NewFest 2014 – New York’s LGBT Annual Film Festival

NewFest 2014 (the sister event to LA’s Outfest) is New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender annual Film Festival that showcases the best of LGBT cinema from both renowned filmmakers as well as exciting discoveries.

With a lineup of 16 narrative and five documentary features, this year’s group of films continues to carry out the festival’s mission of supporting diverse film communities and voices from around the world.

“This marks the fourth year of having NewFest at Film Society and we couldn’t be more happy to continue our collaboration with Outfest. LGBT films and filmmakers are a vital part of cinema worldwide, and we are thrilled to offer this showcase on our screens each year.”

Lesli Klainberg, Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Executive Director

Kicking off the 2014 festival is the New York City Premiere of Karim Aïnouz’s Futuro Beach, a visually stunning, emotionally resonant tale about three Brazilian men struggling across oceans of love, loss, and heartache. Closing out the festival is the New York premiere of Bruce LaBruce’s highly anticipated Gerontophila, a profound comedy about a handsome teen who refuses to feel shame about his unquenchable appetite for older men.

Among the many other highlights from the 2014 feature lineup are Stephan Haupt’s The Circle (winner of the Teddy Award at the 2014 Berlinale); Hong Khaou’s Lilting (a Sundance 2014 selection starring Ben Whishaw); Patrik-Ian Polk’s Blackbird (starring Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington); Carter Smith’s Jamie Marks is Dead (a Sundance 2014 selection starring Cameron Monaghan, Judy Greer, and Liv Tyler); Sophie Hyde’s 52 Tuesdays (Sundance 2014, Berlinale 2014); and the world premiere of Kate Kunath’s We Came to Sweat: The Legend of Starlite (a timely documentary about Brooklyn’s oldest gay bar).

“In the year following spectacular LGBT civil rights advances across the country, the dynamic and fresh slate of 2014 NewFest films decisively demonstrates that artists and storytellers lead the charge in creating social change,”

Kristin Pepe (KP), Outfest’s Director of Programming

Newfest

Amazing Parents’ Talk About Their Amazing Transgender Son

Jeff and Hillary Whittington are remarkable parents and through an amazing video, they tell the story of the transgender son – Ryland.

Now seven, Ryland parents have documented his story with love, understanding and honesty. Jeff and Hillary discuss how they brought Ryland into the world, learned their child needed hearing implants at the age of one, then discovered Ryland had more to share.

They spent a few years saying Ryland was just going through a phase, but soon realised it wasn’t. “When the family dies, I will cut my hair so I can be a boy” Ryland told them. “Why did God make me this way?,” he asked. When the Whittingtons learned 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide, they decided to embrace Ryland as a boy rather than risk losing him.

The Whittingtons made this beautiful and inspiring film for the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast. They posted it to YouTube on Tuesday – it has now gone viral, seen by more than 1 million people.

Jeff and Hillary Whittington 02

The Whittington Family: Ryland’s Story

Janet Mock Puts Things into Prospective With TV Host Alicia Menendez

In February 2014,  Janet Mock was interviewed by Piers Morgan. It was an interview that sadly highlighted the ignorance many transgendered people go through day-to-day.

In the interview, Morgan referred to Mocks as a ‘former man’ and asked a series of personal questions about her gender.

This is not the first time a transgendered person has had to face such questions on national TV – in another interview Katie Couric felt the need to repeatedly ask Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox about her genitals.

On this week on Fusion TV’s AM Tonight Janet Mock has turned the tables on a TV host – Alicia Menendez, asking her some of the invasive questions about her body that trans people face regularly. Turning the interview on Menendez, she said: “You’re beautiful – what’s so amazing about you is that if I were to look at you, I would never have not known that you weren’t trans.

“So who was the first person you told you were cis to?

“Do you have a vagina? When was the moment you felt your breasts budding? Do you use tampons?

“When you were going through puberty, did you feel trapped by the changes your body was going through? Did you feel like a girl?”

After the reverse-interview, Menendez conceded that the questions felt invasive.

She said: “That was so awful!

“We wrote a lot of these questions and I didn’t realise how awful and invasive some of them would feel, and how I would feel now.

“When you have the questions turned on you, I understand how much more intimate those questions feel.”

Image source

LGBT Films from Sundance That We Recommend You Watch

Sundance is sort of a big a deal. An annual film festival that takes place every January in Park City – Utah, Sundance is where filmmakers go to showcase their wares and create pre-awards season buzz. In fact, the critical reception that many films receive at Sundance each year is a pretty good suggestion of which films will go on to take home the big prizes at the Golden Globes or the Oscars that follow.

For others though, Sundance is about discovery, it’s where the slightly more niche and indie films go to get eyes on them, for critics to talk them up and tell the public why they should pay attention even when big production companies or movie distributors haven’t. That’s often the case for many LGBT films with many big budget publishers shying away from the queer content that many of us crave. Now that Sundance 2014 has been and gone we have a better picture of what the queer related films on show.

So you can read the list below to find out more about the LGBT related films from Sundance 2014 that we think you should watch.

52 Tuesdays

When your mother reveals to you that she is trans* and is set to transition, that’s something that will certainly accelerate your maturity as your come to terms with such a huge decision. That’s what happens to 16 year old Billie in 52 Tuesdays as she not only has to be there for her mother as he transitions, but her time with him is also limited to Tuesdays, making it paramount for the mother-daughter duo to stay close.

Keeping within the film’s theme, the Australia-set movie was actually filmed across the course of a year as shooting took place every Tuesday. 52 Tuesdays was a big hit at Sundance, with director Sophie Hyde winning the ‘World Cinema Directing Award’ for her work.

I Love Your Work

If 52 Tuesdays’ filming schedule was somewhat peculiar then I Love Your Work’s is even more mind-boggling. Being made up of over 2000 10-second clips, I Love Your Work riffs off the popular saying that you might say to an actor or director of your favourite movie, only in this film, those movies happen to be porn. As an interactive documentary, the Jonathan Harris directed piece covers the private lives of 9 women who make lesbian porn with some describing Harris’ piece as “beautifully designed.”

Beautifully designed as it may be, I Love Your Work is also around 6 hours long, given the fact that footage was taken at 5 minute intervals over 10 consecutive days, but that perhaps provides a more accurate look at the day to day of the porn industry rather than a dramatised serial that someone wants to make headlines out of.

The Case Against 8

A documentary that is shot more in the traditional sense, The Case Against 8 as filmed across 5 years as those in California struggled to overturn Proposition 8, the law that saw the liberal-leaning state of California ban gay marriage. Before the ban, California did allow for gay marriage, with high profile couples like Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi actually getting married just prior to the ban, which is why many saw it as ludicrous when Prop 8 actually passed.

As a result, The Case Against 8 is a phenomenal watch as it follows the team that took the first marriage equality case to the U.S Supreme Court in a move that has led the way for many couples to do the same and progress the same-gender marriage rights across the United States.

The Foxy Merkins

Also focusing on the topic of sex, but very much in a different way to that of I Love Your Work, The Foxy Merkins is based around two lesbian prostitutes in New York City. One of them, a newbie to the queer sex worker world and the other one, who is described as ‘an expert on picking up women’, make for a hugely hilarious pairing.

The Foxy Merkins is essentially a queer-centric buddy comedy that sees the two women meet a delightful selection of characters that you probably wouldn’t see in another film with a widespread release, needless to say, this film is refreshing.

The Skeleton Twins

Usually when a film centres on siblings who have fallen out or who have never gotten along, it takes something dramatic to bring them together and they end the film happily, reminiscing over the parts of their childhood that they actually liked. That’s very much the case of The Skeleton Twins but don’t expect it to be all smooth sailing.

As the film with the biggest amount of starpower on this list, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader play twins Maggie and Milo (Milo’s ex boyfriend is played by Modern Family’s Ty Burrell) who have a reunion after they both ‘cheat death on the same day’. The fact that they actively confront the differences between them to fix their lives rather than passive aggressive behaviour or ridiculous pranks that usually take place in similarly themed movies may make for uncomfortable viewing but with a cast like that, The Skeleton Twins isn’t one to miss.

Appropriate Behavior

Making cultural and ethnic identities the subject in this tale, Appropriate Behavior’s lead character, Shirin, must reconcile her identity as a ‘politically correct bisexual’, ‘a hip, young Brooklynite’ and ‘an ideal Persian daughter’ as she, like many young people, struggles to fit all of the pieces to her identity jigsaw together.

Desiree Akhavan is the familiar name behind the project having also picked up acclaim for The Slope, a lesbian webseries that she also worked on so, with plenty of budding talent behind it, Appropriate Behavior deserves more than the appropriate amount of interest.

My Prairie Home

Another intriguing form of filmmaking, My Prairie Home is a documentary and a musical that is described as a ‘poetic journey’. Put in better terms, My Prairie Home is compiled of visual interpretations of trans* singer Rae Spoon’s music, all set with beautiful landscapes of Canadian prairies.

It’s easier to watch than it is to describe because the music can’t be put into many words but if you’d like something offbeat that will be a delight to your ears, check My Prairie Home out.

Turkey to Build Prison for Victimised LGBT Convicts

So many LGBT convicts in Turkey are being persecuted by heterosexual inmates that a new LGBT-only prison facility will be built to house them. In a response to a member of parliament’s question about the treatment of minority groups in gaol, Bekir Bozdag, Turkey’s Minister of Justice, said that the measure was necessary to ensure proper protection of LGBTs.

A recent study shows that there are approximately 80 openly LGBT offenders held in so-called ‘pink wards’ in Turkish prisons, although the true number is likely to be far higher than that because many LGBTs keep their true sexual persuasion a secret for fear of being victimised.

This new announcement is seen by many as a sad indictment of the way Turkey treats its gay and lesbian community. In recent months European Union spokespeople have questioned whether Turkey’s poor record on human and LGBT rights should preclude them from joining the EU.

Turkey’s ‘pink prison’ initiative is thought to have been inspired by Italy which, in 2010, opened Europe’s first ever prison for transgender convicts.

I *Heart* Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox is an American actress, reality television star, producer, and transgender advocate. And more to the point she is HOT!

Back in March Buzzfeed photograph, Jeaneen Lund took these stunning pictures of Cox.

Laverne Cox is now known for portraying Sophia Burset, a trans woman sent to prison for credit-card fraud, in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. This character is actually based on CeCe McDonald, a trans African American woman, who survived a violent, racist and transphobic attack in 2011.

McDonald is in the midst of completing her 41 month sentence in a men’s prison for the stabbing death of Dean Schmitz, who attacked her and several friends in Minneapolis in 2011.

Laverne Cox is now producing a documentary about embattled trans woman — who may be getting out of prison soon. Free CeCe!, which has already begun production, is slated to continue into 2014 along with McDonald herself.

Here’s Cox on why she began Free CeCe! with production partner Jacqueline Gares in Persephone:

CeCe’s story is one that should have been covered more in the press. Trans women, particularly trans women of color, experience disproportionate amounts of violence and not enough is being done to eradicate that violence. CeCe’s story in so many ways encapsulates the intersectional issues that lead to far too many of us experiencing violence. I wanted to do a piece that explores the nature of how race, class and gender affect violence towards trans women and also give CeCe a space to tell her story in her words in the context of a piece that truly values the lives of trans women of color.

Laverne Cox