[GoneGirl]

In another thread I mentioned having seen the French Canadian film "Lawrence Anyways" (2012). At its heart, it's a story of love about a 37 year old man, who after 2 years of marriage, decides to transition to living as a woman. The film provides insight into the potential difficulties transsexuals face being accepted by a hostile society and even by those who love you.

Both my wife and I watched it together and have been talking about it ever since. The more I reflect on the story, the film's cinematography, and how it relates to my own situation, the more I like it.

It's interesting how Lawrence's transition spanned nearly a decade. She didn't initially take a female name or attempt to pass as a woman in public, preferring short hair and gender ambiguous dress. She seemed to slide into the female gender role smoothly; it was the people around her (relatives, co-workers, wife) who struggled to accept Lawrence as a woman.

Here's a trailer from the movie if you're interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwDzRzqFaIE

It's available on Blu-ray disc from Netflix.

CK

[Missed Miss]

I think someone should at LEAST do a movie about a TS getting bashed and make it a STRONG point to at LEAST ask the person/people doing the bashing why they did it and maybe even make a large portion of the movie an analysis of what would make them (ANYONE) do something like that AND make them DAMN aware that it's VERY, EXTREMELY wrong!!!! Maybe even to the point of drugging them to sleep, then, while they're asleep, dress them completely fem, them deposit them amongst their TS/gay bashing friends who would, then, beat the shit out of THEM, and see how THEY'D like getting the piss kicked out of them for something as stupid as that!! (NOT that dressing fem is stupid, but that beating someone up for it is extremely stupid.)
It amazes me how this is SUPPOSED to be a progressed version of the world we had 50-some years ago, but there's less acceptance and tolerance today than there was back then!! It also amazes me how so many people think they can dress as oddly as they want and expect everyone to be okay with it, but, they, themselves, wouldn't bat an eye over beating the shit out of someone else who felt they can dress as THEY wish.
It IS a sad world!!

[GoneGirl]

I think someone should at LEAST do a movie about a TS getting bashed and make it a STRONG point to at LEAST ask the person/people doing the bashing why they did it and maybe even make a large portion of the movie an analysis of what would make them (ANYONE) do something like that AND make them DAMN aware that it's VERY, EXTREMELY wrong!!!!

There's a scene in "Lawrence Allways" where she's in a bar alone doing some writing when a big thug walks in, makes an offensive comment, and proceeds to beat her up. End of scene.

But it's not just the brutes that attack Lawrence. Her employer, her mother and father, her sister-in-law, a waitress in a cafe, all take their pound of flesh from Lawrence. Why? What is it about people that make them fear anyone who strays from the binary gender model that society has created in the face of the natural diversity of humankind?

Julia Serano's book "Whipping Girl" explains it best. It comes down to the value that society puts on masculinity over femininity, and the insistence that males must never betray that endowment. Those that do are castigated, humiliated, scorned, punished, and hated.

Is it any wonder that transwomen try so hard to 'pass' as women? Why should it matter? Until femininity is valued and respected on par with masculinity, the problems transwomen have integrating into society will continue.

My 2 cents.

CK

[Missed Miss]

Her employer, her mother and father, her sister-in-law, a waitress in a cafe, all take their pound of flesh from Lawrence. Why? What is it about people that make them fear anyone who strays from the binary gender model that society has created in the face of the natural diversity of humankind?

That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about!!!! What POSSIBLE harm could it be to any of them if he wants to dress fem or become a woman??? NONE!!!! ABSOBUTTFUCKINGLUTELY NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so WHY should ANY of feel that they have ANY kind of right to beat him up, belittle him or even kill him???? THAT'S why this is NOT a free society!!!!!!!! If I can't do what the fuck I wanna do or dress the way I wanna dress without having to worry about getting hurt or killed over it, then we can NEVER TRUELY be free!!!! Is what I'm wearing hurting anyone else? FUCK NO!!!! Then why the FUCK should THEY have the "right" to beat the fuck out of me for wearing it???? Why can't I beat up someone for wearing a tattoo or a hair cut that I think makes them look stupid???? I JNOW there are those here that will say, "well a tattoo and a hair cut is not the same thing", but it IS the same thing!!!! These people are toolin' around like this because it's how THEY want to present to the world!! And I SUPPORT their right to do it and their right to be different!! In fact, I think it's GREAT that they choose be different/out of the norm!!!! If the majority of us would do it, then guys dressing fem wouldn't be a big deal to anyone at all, I would think....MAYBE (because (and not to get ethnic here, but this is just the way it bloody well is!! Don't believe me?? LOOK AROUND!!) I see SO MANY black people running around looking incredibly goofy, the seem to go out of their way to look goofy!! But if I were to do the same things, they'd ridicule the loving shit out of me or beat me up!!!! But THAT'S okay!! THEY can get away with it, but I can't!! Not even in THEIIR eyes!!!! How's THAT for hypocrisy????) So, why can't I present to the world the way I want to???? WITHOUT fear??????

Julia Serano's book "Whipping Girl" explains it best. It comes down to the value that society puts on masculinity over femininity, and the insistence that males must never betray that endowment. Those that do are castigated, humiliated, scorned, punished, and hated.

Is it any wonder that transwomen try so hard to 'pass' as women? Why should it matter? Until femininity is valued and respected on par with masculinity, the problems transwomen have integrating into society will continue.

My 2 cents.

CK

I value femininity MUCH more than masculinity!!!! Women can not only do everything men can do, they can also have BABIES!!!! I wonder if ANY guy could take having a baby???? Most butch type guys are just whiney little pansies in disguise!! They HAVE balls, but they SURE as fuck don't use them!!!! A few years ago at work we got this "tough guy" that thought he was better than everybody else, especially me. (He was short and apparently had a Napoleon complex!) After a few days, he got a splinter in his finger and started jumping around like a 5 year old!!!! Whining and crying about getting a splinter!!!! He had to have ANOTHER guy come over and take it out for him!!!! LMFAO!!!! If I get one, I'll curse about it, but then I'll just calmly get a pair of tweezers and pull it out!! I don't know if he got fired, or just quit, I think the latter, but he was only there about 2 days after he got the splinter!! LMAO!!!!

[Karren]

I have a nice collection of TG related films and that's not one of them.... I'll have to check it out.... thanks CK..

[Mickie]

I have a nice collection of TG related films and that's not one of them.... I'll have to check it out.... thanks CK..

Karren;

Can you list a few of the movies?

Many thanks

[Karren]

Off the top of my head... Breakfast on Pluto..... Hedwig and the Angry Inch.... Just Like a Woman.... The Crying Game.... TransAmerica..... Kinky Boots..... are all good films...

Here's the top ten TG films at Sundance.... www.sundancechannel.com/top-ten/top-ten-transgender-films#/1

[Missed Miss]

Sorority Boys
She's The Man
One Of The Boys
Switch
Goodbye, Charlie
Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde
Okay, they're all comedies, but still in the genre.

[Lenneth]

Two Movies I didnt see mentioned.

Zerophilia
Paradox Alice (Sci-Fi/Horror kind of themed)

And here are some Animated TG(ish) shows.
(FYI: just because it is animated does not mean it is a "Kids Cartoon")

You are under Arrest: one police woman is a full time MTF CD (old and can be hard to find)

Ranma 1/2: Most know this one but some don't, it's about a young boy who falls into a cursed spring which causes him to turn into a girl every time he comes into contact with cold water (warm/hot water reverses it)

Birdy the Mighty (AKA Tetsuwan Birdy): a Female Alien Space Cop accidentally kills a Human Teenage Boy and is penalized with having to share her body with him until his can be repaired.
(Currently their are 2 versions of this, an older 4 part sires, and a newer much longer one [subtitled "DECODE"], both are good but personally I prefer the original)

Space Pirate Mito: To much to explain about it, mostly a slapstick Alien Space pirate themed show.
(TG Element at the end of Season 1 and all through Season 2)

Vandread: Another Complicated one to explain [not to mention unique], TG element becomes apparent near the end of season 2, Giant Mecha in Space type of show.

Kampfer: A Teenage Boy gets unwillingly Chosen to become a "Kampfer" which is basically a kind of Magical Girl.

[GoneGirl]

Here are a few more:

Orlando (1992)
Beautiful Daughters (2006)
Normal (2003)
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Just Like a Woman (1992)

I'm not recommending any of these, because other than "Normal", I haven't watched them. I'll give my review of Orlando and Beautiful Daughters later.

"Normal" won an Emmy and some Golden Globe awards.

CK