TransTainment 5/15/23

Trace Lysette

Trace Lysette is a rising transgender star getting great reviews for her work in the film Monica. She plays the title character, a trans woman who reunites, and cautiously makes peace with the family she fled, as they take care of their ailing mother (played by Patricia Clarkson), who at first doesn’t recognize her daughter. Lysette is in almost every scene of the film, showing herself to have great acting skills. As Monica hits theaters nationwide Lysette hopes it will have a positive impact for trans people; something that is much needed during flurries of anti-trans legislation. She is also rooting for more roles for which she can be the leading lady, not just the trans actress. For more about the film and Trace Lysette visit The New York Times.

On the evening of May 30, 2023, hundreds of Toronto’s most influential 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders and influencers will attend the Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival Centrepiece Gala screening of Supporting Our Selves (SOS) at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5). From award-winning director Lulu Wei (There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace), SOS is a film exploring how and why the Queer community in Toronto, Canada grew and evolved over the past 40 years, through the lens of one grassroots organization. Click here for more information on the festival.

Marcia Gay Harding with two of the drag performers.

Top drag stars, LGBTQ celebrities including Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Adam Lambert, and celebrity allies of the queer community, like Marcia Gay Harden (star of So Help Me Todd) got together Sunday, May 7 to produce a telethon, Drag Isn’t Dangerous, to raise money to combat anti-LGBTQ legislation. Organizers said, “All net proceeds from the event will be divided among approved charities (GLAAD, GLSEN, Headcount, Black Queer Town Hall, The ACLU Drag Defense Fund, Trans Justice Funding Project, Victory Fund) that support LGBTQIA+ causes and drag performers in need, especially in states where they face discrimination and bans.”

Among those appearing on the telethon were Charlize Theron, Leslie Jones, Jesse Eisenberg, singer Joey McIntyre, Melissa McCarthy, Sarah Hyland and Idina Menzel. Marcia Gay Harding sat for a live interview in which she said, “What drives me is because it’s right and what’s happening right now is wrong,” said Harden. “What drives me is — my children are all queer. My eldest child is nonbinary. My son is gay. My youngest is fluid. And you know, they are my kids and they teach me every day.”

As of Monday, May 8 the telethon had raised a total of $536,087.

Alex Newell as Lulu.

Alex Newell uses he/she/they pronouns and is the first nonbinary actor to be nominated for a Tony in the Best Featured Actor in a Musical category. Newell stars in the musical comedy Shucked, as Lulu — an independent, don’t-need-no-man, whiskey distiller in Midwestern Cobb County. While one nonbinary actor withdrew from the award nomination over lack of a nonbinary category Newell chose her category and explained her decision, “Acting is my craft. I am an actor,” she said. “Actor is a genderless word. It truly is. And the last time I checked, we didn’t say plumb-ess for a plumber. We didn’t say I’m going to see my doctor-ress.” You can learn more about Alex Newell from  an interview in Rolling Stone.

J. Harrison Ghee in Some Like it Hot.

The other nonbinary actor nominated for a Tony is J. Harrison Ghee who received a nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for their performance as Jerry/Daphne in the musical adaptation of “Some Like It Hot.” When they learned of the nomination Ghee said, “I’m thankful to every member of this production for creating such an affirming space where I get to show the complexity of this human and go on a beautiful ride every time the curtains go up. I’m grateful to the committee for recognizing this work. It’s a moment I will cherish forever.”

As the legislature and governor of Florida do their best to make things too hot for trans people in the Sunshine State an Orlando photographer is showing his support for trans people by offering gender-affirming portraits. The portraits are offered on a pay-what-your-can basis. Included will be hair stylists, makeup artists and barbers, all working on a donation basis. The first photo shoot happens in Orlando on June 3. Next is Tampa on the fourth and Miami on the tenth. For more information on how to register for your gender-affirming portrait check out the truly  PROJECT article in the Orlando Weekly.

Carmen Carrera

In a nation that hears about random shootings everyday it’s no wonder that among recent shooting incidents the name Carmen Carrera popped up. The former Rupaul’s Drag Race star was at a high-end nightclub in Miami Beach when she and her friends heard gunfire. Carrera posted on Twitter after they made a quick exit, “As the entire club ducts [sic] down, I grabbed my girlfriends and jet out the door. I cannot believe this is the reality of the world that we live in today.”

According to a CBS News report, rapper Lo was the man who was killed while two women bystanders were injured at around 4 a.m. Sunday, May 7 when gunfire erupted in the upscale Miami Beach Gala nightclub. Lo was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. The two women are expected to recover. Police believe it was a targeted shooting and the women were nearby when the shooting occurred.

D. Smith

D. Smith is the director of the documentary film Kokomo City. Recently she made news when her boyfriend, R&B singer Dustin Michael shared a video on Instagram in which he acknowledged and praised Smith as his girl. He was prompted to express his support for relationships with trans women by the tragic death of one of Kokomo City’s subjects, Koko Da Doll. In the video he said, “Recently, I saw the horrible news of a transgender woman named Koko Da Doll being murdered in Atlanta, Georgia, like a week or two ago,” he continued. “This particularly hit me close to home because I feel as men — Black men — we’re not allowing ourselves to love who we wanna love openly without fearing being judged and shamed publicly.” He went on to say, “I’m in a very beautiful relationship with someone who makes me very happy,” he shared. “She’s very sexy, very talented, and most of all, she has a beautiful kind spirit, which I love. My girlfriend, she is transgender. Her name is D. Smith.” He added, “I don’t want to be one of those men benefiting from a trans woman in private and, you know, and not celebrate her publicly.”

Tags: drag, featured, showbiz, Transgender

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