Trans Media Arts for January 7, 2019
Hello all! Welcome to Trans Media Arts — East Coast Edition. Yes, I have moved to the East Coast, and as promised, I bring you my transgender entertainment news from my new home in the East. East Coast, Yo! But, even if the location has changed, my journalistic pride and abilities have not. I bring to you the cream of the crop of sorts; news from the world about transgender people in the entertainment biz. So, if you are a long-time reader, thanks for reading. If you are new, well, where in the heck were ya? Welcome! It’s 2019, the holidays are over and and it’s time to get down to business.
Victor Polster in the lead role.
There is a new Belgian movie called Girl that has been praised by critics but lambasted by trans advocates as too sensationalized and gratuitously graphic. I read about one part of the film which was pretty graphic, but yet it is something that I think every transgender person can identify with. One trans advocate went so far as to say that trans people should avoid the film like the plague and cis people should not watch it either. The international trailer does not really allude to anything gruesome or hardcore, but I am hearing differently. Of course, trailers can be cut to frame any movie differently. I would be interested in it because of its trans theme, but now knowing some of the so called “bad parts” I would watch it with caution. The film was released last fall and garnered praise. Netflix swooped in and bought the rights. You can watch the trailer on Netflix but it will not be available until January 18. They say there is no bad publicity and, I have to admit, I am intrigued by the controversy and only heard about the film because of it.
Sad news out of the United Kingdom, Julia Grant, the transgender activist who shared her story on primetime British television, has died at age 64. Grant was the subject of the documentary A Change of Sex, a four-part BBC series that began in 1979 and followed her transition from male to female. According to the BBC, Grant died following a short illness. She previously survived cancer and suffered from a multitude of health problems in 2018. Grant’s brother, Gary Roberts, told the publication she had “worked tirelessly for her community” and added, “. . .she probably built more bridges in her community than she burnt. She inspired a lot of people to believe in themselves and was always there to fight the cause.” Nearly nine million people watched the first episode of A Change of Sex, which followed her journey from seeking advice about transitioning at Charing Cross Hospital to her life after having GRS surgery. Along with appearing in the documentary, Grant, who lived in Manchester, wrote two books about her life, helped start Benidorm Gay Pride, and counseled young people in the U.S. who were considering gender reassignment surgery.
Should the next James Bond be a trans woman? Says Dominic West from The Affair, ‘Yes, there’s a very cool woman who’s the wife of an actor in Colette, who is a captain in the electrical engineers, the highest-ranking transgender soldier in the army. She’s done two tours of Afghanistan. She’s a beautiful blonde girl who could be Bond, yes. That’s actually a brilliant idea. They should have a transgender Bond because there are a lot of transgender people in the army. They’d be ideal because they can do everything. That’s a great idea! A transgender Bond.”
Hannah Graff
Dominic was talking about Hannah Graf, who is the highest ranking transgender officer in the British Army. Not sure the world is ready for a trans Bond, but it is certainly could happen someday. The good money is on actor Idris Elba as the next James Bond.
Miss Spain Angela Ponce did not make it to the final round of 20 at the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand. Although there was a separate “Wild Card” round of 5 to round out the final group of women to 25, Ponce went home empty-handed and uncrowned as Miss Universe. Many people, however, still see her appearance in the pageant as a victory in and of itself. Ponce made history because she was the first transgender woman to ever compete in the beauty pageant. Miss Ponce spoke about her platform and said she wanted to use her place in the worldwide show to shine light on the suicide rate among trans teenagers. “If my going through all this contributes to the world moving a little step forward, then that’s a personal crown that will always accompany me.”
A new book that is part of actress Reece Witherspoon’s Book Club called This Is How It Always Is, is a heartwarming fictional tale about a child named Claude. He’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl. Parents Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They’re just not sure they’re ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude’s secret. Until one day it explodes. Doesn’t it always? I think every one of us can identify with that.
That’s a wrap folks! Let’s hope for good things, and good transgender entertainment in the new year. Onward and upward!
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Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment
About the Author (Author Profile)
I am a transwoman originally from Pittsburgh, PA. I have been living full time for 5 years. I work in retail but am an artist/Graphic Designer and aspiring writer. I tend to address the controversial in my writing. I would love to change the world one article at a time. I moved to The San Francisco Bay Area to start over, again. But recently moved back to the East Coast. The adventure continues...Subscribe
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