Lana Wachowski's speech at the Human Rights Campaign

[mixie]

This is so beautiful.  I hate the way the headline tries to make it so scandalous.


Be sure to scroll down and watch the video of her speech.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2222541/Lana-Wachowski-Transgender-Matrix-director-childhood-torment.html

[justmeinoz]

She gets her point across with grace and good humour.

[spacial]

I wasn't going to look, firstly because I don't really rate the Daily Mail, but also I don't go for awards. They get paid, what more do they want.

The video at the end. Lasts about 1/2 hour. I cried several times. Sorry, but as everyone knows, I'm a cry baby anyway. But that was so moving, so heart felt, so intersting, so touching.

Perhaps it should be posted on the wide shoulder's thread as well. But that would be like saying, nice colour. No, it is fine where it is, It's brilliant. It's straight to the point. It perfect.

Best film ever.

[FTMDiaries]

She was awesome and is such an inspiration. And yes, I cried too - especially when she described her confusion at school, which triggered memories of my own school experiences.

What was really lovely though was that (at the time of writing this) ALL of the readers' comments beneath the article are positive and respectful. Yesterday's article about an FtM had a great balance of comments too - with the positive ones being uprated and the negative ones being downrated. It was the first time I've ever seen an overwhelmingly positive response to an article about an FtM in the Daily Mail; I thought we might be getting somewhere at last: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2222075/Not-lesbians-heterosexual-Semi-straight-couple-learning-adjust-new-type-relationship-sex-change.html

It's so very different than the overwhelmingly negative comments when the Fail does an article about Thomas Beatie, like this one from last month: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2197581/Worlds-pregnant-man-Thomas-Beatie-finds-love-prepared-conceive-FOURTH-time-new-lover-cant.html

So the lesson here is: the Daily Mail's readers are ok with you being a transsexual person as long as you're a) successful or b) trying to figure out how to fit into the standard gender binary. But don't you DARE be an FtM who's prepared to temporarily sacrifice his identity to exercise his human right to become a parent.

[eli77]

"Parenthetically this is a word that has very complicated subject for me because of its complicity in a binary gender narrative that I am not particularly comfortable with."

Okay, I'm a little bit in love with her now.

And if you don't want to read about it at the disgusting Daily Mail: http://www.autostraddle.com/lana-wachowski-trans-director-of-the-matrix-gives-touching-speech-that-will-probably-make-you-cry-done-148515/

[Nicolette]

.....

Best film ever.

Which? The Lana video? Or her Matrix?She seems so humble. Being a high profile film director and transitioning under microscopic public scrutiny.  I have so much respect for her.

[spacial]

Never seen Matrix and doubt I will.

Accept it's very popular, but just not my style.

No, I was, of course, referring to the Lana video at the bottom of the page.

[Reagan]

She's awesome! I love her!

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

At several places she shows the love and support of her family.

My mom is also a bit talkative. She always introduces herself to the waiter or waitress. And she's like, "Hi, I'm Lynne. This is my daughter Lana." And the waitress smiles and says, "Wow, she looks just like you."

And the one that only a loving brother could say:

Tom, Andy and I were being interviewed, one of the reporters ventured away from the subject of the film towards my gender. Imagine that, a reporter. My brother quickly stepped in, "Look, just so we're clear," he says, "if somebody asks something or says something about my sister that I don't like, understand that I will break a bottle over their head."

Lana is cute, quirky and I love her movies.

[KayCeeDee]

Thanks Mixie for posting that link. It was a great speech, and she is an inspiration for coming out.

[Beverly]

So the lesson here is: the Daily Mail's readers are ok with you being a transsexual person as long as you're a) successful or b) trying to figure out how to fit into the standard gender binary. But don't you DARE be an FtM who's prepared to temporarily sacrifice his identity to exercise his human right to become a parent.

I disagree. Almost every Daily Mail article dealing with TS people seems to get positive reader comments. The only ones that have negative comments are the ridiculous TS scenarios like the 75 year old who wants his penis back after 20 years as a woman

[spacial]

While not wishing to change the subject.  bev2. I sent an email to the Daily Mail and to the reporter who wrote the story about that claim of the 75 year old, asking for some some corroboration. Needless to say, no reply. The story was made up. This being the British Press.

Anyway, thank you so much Janet, for those quotes. Reading them, I remember her saying them and after 24 hours, and again smiling.

Yes, she does make great movies, such as this one.

[Beverly]

While not wishing to change the subject.  bev2. I sent an email to the Daily Mail and to the reporter who wrote the story about that claim of the 75 year old, asking for some some corroboration. Needless to say, no reply. The story was made up. This being the British Press.

I was not defending the Mail, I was defending the readers who always seem to be far more tolerant than the paper.

As for Lana, I wish her happiness and continuing success. It is good to see high profile trans but I am equally glad that I am not a high profile transwoman.

[Nicolette]

Never seen Matrix and doubt I will.

Accept it's very popular, but just not my style.

No, I was, of course, referring to the Lana video at the bottom of the page.

It puts an interesting light on Lana's journey that my brother worked with the Wachowskis on the Matrix films. So, yes, I had to watch it. I most certainly wasn't disappointed.

[eli77]

And the one that only a loving brother could say:

Tom, Andy and I were being interviewed, one of the reporters ventured away from the subject of the film towards my gender. Imagine that, a reporter. My brother quickly stepped in, "Look, just so we're clear," he says, "if somebody asks something or says something about my sister that I don't like, understand that I will break a bottle over their head."

Actually, it brings up fond memories of my sister's "if anyone says anything about my sister, I will ->-bleeped-<-ing kill them." To her fiancee about me coming to rural Nova Scotia for Christmas. (I'm stealth about my trans status, but I'm visibly queer). I lub my sis.

[Shana A]

also being discussed in News Forum https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,128773.0.html

I watched the entire video and found it extremely moving and inspirational! Plus, I love her hair 

Z

[mixie]

I urge you to watch the Matrix from a transgender perspective.  To me the movie is spiritual and explores the concept of reality and identity.  The main character awakening from an existence in the world that isn't real.  Finding the real true self.   Believing in that power.  Believing despite everything else seeming otherwise.

I thought of a good example of what I see when I see the transgender experience.   I've been watching a lot of airplane disaster videos and when a plane stalls the engine shuts down.  There isn't enough air going over the wings to keep it aloft.   So it starts to drop out of the sky towards the ground. 

To get the plane to fly again,  you need to go against everything that feels "ok."  The way to bring the air over the wings again is to point the nose down and fly straight towards the ground.   The speed pushes the air over the wings fast enough that when timed right you can pull the nose back up and the engines kick in and the plane settles right again.

Seems to me that when people are transitioning this is a similar experience.   You have to head towards what seems is going to be the wrong move and disaster.  You have to fight against every anxiety in your body and push towards doing the thing you need to do,  even if everyone around you is saying "What are you doing?  You're going the wrong way!  Go the other way!'

You just keep doing it and suddenly it works and you pull up and soar and are flying right.

((Hugs)))

[SarahLynn]

Lana is just so adorable!

I just saw Cloud Atlas last night. I loved it! It's 3 hours long and it didn't even feel that long. It's such a complex movie that I'm sure I didn't catch everything the first time. Much of the cast plays between 3 to 5 characters each. Gender roles are messed with, homosexual relations, and much more. This movie is a burden of passion, without that it may not have existed.

Thank you Lana.

[Reagan]

Mixie,
very cool explanation. so true.




I so wanna  see Cloud Atlas, but I promised my wife I would wait for her.  She isn't on her weekend yet. Hopefully tomorrow.