I just posted this on a different thread but it touched me so deeply that I wanted to put here in the thread I am using to share my own personal journey.
As I have become more accepting that I am transgender over the past year I have have come to appreciate the incredible courage we all have against a massive wall social rejection.
I ran across a new article today talking about a NETFLIX film called GIRL about Nora Monsecour, a trans female dancer from Belgium. It has created a lot of controversy and I don't want to get into any debate about that.
What impressed me was the interview given by the actual trans dancer, Nora Monsecour a few weeks ago. It made me proud of who I am and I hope you feel the same.
"Those criticizing Girl are preventing another trans story from being shared in the world, and are also attempting to silence me and my trans identity," Monsecour wrote, in part. "Every day, I see young, transgender people fighting for their dreams, accomplishing their goals. They are not weak and fragile. Girl tells my story in a way that doesn't lie, doesn't hide. To argue that Lara's experience as trans is not valid because the director, Lukas Dhont is cis or because we have a cis lead actor offends me."
"I made it through my darkest, most challenging times," she continued. "I am a professional dancer and a unique, brave, strong woman that knows exactly who she is and what she wants. Now, I can proudly say that I am transgender. I faced my challenges and my naysayers head-on and did not back down from my convictions. I will do the same to support this film, my friend Lukas, and this story."
"I spent countless hours focusing on my internal demons and feeling betrayed by my physical body," she added. "What hurt me the most was not the people who bullied me, who put me down, who didn't want me to succeed. What caused me the most turmoil was myself and my thoughts. In Girl, these thoughts became an important part of Lara's psyche too. I'm thankful to the team at Ghent Hospital, who helped me throughout my treatment, and consulted closely with Lukas on the film to ensure we were accurate. This was integral in developing the character of Lara."
Monsecour also defended the final scenes of Girl, though she clarified they weren't part of her real story. "We made a film with some hard, honest scenes," she wrote. "Scenes that might be disturbing to watch, but that are crucial to show. I do not want to sugarcoat my experiences or hide away my darkest thoughts. I shouldn't have to — they are real and not uncommon in the trans community. Though my story does not include this final event, it's a thought that lingered in my mind every day."
I hope I haven't over-stepped myself for sharing it here. I was just inspired by her courage and conviction. I need to internalize it in my heart.
Emma
