Lifetime

[Leigh]

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3927163

Transgender teen's tragedy to air on Lifetime
Portrayal of Gwen Araujo 'very emotional' for actor
By Eleni Economides, STAFF WRITER

NEWARK — When J.D. Pardo auditioned for the role of slain transgender teen Gwen Araujo, he first embarked on a physical transformation. Pardo went to Victoria's Secret and bought a bra, went to Lane Bryant and bought clothing, and had his sister do his makeup.

"I wanted to dress up and walk around to see people's reactions," Pardo said.

When he found out that he had received the part, Pardo began to research the life of the real Gwen Araujo and the lives of transgender people.

It suddenly became more than a physical transformation for Pardo — it was a moving experience.

"It was very emotional to know I had the part," he said. "As an actor, I can take it off. Transgenders deal with this every day."

Shot over a month in Vancouver, B.C., "A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story" will air at 9 p.m. June 19 on the Lifetime Channel. The film chronicles the life of the Newark transgender teen who was killed in the early hours of Oct. 4, 2002, when it was learned she was biologically male.

[Chaunte]

Leigh,

THank you for the notice.  I am sending a copy of it to my diversity manager to help her beter understand ->-bleeped-<-.

Chaunte

[stephanie_craxford]

I'm definitely going to watch that one.  Thanks for the heads up Leigh.

Steph

[Valerie]

Hey all !   

I haven't posted in forever, but have been thinking of you & checking posts/messages now & again. 

So yesterday I say to my Mom, "There's a movie on Lifetime at 9 o'clock Monday", and before I could even say another word, she says, "I know, I wanna' see that"...real enthusiastic-like.  WoW.  Well shiver me timbers.  Totally blown away.  I'll letcha' all know what she thought of it after we watch it. 

By the way, I'm EST & it's 9PM here... will it show the same time nationwide? 

Thanks for the 411, Leigh.  Hope everyone's been doin' alright...

XOXO,
Valerie

[Dennis]

Welcome back, Valerie. Hope all is well with you.

Dennis

[stephanie_craxford]

Hey all !   

I haven't posted in forever, but have been thinking of you & checking posts/messages now & again. 

So yesterday I say to my Mom, "There's a movie on Lifetime at 9 o'clock Monday", and before I could even say another word, she says, "I know, I wanna' see that"...real enthusiastic-like.  WoW.  Well shiver me timbers.  Totally blown away.  I'll letcha' all know what she thought of it after we watch it. 

By the way, I'm EST & it's 9PM here... will it show the same time nationwide? 

Thanks for the 411, Leigh.  Hope everyone's been doin' alright...

XOXO,
Valerie

Hey there Valerie.

How the heck are you and where the heck have you been.  We've missed the heck out of you.  Just think this of this as me giving you heck

Steph

[Shannon]

Leigh,

Thanks for bringing this movie to my attension.  I watched it's premier last night and it was a tear jerker of a movie.  I am sure these tragic events are more of a common occurance in our society than whats ever reported in the news.  Very sad....   

One of my friends back in the late 1980's who ironically was also named Gwen, she was a pre-op TS.  We were pretty close friends back then.  Oneday she met some guy at a bar and they went back to his place.  When he found out she was a pre-op TS he almost killed her.  He beat her up so severely that she had to have metal plates put into her facial bones & skull and undergo several facial reconstructive surgeries.  She was never the same again.  Last I heard she had moved to Philadelphia and since had her SRS.  I lost track of her over the years.  This movie kinda reminded me of her bad experience in some ways.  Unfortunately, there will always be those wacko people out there that are not tolerant at all to members of the GLBT community.  Only through diversity education of the masses will there be more acceptance of the GLBT community in our society.  In time, hopefully things will get better to where we all can live more freely without prejudice.

Shannon