#and yet latino men are viewed as very masculine

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

western women get a lot of flak for being too independent or "masculine" but it always makes me think of spartan women. i think about that quote: "why are spartan women the only women who rule their men" and queen gorgo says it's because "spartan women are the only women who give birth to real men." i think plutarch also mentions that spartan men were always obedient to their wives.

or as socrates put it (quoted by xenophon): "It is the example of the rider who wishes to become an expert horseman: 'None of your soft-mouthed, docile animals for me,' he says; 'the horse for me to own must show some spirit' in the belief, no doubt, if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy enough to deal with every other horse besides. And that is just my case. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. I know full well, if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach myself to every human being else."

and i think there's a lot of truth to this. i think cultures with spirited, independent women are made stronger by it, for a number of reasons. and i think it actually plays a major role in western civilization's success. a strong-willed man and a strong-willed woman working together in union is an incredibly strong foundation for a family and a civilization.

and i don't want to give the impression that the west was ever some kind of gender-egalitarian utopia. but i do think a significant degree of respect for women is a common feature in western civilization (and i'd say broader indo-european culture too). at least compared to other civilizations. and especially in the prechristian and, now, the postchristian eras (though i'd say it even bleeds through in the christian era in some ways too). i mean there's a reason why feminism first blossomed in the west and not elsewhere.

but yeah, this desire for some docile, obedient slave-wife seems to be very contrary to the spirit of western civilization. i mean, it seemed like the default view of women in prechristian europe, for better or worse, was that women were these wild, powerful, passionate, promiscuous creatures who needed to be tamed. and yes, women were expected to be loyal and amenable/agreeable to their husbands but this is hardly unreasonable and is a far cry from the obedient slave-wife some people propose as an ideal (namely traditional christians and muslims and the like).

"women should be banned from doing manual labor" -- traditionally, women did all sorts of manual labor. medieval peasant women would be working in the fields just like the men. and even if they weren't working a field there would be plenty of other physically taxing jobs they'd be doing. not saying that women should be encouraged to do extremely dangerous or physically taxing jobs, but if they're able to more power to them. and i kinda detest this desire to portray women as frail and incapable. they are the weaker sex but they're not weak. let's not infantilize them.

also, western women generally marry out of love and commitment and view themselves (rightfully) as partners in union with their husbands. whereas these types of women (the woman who made this post) believe women's sole purpose is to be obedient little decorations who do nothing but sit around and look pretty (and maybe have babies if she's very traditional -- but often you won't even get that!) while the man just gives her money. it's transactional and superficial. there's no real love or partnership. it's not a good foundation for a family or a civilization.

anyway, belated happy women's day.

[brightershadows]

Euphorically Honest-- Euphoria, Teenagers, and the Realities in Hardship

OVERVIEW

Euphoria is brutally honest about the hardships of life. Focusing on the stories of a group of teenagers in modern-day California, it navigates through issues of drug addiction, sexuality, masculinity and femininity, violence, and depression. It can be tragic and liberating. But it is honest. Created by Sam Levinson, a screenwriter for Assassination Nation and The Wizard of Lies,  the story reflects on his own experience with drug addiction as a teenager, as well as having a loose basis in an Israeli show of the same name (Stack, 2019). The story follows a group of young people of varying genders, ethnicities, classes, and sexualities, including the drug-addicted narrator Rue, new-to-the-suburbs Jules, Cassie, beautiful but easily manipulated, her kind and easy-going sister Lexi, Kat, who embraces her body type as she gains confidence through sex, Nate, a manipulative and dominating male with control issues, and his girlfriend, Maddy, who battles her self-identity and her reliance on Nate (Levinson, 2019). Euphoria can be seen as overly graphic, or critiqued as too sexual, but its mature nature allows it to unearth the ugly truths about life, living, and loving, and the beauty behind the hardships too. 

EPISODE TWO REVIEW

In “Stuntin Like My Daddy,” Nate discovers his father’s sex tape collection at a very young age, videos of his father having sex with several people. This is where Nate’s disdain male sexual anatomy stems from. Nate quickly becomes infatuated with Maddy. Whether disturbing or romantic, he fantasizes about hurting or killing the person who dares harms her. A series of flashbacks from Rue’s summer shows her consuming various drugs and getting high, fighting with her mom, waking up in the hospital, and singing in the car with her mom and sister, highlighting what she has gone through as well as her relationship with her family. On several occasions, Rue relapses. Reluctantly and unable to say no, she takes a dose of fentanyl. Unaware of the consequences, Jules is called to take care of Rue. Their friendship further develops. Kat learns that an explicit video of her has been posted to a porn website. When the video’s view count continues to grow, Kat is intrigued and signs for a web cam streaming account. Obsessed with Maddy, Nate begins stalking Tyler, Maddy’s most recent hookup. Maddy, still wanting to get back together with Nate, tells him that she was blacked out and did not mean to do what she did. This causes Nate to believe that Tyler had raped Maddy. Furious, Nate breaks into Tyler’s apartment and beats him half to death. At the end of the episode, we learn that the guy Jules has been texting is named Tyler but it actually turns out to be Nate.

Nate Jacobs is the typical football jock, yet he exhibits anger, aggression, and sociopathic behavior. Rue Bennett struggles with her own psyche as she suffers from ADHD, bipolar, general anxiety, BPD (borderline personality disorder), and drug addiction. Jules Vaughan is unapologetically herself, although she seems to seek attention, approval, and sexual relationships from men who are undeserving of her. Maddy Perez is the popular cheerleader who knows she is attractive and she goes after what she wants. She stands up to everybody else except Nate. Kat Hernandez may seem like a side character, the fat best friend, at first, but she finds her confidence grows as an individual. Fez/Fezco is Rue’s main drug dealer. Although he supplies her, he also cares for Rue and does want her to get mixed up with a worst crowd.

Although there are people of color in the show, there could always be more representation of race. Rue and her sister, Gia, are mixed, with a Black mom and a white dad. Maddy is Latina as both of her parents are Latino. Kat Hernandez is also of Latin descent but we do not see much of her parents or family. Every other (main) character in this episode is white, this includes Nate, Jules, and Tyler. This show, and episode, is not particularly making any waves or strides with their representation of race. And with the representation of race that they do have, there is no portrayal of racial identity, culture, or heritage. Jules definitely stands out as she is a transgender woman. She is currently taking hormones and her father and closest friends accept her for who she is. Jules goes on to have sexual encounters with older men as well budding romances with boys her age. Nate is a stark contrast to Jules, with him being set in his heteronormative, gender binary ways. Most, if not all of the characters identify with the gender that they present. The males, Nate and Fez identity as male. The females, Rue, Kat, Jules, and Maddy identify as female. The main characters mainly fall into one of the two binary genders. All of the romantic or sexual relationship aspects in episode 2 revolve around a male and a female, such as Nate and Maddy, or Maddy and Tyler, or even Jules and her mysterious texter (a man). To my knowledge, there is no presence of a non-binary or agender character. Jules, a transgender woman, challenges Nate’s notion of the strict gender binary system.

Euphoria definitely relies on stereotypes because the writers of this show intend on having the characters break said stereotypes. Kat is initially insecure and self-conscious. After she has sex for the first time and the video of the act gets leaked, she redefines herself. Her sexuality blossoms throughout this show as she also begins to have casual sex which normalizing women having and enjoying sex. Kat becomes comfortable with herself by wearing clothes that are considered more edgy, outfits that she would have never worn before. Kat’s character breaks the sexuality stereotype because the media hardly ever sees a plus-sized woman be expressed in a sexually positive light, even though it may not have started out that way. Nate’s character is embodiment of the toxic, cis-gendered white masculinity. He describes the perfect girl as dressing more feminine, acting like a “proper lady,” and overall more “girly” as opposed to “tomboy.” Because he is so uncomfortable with the male sexual anatomy, and even disturbed by how comfortable others are, he may have some issues regarding internal homophobia. Nate does not really defy this stereotype, his character is the epitome of this stereotype. Maddy, a cisgender, heterosexual female, understands the delicate nature of the gender constructed society. She has prioritized Nate and his needs sexually by watching porn in order to mimic what the porn actress does so that she can please Nate. Her sexuality is rarely mentioned, it only rises in conjunction with other boys. Jules’ character as a transgender person challenges the conventional gender roles and constructs. Jules is very comfortable with herself and her sexuality and is proud of who she is.The concept of a non-binary gender system perplexes many people. With the current administration, transgender rights are not protected. In fact, transgender people are continued to be discriminated against. The Trump administration has played a major role in “withdrawing regulatory protections for transgender children in schools, fought recognition of transgender people under federal employment laws, banned transgender people from serving in the military, rolled back protections for transgender people in prisons, and threatened to cut off funding to schools that let transgender girls participate in sports” (Thoreson). Although Jules is able to be who she want to be and live the life that she wants, this may not be the case for many transgender people in the real world outside of the show.

Today people are often quick to criminalize or shun drug users and addicts. They are quick to judge and want the most severe punishment to be given. But medical professionals know that addiction is a very serious disease, one that requires “treatment, compassion, and support” (Siegel). Euphoria attempts to destigmatize and humanize addiction. The legal system should not be punishing people who have abused drugs by putting them into a jail cell where they are isolated from society, instead these people need real help through rehab and various treatments. Due to the fact that Rue had several relapses once she completed her rehab program, one may say that these programs do not work; however there is no singular timeline to get better. It may take weeks, months, or years, and the journey is difficult. But society cannot give up. Social and political reforms concerning drug use/abuse and addiction is very much needed. 

EPISODE THREE REVIEW

In ' Made You Look,' Nate meets Jules on a gay dating app disguised as Shyguy118. Although Nate doesn't identify as gay, Jules reveals being transexual and quickly falls in love with Shyguy118, oblivious to his true identity as a classmate at the same school. Maddy becomes skeptical of Nate and searches through his phone and, in shock, learns of Nate's involvement with a gay dating app and nude sending with Jules. Jules's heightened obsession over the mysterious Shyguy118 leads Jules to agree to meet Nate for the first time in person near a lake at night. While all of this unfolds, Rue, who is Jules's supportive best friend, at first, entertains Jules's fantasies by helping Jules send pornographic images to Nate. However, tension arises when Rue exposes her worries for her best friend and undeniable attraction for her as more than just friends. Unfortunately, Jules did not reciprocate the kiss they shared. This sent Rue spiraling into a frenzy and falling back into the addictive habit of taking pills and getting high, undoing Rue's 60-day clean streak. Embarrassed, Rue runs straight back to Fezco, her drug dealer, in hopes to illegally obtain more drugs to numb the humiliation she felt. Fortunately, Fezco doesn't give in to Rue and shuts the door on her, leaving Rue to look toward Ali, an omniscient man she met at a therapy gathering for drug users to seek guidance.

Kat, a Tumblr fanfiction queen, masks herself while exploring her curiosity for explicit content and webcam streaming. She exposes herself to lingerie and twerking on her account; she agrees to perform a private camera meet with a man who falls in love with Kat's powerful and sexual dominatrix persona. Originally insecure with her weight, Kat eventually learns to embrace her curves and dives into a new and unusual world of femdom. This episode also introduces Cassie. She displays as a bold, open-minded party girl that isn't phased by frat party endeavors. McKay, Cassie's crush, invites her to his frat-hazing event, and they both fall deeply in love with each other, foreshadowing potential problems to come from concupiscence for one another.

This episode involves various races but is primarily white-dominant. Cassie is blonde and white, represented as audacious and open-minded. Maddy is a cis-gender Latina and, in this episode, victimized by Nate, a white playboy who cheats on Maddy. Rue and her sister are a mix from a black mom and a white dad. Despite various races represented, this episode minimally illustrates heritage background and racial and cultural distinctiveness. There are very minimal cultural representations and race diversity besides the racially represented individuals such as Rue, Maddy, Kat, Ali, and Fezco. Although the film is predominantly white race influenced, there is still a general race narration awareness displayed in the show.  

Sexuality representation is a flourishing topic within each episode in Euphoria. Arguably one of the most influential characters in this episode, Rue, a lesbian half black teenager, finds herself falling in love with her openly transgender best friend. This tricky love triangle is demonstrated between Rue caring for Jules while she cares for Nate. Jules is head over heels for her classmate, Nate, who hasn't announced is gay but is chatting with Jules on a gay dating site. Moreover, Nate's girlfriend in this episode, Maddy, is only now beginning to question if Nate is straight like he demands he is.This episode centers around redirecting the audience's view of how a character's sexuality is initially perceived to how each character's sexuality is either nonchanging or questioned and altered due to more self-awareness. For example, Jules, from the beginning, identified as transgender and unchanging while Rue begins to question her sexuality and feelings for her friend after kissing her. Male, female, and non-binary characters speak and act quite differently in Euphoria. Male actors such as Nate, Ali, and Fezco are very much dominant and slightly manipulative in this episode. Nate is a controlling and manipulative character fueled by curiosity and confusion. Ali is a mysterious, omniscient figure who sees past Rue's addiction. Lastly, Fezco shuts Rue out when she almost dies from the drugs he gave her. The females include Maddy, Rue, Jules, Kat, and Cassie. Non-binary characters were not present in this episode; however, Nate being on a gay dating site and taking an interest in Jules knowing her being transgender urges the question of what Nate's sexuality may be. 

Cassie, in this episode, played an essential role in breaking gender profiling stereotypes. When Cassie was at the weekend frat-hazing party with McKay, she stood up to the guys at the party and took a shot of water with a live goldfish in it without hesitation, while McKay was hesitant and wanted to reject the challenge. Cassie taking that shot was significant because she didn't abide by her gender role limitations. Instead, she proved that she could equally compete alongside the frat boys at the party.

Illegal drug use for underage teenagers is very much a political issue. The creator of Euphoria, Sam Levinson, opens up about his struggles with addiction growing up. He talks about how his personal history of drug use as a teenager animated Rue's similar struggles in Euphoria. It's essential to recognize that Rue was not using drugs because of peer pressure but because she was struggling with "obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), general anxiety disorder, and even bipolar disorder" (Health, 2020). Many teens go undiagnosed with disorders like these and spend their teenage years fighting addiction and going to rehab centers, sometimes more than once in hopes of ending the addiction. There are other situations where undiagnosed individuals who don't fall victim to drug addiction still live a life of struggle with their mental illness. Euphoria sheds light on addiction and mental health and de-stigmatizes mental illness, a topic that should be further normalized and empathized with. 

EPISODE SEVEN REVIEW

“The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed” tackles a lot of issues. In many ways, this episode is openly candid about the hardships of life and the modern influences of distraction and avoidance. The candor of this episode is heartbreaking, revelating, and so, so real. The episode before the season finale follows multiple characters, including Jules, a trans woman battling confusion about her relationship with her best friend and her changing life; Cassie, a beautiful blonde teenager facing an unplanned pregnancy; and Rue, a drug addicted teenager battling a major low in her depression (Levinson 2019). This episode follows many differing plots that do not intersect in its time; however, at the root of the 59 minutes is the juxtaposition of two teenagers, the structures of family, and the deconstruction of femininity. 

As a whole, this show is unapologetically divergent from the stereotypes of society. It does not hesitate to tackle hard issues, easily addresses controversial issues regarding race, sexuality, and gender, without negating their seriousness. It makes normal the darkness we all battle in our private lives, especially in this episode. In it, characters from all walks of life get a say in the plot. Not only is the narrator and main character a gay Black women in love with her best friend, we also follow the story of Jules, a trans women, and hear from Cassie, a straight cisgender blonde girl who falls victim to the confines of the patriarchy, allowing herself to be sexualized and invalidated as a possession by the men in her life (Johnson, 2014). My only criticisms regarding this episode’s diversity is that there is little male influence or perspective on the storyline, and further, that there is little diversity outside of “black and white.” That is to say, while there are many Black characters given voice to this episode (and, by default many white characters as well), there is little representation of other ethnicities. We do not hear, for example, from the perspective of an Asian-American. That, to some extent, is an area that can be improved as the show continues. 

Earlier I mentioned the juxtaposition at the core of this episode, and I want to dive a little deeper into that. Cassie and Rue are, in many regards, polar opposites. Rue is Black, gay, struggles with drug addiction and is a social outcast. Cassie, in comparison, is blonde and blue eyed, gorgeous, and popular. Rue is an older sister; Cassie is the younger in her family. But this juxtaposition highlights the conditions of the patriarchy that define familial dynamics, such as sisterhood and motherhood, both amplifying and deconstructing those norms. For example, at the end of the episode, Rue and Cassie both go to their moms, the caretakers, for help when they reach rock bottom. Those mothers show up, and they do their job: care. However, at the same time, these mothers have taken up the role of being the breadwinner for the family as well, defying the stereotype of reliance on the male for prosperity and survival. Rue’s mom, however, is portrayed as more successful and put-together than Cassie’s mother, whom we see to be an alcoholic and basically a hot mess. This is contrary to racial stereotypes that typically portray the black community as one falling apart and the white suburban mom as picture-perfect. The gender and racial norms that society and time have produced throughout our history in America are blurred as these two realities are expressed in this show (Scott, 1986).

This episode also attacks femininity. Speaking with her friends from the city, Jules, says, “In my head, it’s like if I can conquer men, I can conquer femininity” (Levinson, 2019). This conquering, or, as Jules later says, obliteration of femininity is addressed throughout the episode. Cassie, conforming to societal expectations, allows herself to be objectified and sexualized by all the men in her life, using that perception of beauty to define her over the course of her life. Rue, on the other hand, does not conform to femininity at all, as we see in the way she dresses, and even the persona of the masculine “detective” she took on in a manic state. These three approaches to femininity contrast each other, as each one represents a different sector of diversity: race, sexuality, and gender identity. 

Euphoria is inherently political. It brings to light the reasons why the personal is political, especially in the midst of an election cycle where the rights of those who don’t conform to societal norms are under threat. This show creates an avenue for those rights and the real people behind those laws to speak and tell their own stories. Not only that, it represents mental illness and drug abuse, revealing the realities of living with these issues and bringing to light the struggles of the individual and their community through addiction and mental health crises. The show helps create empathy; empathy creates connection.  And connection, more than anything else, is something we deeply need right now. 

CITATIONS

Euphoria creator Sam Levinson on his controversial show: 'I hope it opens up a dialogue' [Interview by T. Stack]. (2019, June 16). Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2020, from https://ew.com/tv/2019/06/16/euphoria-creator-sam-levinson/.

Health, A. (2020). How HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Depicts Teenage Drug Addiction Accurately. Retrieved 14 November 2020, from https://amhealth.com/2019/09/25/how-hbos-euphoria-depicts-teenage-drug-addiction-accurately/

Johnson, A. G. (2020). Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us. In 1046495481 799935172 G. Kirk & 1046495482 799935172 M. Okazawa-Rey (Authors), Gendered Lives: Intersectional Perspectives (Seventh ed., pp. 62-70). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. (The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy, (2014))

Levinson, S. (Writer). (2019). Euphoria [Television series]. HBO.

Levinson, S. (Writer). (2019, June 23). Stuntin’ Like My Daddy [Television series episode] In Euphoria. HBO.

Levinson, S. (Writer). (2019, July 28). The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed [Television series episode]. In Euphoria. HBO.

Scott, J. (1986). Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis. The American Historical Review. doi:10.1086/ahr/91.5.1053

Siegel, Z. (2019, August 06). Euphoria Doesn't Have a Drug Problem. Retrieved November 12, 2020, from https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/euphoria-hbo-drug-addiction-overdose.html

[ryanmeft]

The Morning After: Thoughts on the 2017 Oscars

In the past three years, the Oscar has gone to:

A film featuring a disabled woman who maintains a job and an apartment and likes to get off, a black woman openly frustrated at her husband's lack of, ah, vitality, and an elderly gay man who still wants affection despite his age.Directed by a Latino man.

A film about a smart young, gay black man growing up while dealing with toxic masculinity and never once slipping into a "thug" cliche.Directed and written by a black man.

A movie about journalists blowing open a sex scandal in the Catholic Church.It may not have been as diverse as the last two, but it did deal with a current subject of major controversy, something Oscar hasn’t historically liked.

Sally Hawkings and Octavia Spencer standing firm in Best Picture winner The Shape of Water

That's to say nothing of the increasing diversity of subject matter in the nominees.This decade has seen nods for speculative science fiction (Her, Arrival). It has seen women and minorities have a bigger presence (Fences, Hidden Figures, The Help, Lady Bird). ��It has welcomed movies that give voice to the common men and women who were often idealized or ignored in the Hollywood of old (Beasts of the Southern Wild, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Manchester by the Sea). Remember Captain Phillips, which had the underrated Barkhad Abdi as a sympathetic Somali pirate? Life of Pi, which had Indian protagonists? Django Unchained, which gleefully, riotously wove a tale of a free black man taking vengeance on slavers? Gradually, such riskier films have been supplanting safe, inoffensive bets.

Joaquin Phoenix in 2013 Best Picture nominee Her

There's still progress that can be made. I don't think Oscar naysayers realize, however, just how major this is. Just a year before Spotlight's win, the award went to yet another movie about the craft. Before that, a film that focused on black history but, let's face it, won because Old Oscar really loved historical drama. Before that, Argo, a solid-but-not-classic thriller that replaced a Latino man with a white actor. Before that, The Artist, a gimmicky Old Hollywood circle jerk.

There is no doubt whatsoever that historically, Oscar has preferred great, big blunt dramas that don’t rely on subtlety, avoid truly controversial issues, and aren’t very risky in storytelling or filmmaking. Often, perhaps by design but more likely because of a lack of minority roles at the source, these movies extolled the virtues of the hardworking white, straight, religious man. Yes, slights against films like L.A. Confidential, Saving Private Ryan, Brokeback Mountain and especially Citizen Kane are now and will always be black marks on Oscar’s record.

Quvenzanhe Wallis, the youngest Best Actress nominee in history, letting you know what she thinks in 2012 Best Picture nominee Beasts of the Southern Wild

Thing is, when they say they’re getting more diverse, I’m ready to believe them.  

It's fun and popular to hate on the show because of the self-importance, real or perceived, of those attending. And they've definitely shafted some great films in favor of less great ones.

You know what, though? I’m ready to let go of slights that happened years ago. If we don’t allow the possibility of evolution, that makes us, not Oscar, the ones who remain set in our ways and refuse to change.The question I think needs to be asked is: how many years of increasingly diversified selections will it take before we start to give the Academy a little credit? 3? 5? 50? Every single person on earth makes mistakes and, once they realize it, every single person hopes that by fixing their behaviors they will eventually be forgiven. If there’s no point at which you think you’d be willing to say “OK, yeah, maybe it’s getting better”, then you’re basically admitting there’s no way you’d ever give the leadership of the Academy a chance you yourself would almost certainly resent being denied.

2016′s surprise Best Picture winner, Moonlight

This isn’t to say there aren’t issues. All voters need to be required to view all movies they are voting on. Even though my opinion on Get Out is well known, if people who refused to see it were allowed to vote on Best Picture, as has been alleged, it’s a travesty. They could get some hosts in there that reflect the new America’s tastes and don’t take it all so seriously. Jimmy Kimmel has his moments, and last night’s visit to moviegoers in a real theatre was a touch of genius, but more female and minority hosts, willing to cross lines and skewer the proceedings a bit more, would be great. Because the proceedings really need skewering. In an age of an unprecedented gap between the rich and the rest of us, people are still showing up in outfits that cost more than our entire net worth and prancing around for the cameras like it’s something we should care about. A nice shirt and pair of pants ought to be fine (props to Emma Stone for having an outfit that looks close to like something a human might wear on a semi-regular basis). And the In Memoriam segment still needs work.

None of the issues with the show itself should detract from the fact that the nominees and winners are continually evolving to reflect a growing portion of America. And it’s time to let go of old grudges and admit that it is so.

[phaylenfairchild]

Mainstream Society More Willing to Accept Trans Men over Trans Women

But, neither has it easy.

In fact, Transgender identifying people are currently the most heavily targeted members of American society, plagued by a government intent on persecuting them, or erasing them altogether. Military Bans, the banning of the word “Transgender” in the CDC, the shocking effort to remove Trans individuals from the Civil Rights Protection Act are all very real obstacles facing the Transgender community. Since the Trump administration took control of the White House appointing religious radicals to power positions, Trans people have had their struggle for acceptance amplified tenfold.

However, evidence suggests that Transgender women often suffer the most caustic blows socially- especially the ones coming from lawmakers and the general population.

The notorious bathroom bill which was first introduced in North Carolina, Texas, Alabama and more recently Alaska, addresses Transgender people in general, but their vocabulary is very specific when building their argument and spreading their propaganda. “Men in Dresses” certainly doesn’t apply to Trans Men. When these Statesmen propose these bills, they do so by bemoaning the safety of their wives and young daughters, not their Husbands and young sons.

To elucidate, The proposition introduced in Houston exclusively seems to target Transgender women. From the first frame of the commercial, which aired on local television throughout the state of Texas, it prominently features a Women’s bathroom as words appear boldly on-screen saying “Any Man At Any Time Could Enter a Woman’s Bathroom Simply By Claiming to be a Woman that Day.”

In fact, most arguments that elitist bigots make for the exclusion of Transgender individuals is built solely on the foundation of demonizing Trans women specifically. The go-to excused used exhaustively imply that Trans women are rapists, pedophiles and pose a threat to vulnerable women and children.

In another video opposing the bill, it portrays a Trans Man entering a bathroom alongside a Cisgender man. In a rather saccharine exchange, the cis man asks the Trans man if he was born a male, to which the trans man replies “I identify as male.” And then the cis man moans comedically and his head explodes.

Flip the script on this for just a moment. If that were a Trans woman entering a bathroom with a cisgender woman, the result would have been dramatically different. The woman would have screamed, run from the restroom, and a gang of burly wanna-be heroes would charge in to save her by violently attacking the defenseless Trans woman. They certainly wouldn’t just moan with shock or forehead slapping confusion. This is our greatest fear every time we have to debate with ourselves whether or not to pee in public. While Trans men also experience this distress, the media focuses heavily on solely vilifying Trans women as dangerous.

In the past three years, we’ve witnessed the terrifying influx of murders targeting Trans women of color. With each passing year, the number of hate motivated killings have increased exponentially. In 2016, there were 23 murders of Trans people. All but two were Trans women of color. The number increased in 2017 to 28. Just 3 months into 2018, already 7 Trans women have been murdered, the majority black or latino trans women.

*The number of Trans murders rose to 28 before the end of the 2017 year

While 2016 and 2017 showed an small increase in the murder of Trans men, the number of deaths of trans women is still alarmingly disproportionate by comparison. People often wonder why the murder rate of Transgender individuals is such a big deal, citing that thousands of murders happen every day. The difference is, our community is much smaller. 0.3 percent of the American population identify as transgender according the the US National Library of Medicine and Health. That is 390 Transgender people, per every 100,000 cisgender people. If we were an animal, we’d be considered critically endangered. That is why the murder of Transgender Americans is a big deal, especially in the Black community.

Long before gay men were accepted into a more mainstream vain less than two decades ago, it was more acceptable for two women to be seen kissing than two men. Heterosexual men objectified lesbianism as a performance for their personal sexual gratification while heterosexual women who generally found themselves more comfortable with their sexuality and more likely to experiment, were decidedly less offended by the concept of lesbianism than displays of male homosexual behavior. For these women, men in gay relationships fell out of the masculine mold society had built for them to inhabit, while lesbianism was suggested to be more refined, sensual and even beautiful.

Cisgender Heterosexual society still builds these molds and enforces these definitions, despite our ongoing resistance to gender norms and conformity. Disturbingingly, most of cishetero society still view Trans women as threatening men in dresses, and Trans men as cute, harmless girls who look like Justin Bieber. That’s not to imply that prejudice is not experienced on both sides, towards both Trans men and Trans women, yet statistically, Transgender women are more likely to be murdered in a hate related crime than a Trans man.

In a Yougov survey, Cisgender, heterosexual respondents were asked probing questions about the Transgender community. As expected, transgender women fared the worst on a question asking about “engaging in a sexual act of any kind.”

15% of respondents said they would be open to engaging in sexual activity with a transgender man or a non-binary person; 13% said they would be open to it with a Transgender woman.

Unfortunately, the Hollywood industry has tethered Trans women to prostitution or portrayed them as sexual degenerates. In reality, some Transgender women who have been violently murdered are killed by male cisgender sexual partners who would plead “Trans panic” in a court of law as justification for their deadly crime. Today, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Rhode Island and Washington D.C. have banned “Trans Panic” as a plausible defense for murdering Transgender women after sex. To date, there is no incident on record where a Trans man has been murdered post sex.

That’s likely because the greater society views violence against Trans women by cisgender men as exclusive acts of male-on-male violence. A cisgender male is more likely to physically assault a Trans woman than he would a Trans man. Trans women are also more likely to go to jail in the event police are called to protect them during a dispute. Judges are less likely to treat a Transgender women as he would a cisgender woman, or even be fair with his verdict due to bias. There are more far more Transgender women in prison than trans men, most for nonviolent crimes, and they experience horrific abuse.

In a massive joint report from the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, released in 2011, studies show the following:

Transgender women were more likely to experience abuse at the hands of family (22%) than trans men(15%).

Transgender women were more often sexually assaulted (15%), compared to transgender men (10%).

34% of Transgender women who sought help at homeless shelters were turned away, while 20% of Trans men reported the same refusal of services.

Transgender women experienced a higher rate of physical assault (29%) in homeless shelters that transgender men (15%).

Transgender women experienced more instances of sexual assault (26%) at shelters and agencies by other residents or staff, whereas Trans men experienced fewer instances (15%).

This demonstrates cisgender society’s persistence in pushing us into black/white gender roles and dismissing our gender identities altogether. Cishetero male behavior towards trans women parallels their behavior toward other cisgender men, exerting dominance and toxic masculinity. If they feel their masculinity or sexuality has been challenged, they react with violence. When it comes to trans men, they also refuse to allow them their gender identity by treating them as women instead, flirting and coyly slipping into submission to appear harmless or more attractive. Men are more receptive to the company of trans men than they are trans women. Cishetero women are also more receptive to trans men, perceiving them as, not men, but butch girls, as where Trans women make many cishetero women uncomfortable, likely due to the propaganda of fear that has been fed to them by the media and politicians in government agencies.

A cisgender, heterosexual woman posed this question:

As I researched this specific topic, I found that, much to my disappointment, not many writers had explored the disparities in treatment of Trans women and Trans men by society-at-large. Interestingly, instead, I found many more instances of the cishetero community using various forums or social media websites claiming to find it easier to accept Trans men compared to Trans women. There seems be a budding fascination with Trans men however, but in the context of them getting pregnant, having genetic families and ultimately leading traditional lives, whereas trans women are often attacked by radical feminists known as TERFS for not having the ability to menstruate or carry children, thus are uniformly disqualified as women, or from participating in feminism. This skewed mindset pushes trans women further onto the fringes of society. While there are a plethora of articles lauding trans men for delivering babies while transitioning, trans women are suffering the myth of being a menace to children.

It’s important to note that this is not a reach to determine which of the Transgender identities experiences more resistance, but an examination of why things have developed as they have, where once again Trans women are the lesser of their counterparts rather than equally accepted even from our own peer group. The social, human designed constructs that not only support, but impose gender stereotypes burden both trans men and trans women, yet, the manifestation of this design appears to, in almost every fashion, lend itself to the destruction of trans women who are not, by any means, permitted to inhabit their gender identity comfortably. The strict limitations placed on trans women by indoctrinated prejudices have contributed to countless murders, suicides and when they speak out in their own defense, are damned to silence and accused of attention seeking or self-victimizing.

Many people in various communities of claim to be allies of the Transgender community must understand and appreciate the unique obstacles that both unite Trans men and women, but also differentiate them from one another vastly.

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[misssingingintherain]

Untangling the Moral Mess of “Star Wars The Last Jedi”: Part I

AKA My thoughts on “Star Wars The Last Jedi” Activism and Representation through Race, Sexuality, and Gender Politics:

Feminism: Older Women who are not Carrie Fisher! Women of Color! Non-sexualized Asian woman who is not terribly skinny too! Women in power who don’t have to sacrifice their femininity to maintain authority! Everything seems great… until we get to Rey and/vs Kylo Ren. There is so much to unpack, I’ll be doing that in later things. For now, I feel like to pull off Rey’s change in mindset, there needed to be at least another week of interactions with her and Kylo Ren. The movie takes place over 3 days at most, and almost immediately after TFA as well. They needed more time, as exemplified in Sketches from Superheroes’ wonderful analysis found here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=234SXSWgxLw&t=394s).

LGBTQIA issues: Once again, Finn and Poe have a great dynamic that I would love to see explored more. The supplementary material goes further than the text toward LGBTQIA representation (with Poe saving his mother’s ring for the right ‘partner’ rather than woman and Admiral Holdo being implied pansexual with her line ‘it’s a big galaxy’). However, we get to my sorest spot: Rose. I swear to god, I see one more post hating on her and I will release the full fury of the dark side on that unfortunate mother fucker.

My apologies for the brief lack of professionalism. And I understand concerns that her presence was to deter StormPilot/FinnPoe shippers. But there was always going to be another character added to the good guys to be the Lando of the team; as such, it also makes sense that she would have chemistry with Finn, as he is the Han Solo character of the new series. As for StormPilot shipping… this movie had the words “Finn. Naked. Leaking Bag” in it, so I think there is still plenty of subtext for us to enjoy, even if Disney is not yet ready for that next step, Capitalist Cowards that they are.

That brings us to the especially sore spot, AKA The Racial politics of TLJ: this one seems to have just about everyone divided.

Finn is still portrayed as a deserter in spite of having grown past this in TFA, with his storyline not having much of a ‘point’ in the movie.

Rose’s arc is nonexistent/entirely revolves around teaching a man (Finn) a lesson.

Poe is being stereotyped into a ‘hot-headed latino’ who is being talked down to by white women, who ‘the movie wants you to hate.’

All of these are valid readings.

However, I feel they are somewhat incomplete.

Finn was running to protect Rey, who he faced Kylo Ren for in TFA. It has been maybe a week since his desertion from the First Order. His arc and eventual attempted heroic sacrifice was about learning to fight for something bigger, not just fight for the few people he cared about. He probably should have had more time undercover on the ship, a longer fight with Phasma (especially that deleted scene where she guns down troopers he was convincing to defect), and more contrast between himself and Kylo Ren as duel main male characters in the series, but I’m confident he’ll get more screen time in the next movie.

As TV Tropes notes, “many [fans] were disappointed with the fact that after being built up so heavily as the Decoy Protagonist, Finn failed in his two major action scenes in the previous movie. Having him fight Phasma and giving him his own subplot seems to be an attempt to rectify this. Although it's somewhat undermined by his character being relegated to the C plot and superfluous to the main story” (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/TheLastJedi).

Rose had arguably the most defined arc in the movie; she is so selfless, she is the one person Leia trusts to take care of deserters. Her sister gave her life for the Resistance and Rose was willing to give her life and others’ lives as well. Only after meeting Finn does she realize that a completely selfless path is also self-destructive and there is also merit in selfishness (which also works into Poe’s theme of retreat not always being cowardly). While it could have been pulled off better, I think their scene on Crait with the speeders is sweet. Their kiss was a little odd, but it’s also John Boyega/Finn, so I get the attraction on Rose’s behalf.

Of course, the big one is Poe Dameron…

I am probably not the best person to talk about this as I am half-white and half-Asian, but I personally do not feel he is particularly out of character. First time we saw Poe in TFA, he abandoned his mission to save the villagers and shoot Kylo Ren, almost getting himself, his droid, and the map caught. He was already shown to favor all-or-nothing tactics, also evidenced by his run on Starkiller base, which had high costs due to miscalculations of how well shielded the target was. Same happens against the dreadnaught, only this time with him disobeying direct orders, as well as getting most of his men killed.

Leia, who sees him as a surrogate son as well as a future successor and therefore treats him as such, slaps him and demotes when he gets others killed in his defiance. After rightfully demoting him, he then tries to mansplain the situation to Holdo when she’s in charge and refuses to accept that he messed up and that his actions have consequences like not being privy to the plan and having to follow orders. Upon first viewing of the movie, most people side with Poe as we also don’t understand why Holdo is withholding information. But when Poe is given information, he starts throwing things on the bridge (which he was banned from) not unlike Kylo Ren and then organizes a mutiny. Yet he faces no further disciplining and learns his lesson about when you should fight and when you should flee.

The difficulty is balancing what needed to be said with the character to do it with. It is a classic trope that heroes disobey direct orders for a risky mission and when they pull it off, they face no repercussions. Was Poe the correct character to subvert this story with, as hot-blooded latino is a harmful stereotype that persists to this day? Probably not, but this is also a lesson that needed to be taught and I don’t think any of the other characters would fit in with this lesson, as it wouldn’t work as well for someone of lower or no rank like Rose or Finn or Rey.

Concerning the overall socio-political economics and the commentary surrounding it… I like the Casino scene. I didn’t at first as like many I felt it was a pointless red herring, but then I realized it was the entire point of the movie. The last scene with the slave children regaling tales of Luke Skywalker and the force sensitive one gazing at the stars with Rose’s Resistance ring wouldn’t make any sense if it had been omitted. This section got at both Rose’s theme of “It’s not just fighting what we hate, it’s saving what we love” and Poe’s theme of “we are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the first order to the ground;” in order to keep that spark going they need to save and inspire people like the slave kids, not just destroy the enemy like the First Order. That’s what makes them the heroes.

People compare this sequence to the prequels and they’re right. Because as bad as the prequels were, they were also right in some parts. War is perpetuated by the military industrial complex. The biggest threat to democracy is not necessarily outside forces like terrorists or war, but internal ones like corrupt politicians chipping away at peoples’ rights until they have none left. Perhaps if more people had listened we wouldn’t be in our current political situation. Or maybe we would. Again, I think people’s dislike of it has a lot to do with pacing and energy, as everything with the resistance feels very urgent, yet Finn and Rose spend a lot of time ogling at the rich and on this side-quest that ends up hindering more than harming.

In general, I think a lot of this backlash has to do with the fact that our heroes are extremely flawed here. Luke almost killed his nephew and then abandoned the galaxy (The Jedi Way™). Poe and Rose believe in victory at all costs, not thinking about the next fight so long as this one is won, which gets a lot of people killed. Finn is still trying to run (if for more selfless reasons this time around). Rey put her faith in a man she barely knew… twice. For the first time in a long time, we have heroes making mistakes and as leaders, they are not the only ones who pay for it, which is jarring but perhaps the most realistic part of the movie.

A main theme of this movie is gambling and the risks vs the benefits, hence the scenes on the Casino planet and the focus on the Millennium Falcon’s dice; a lot of characters gamble with their lives… and they lose. Poe/Finn/Rose arguably gamble the fate of the Resistance on DJ and lose. Holdo and Leia gamble on their small transports going unnoticed by the First Order and them having allies they can fall back on and lose. Rey gambled on both Luke coming back and Kylo Ren turning and halfway lost both times. Snoke felt invincible since he can read everybody’s thoughts before they happen and didn’t realize he was gambling with Kylo Ren until he lost. Kylo Ren gambled with his whole family and got his power but is left kneeling on the floor of an empty resistance base, clutching a pair of dice that weren’t even there.

Overall, this movie is riling both the Alt-Right and the Social Justice advocates. I personally believe it still plays more toward the latter than the former (especially with how they show the Space!Nazis to be Butt Monkeys and ineffectual toxically masculine losers), but cannot and will not discount people who take issue with these portrayals. If I have said anything that is downright racist, sexist, and/or homophobic, please tell me and I will re-evaluate my position. For now though, I feel The Last Jedi is the next step in an ever progressing galaxy.

I may do more parts of this series, focusing specifically on Finn + Rose, Leia/Holdo vs Poe, Rey vs Kylo Ren, and/or Luke, but for now, these are my thoughts. Hope they do something for untangling this complicated halfway living in a long time ago while also in a time and place very here.

Pictures are from Dichos de un Bicho and Kat Blaque’s Facebook pages.

[dawsken-blog]

ETST-205-002 Reading Reflection #5

After reading “Cannibals and Coons” and “Saludos Amigos” in the Diversity in Disney textbook, it was really surprising to see how race and ethnicity is/was portrayed in some older Disney entertainment media. One thing that really stood out in the “Cannibals and Coons” reading was the stereotypical portrayals of African Americans in some older Disney movies or short films. The reading describes how African Americans were portrayed in a couple of Disney films; Dumbo and Fantasia to be specific. In Dumbo, African American(s) (Men specifically) were portrayed as crows, which are really an irritating and dirty bird species, as the book briefly mentions. In Fantasia, as the book mentions, African Americans appear yet again to be portrayed as an animal, specifically a donkey this time however; Donkeys are described as “ugly and obstinate” in the textbook. These stereotypes that portray African Americans as dirty animals in these two Disney films, Dumbo and Fantasia, are a clear representation of racism. It is not only in these Disney films where African Americans have been stereotypically portrayed as animals, as the book mentions as well. One of the biggest stereotypical portrayals of blacks in media from the past is how they are viewed to resemble primates/monkeys, again as the book mentions. This portrayal of African Americans has been around for a very long time and is a very obvious and apparent part of racism and oppression toward blacks in the United States. It is a very sad and wrong thing that is part of these Disney films. After reading “Saludos Amigos,” there were a couple things that were interesting when it came to talking about latinos in Disney. I would have to say the two films in this reading, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, did a better job when it came to race and ethnicity. However, both these Disney films seemed to lack when it came to a social or political viewpoint when depicting what Latin countries are actually like. Between these two films, there also seemed to be a standard set that the United States is more dominant than Latino countries; Disney seemed to portray the U.S. as a masculine hegemony while Latino countries were looked at as more feminine, which ultimately depicts how the United States could be more dominant. I think that although these Disney films did a somewhat better job of showing diversity among races between the United States and Latin countries, there still wasn’t enough when it came to the realization of what each culture is, or should be, broadly looked over as. There are too many stereotypes that are depicted throughout these films that yet again, show how the United States is more dominant than Latino countries, or even any other types of countries for that matter, which is what everyone obviously falls to believe because of this type of media, but is not necessarily true when it comes to race and ethnicity. There really isn’t enough of giving these other countries credit for the truth instead of what is depicted through these films. These types of media ultimately portray the United States to be above everyone else and ultimately that is what people are going to believe when it comes to talking about race, culture, and ethnicity, and it won’t stop, nor will people never not believe the media.

[acearohippo]

Gender & Ethnicities- Marco Diaz

I’ve recently allowed myself into the SVtFoE fandom, and I’ve been enjoying the place so far. Everything is pretty happy-go-lucky, and sweet here. However… There’s been a discord among the fandom, as in every fandom, that has people not so much fighting but passive-aggressively shoving all sorts of “proof” and “evidence” into nonbelievers faces.

I’m talking about our sweet, protective angel Marco Diaz. Is Marco trans? Cis? Somewhere in between? Well… People seem to be keen on forcing one of those options on Marco. However, I’d like to bring another side in that I feel is a key factor in thinking about.

As a overview, I will NOT be trying to dispute trans!/cis!Marco theories nor will I be trying to force people to see my view. This is just something that people haven’t really brought up and I feel needs to be put into consideration. Something that I have a pretty unique perspective on. However, since people are pretty sensitive to genders, I will be calling Marco by they/them and he/him, depending on the points I’m trying to make.

The points?- • Marco being transgender is great for the young trans community • Marco being cismale is great for the young latinx/black community

First point, if Marco is trans, then the creator of this show is doing an excellent job of making it seem like a pretty natural thing for anyone to experience. Being trans isn’t really talked about much because its so difficult to explain how it feels to people who don’t experience it. It’s even harder because there are so many different ways that people can identify as trans, that there is no one way to say “Oh, this is what trans people are.” It isn’t always dysphoria and feeling “uncomfortable” in your body for some. Some people are totally 100% fine with the body they’re born with, and they are trans completely through their mentality. Others, it is their body that is trans, but their mindset is totally fine with their gender based on their birth sex. Sometimes it’s both, other times its neither, and there are a whole variety of ways it can be felt. Which means our experiences to reaching that point differ by a lot. Which is totally OK! There doesn’t need to be a specific situation that trans people have to go through in order to identify as trans. However, it’s important that young could-be trans children know that it is totally normal and fine for it to happen and for it to happen on a way that isn’t an obvious meltdown of dysphoria.

Marco seems to feel pretty comfortable in their appearance, their male appearance, and it seems like it isn’t until the episode at St. Olga’s that their possible gender identity became a matter of inspection. Because, while Marco seemed pretty comfortable with their birth gender, they SHONE as a Princess. Like, I was amazed how calmly and naturally they fell into the princess role. And, after that episode, there’ve been many instances where Marco is hinted to be trans. Which, as I’ve said, is great for the young trans community! They need to see that 1) they aren’t strange, 2) what they feel/are going through is natural, and 3) it doesn’t need to be this big thing that completely changes who you are or how people see you! I mean, it helps that the show takes place on an earth where people know about other dimensions and magic, and are very accepting of it, but even with that premise, Marco being trans is still a huge deal and should not be completely ignored!

On the flip side, we have the other point I want to make. Marco being cismale, but totally comfortable with his “feminine” side, is hella important for latinx/black children! Like, I cannot stress enough how great this is for our community! In our culture (I’m black, but I live in a Latino community so I’ve had a lot of insight with them as well) the concept of gender roles is extremely strict. Yeah, some families are more lenient than others, but, overall, there are no loopholes. There are things that only men can do and only women can do and if the line is crossed on either side, the repercussions are enormous. I am transmale, so I grew up as a female and I was not allowed to have short hair, I could not wear any shirts with graphics on them, and all my clothes were fit to show off my feminine curves. I was not allowed to wear baggy clothes outside of the house, because it was unladylike. As for my bros, they couldn’t grow their hair out from more than an inch, they had to wear loose fitting clothes or be jokingly called “gay”, and if I wore something, like a plain T-shirt, they weren’t allowed to wear it because, then, it was a “girl’s” shirt. My house was one of the more “lenient” houses, though. In our community, there are a lot of families that refuse to let their daughters where pants or their sons wear any bright or pastel colours. Any emotion that a boy shows is immediately quelled with a sharp “man up!”. Any outspoken comment from a girl is shut down with a “that’s unladylike!”. Don’t even get me started on what is expected of a man to do versus a woman when it comes to chores/jobs. Yes, society is like this as a whole, but it’s thrice as strict in most latinx/black households.

Yet, we have Marco, a Latino, born into a Latino family, who cooks and cleans and dons dresses like it’s whatever. That’s amazing! He isn’t stigmatised for being “feminine”. He isn’t put down for not showing overt masculinity! He kicked ass in a dress and cute ponytail and, when it was over and done with, and he casually went back to his signature look, a very masculine look, and continued on. That, for me, was more special than him potentially being trans. I’ve had to watch my brothers experience dysphoria because they liked “girly” things and everyone kept getting their face like “are you gay? Do you want to be a girl? Why do you like girly things?” In various levels of acceptance and spite. They shouldn’t have been forced to believe that they couldn’t be boys and like girly things. Now, they’re becoming hyper-masculine fools and it’s disheartening. I wish there had been more shows like this when we were younger so that I could’ve shown them this. Cause this sort of representation is necessary. Little boys, especially Latino/black children in strict gender-role homes, need to see that they can be like princesses without compromising their sex.

Either way, whether you think Marco is a she, a they, or a he, what’s most important is that this show is still breaking away from societal norms and it’s all up to interpretation. If you see Marco as a transgirl, that’s great! That doesn’t mean you’re erasing cisgenders. If you see Marco as 100% boy, that’s also great! You aren’t trying to erase transpeople. Either way, Marco Diaz is showing some form of positive representation and we, the fandom, shouldn’t let our petty label squabbles take away from that fact!

In summary, Marco Diaz- svtfoe in general- is showing kids that society’s idea of gender and gender roles is total bullsh and unnecessary.

[aion-rsa]

How Love, Victor Accurately Portrays The American LGBTQ Experience

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This article contains spoilers for Love, Victor season 2.

When it was announced that the iconic 2018 rom-com Love, Simon would receive a spinoff TV series, many worried it wouldn’t be able to find its own unique portrayal of sexual orientation awakening. In the hands of thoughtful showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and the endearing lead performance from Michael Cimino, Love, Victor is able to cast a wide net of LGBTQ perspectives for the audience to learn and connect to. 

That’s why Hulu’s teen romance series has developed a niche, but rabid fanbase in the past year. As an audience, getting to follow along with Victor Salazar (the aforementioned Cimino) on his journey has been an honest and raw reflection of so many viewers’ experiences with their own sexuality. With the second season having premiered on June 11, excitement has been building to see where the title character goes now that he has a boyfriend and has come out of the closet to his family. 

No piece of media can ever be an all-encompassing overview of one group’s experience, but this show has really turned into a unique survey of the gay landscape, from sexual questioning, to sexual awakening, self-acceptance, and finally learning to live in a world where others don’t respond well to you being your true self. 

There are many stereotypes in media about what it means to be gay, and too often they depict a white, upper-middle class character with family and friends who have no qualms about queerness. The happy-go-lucky approach does not show outsiders just how tumultuous and heartbreaking it often is to grapple with being non-straight. Love, Victor engages the viewer and invites them to learn about a wide variety of LGBTQ struggles. Victor is Latino, lower-middle class, Catholic, and dealing with the upsides and downsides of being a gay man who skews more masculine than feminine. 

Victor has internalized homophobia throughout the first season, taking awhile to figure out that it is indeed okay to like men, no matter what his conservative Latinx parents have taught him in the past. When he reveals his sexuality to his mom and dad in the second season, the audience is treated to the juxtaposition of the parents’ differing reactions. Victor’s father has an easy time putting his love for his son ahead of his ingrained value system; Victor’s mother has a much harder time grappling with whether to put her religion or her son first, but the payoff in that journey is something to behold (and will make you cry). This decision from the writers gives the show a way to relate to the widest array of watchers in the target audience, and shows that love can trump bigotry if you have a decent heart and adore your family. 

Arguably the most tasteful analysis the show pulls off is its depiction of the limbo you are placed in as a gay person, particularly a gay man, where you are stuck between two different worlds based off of your gender expressions. Victor is traditionally masculine, one of the stars of his high school basketball team, yet his teammates feel uncomfortable with him in the locker room. For those who think this type of homophobia is an outdated trope, take a peek at any of the comments on social media at the beginning of Pride celebrations when any male sports teams lend their support to the equality movement. To a sizable portion of the population, being gay is still synonamous with being less masculine, and Victor feels the pain of his being outcasted from the guys he hoops with in a very raw way. 

He then quits the team in the third episode of the second season, only to be poked fun of for being a “former, straight-acting jock” by his boyfriend’s gay friends. In one of the most revelatory lines in the whole series, Victor asks his teammate Andrew (played by Mason Gooding), an eventual ally, what is the perfect amount of gay to satisfy everyone? Too gay to play sports and not gay enough to hang out with more traditionally queer folk, where exactly is he supposed to turn to find his true family? This question is the most daring one that Love, Victor asks of its audience. The show expects you to examine your own opinions on gender norms and expressions regardless of sexual orientation, and teaches everyone that there is no one way to structure your identity. Victor as a character is a canvas for a myriad of interests and personalities, demonstrating the diversity of the Western LGBTQ+ experience. 

This variety is also dissected in what is likely to be the most controversial storyline of the latter half of season 2, when new character Rahim (played by Anthony Keyvan), a closeted classmate of Victor’s, reaches out for some support. As Victor’s relationship with Benji (played by George Sear) starts to go awry, Rahim becomes a confidant, a close friend, and possibly something much more than that. The love triangle that develops as the finale closes will irk many viewers, but that might be in line with the writers’ intentions.

Benji represents many of the privileges that exist in pop culture with gay men: white, rich, and possessing socially liberal parents, he doesn’t fully understand many of the hardships in Victor’s life. On the other hand, Rahim is an Iranian Muslim, with enough flamboyance to match well with much of Victor’s traditional machismo. They are kindred spirits in many ways, and all of their different gayness meshes in a way that is aptly described by Rahim as “magical”. Comparing and contrasting a mixed race relationship (white person with a racial-minority person) with one where both parties are non-white gives the audience a lot to chew on. All of the intricacies of race, gender expression, and sexuality intertwine when Victor and Rahim are together, forcing the narrative to dig deeper and making the show something truly special.

The sheer amount of side characters and the short runtime (each episode clocks in at around 30 minutes each) leaves some stories feeling a little rushed, which would be one of the only flaws in the show’s exploration of teenage sexuality. With the time that is given, you don’t always get the full picture on the peripheral of the main plot, but relationships like Victor and his best friend, Felix, and the bond that he shares with his ex-girlfriend, Mia, are also valuable to the portrayal of a gay man’s inner circle.

Victor and Felix (played by Anthony Turpel) are a beacon of hope that a gay man and straight man can remain as tight after the coming out process as they were before. There is no sexual tension and absolutely no insecurities from Felix that Victor may come on to him; the latter issue is one of the preeminent reasons so many queer people have for holding off on being themselves, as they don’t want their friends to view them any differently than before (I, for instance, had an aunt who dropped one of her longest friendships when she found out the woman was a lesbian). They talk about their sex lives, go to each other for relationship advice, and just have a whole lot of fun; they’re bros (or bone brothers, according to Felix). Victor and Felix do not represent the majority of gay/straight friends, rather they portray the idyllic potential of this scenario in a world that will hopefully become fully comfortable with it some day soon.

As the first season came to a close, Mia (played by Rachel Hilson) is heartbroken after Victor cheats on her in the process of figuring out his sexuality and the showing of her forgiveness in the second season is one of the highlights of the series. Gay men keeping their friendships with ex-girlfriends after coming out is a common stereotype, but it’s rarely shown with such tenderness as in this series. The Victor/Mia bond demonstrates the ways platonic love can be so powerful it can confuse those engaged in it. This makes figuring out one’s sexuality even more confusing for many in the LGBTQ community, and the interpretation of this trope is very warm as seen in these two characters.

When making a TV show that represents a group of people who have been traditionally discriminated against, it is not enough for the characters to simply exist; these folks need to be a reflection of the society that they are fictionalizing. Unfortunately, depictions of the LGBTQ community on screen have long been restricted to one-dimensional sidekicks (the Gay Best Friend trope, examined perfectly here by The Take)  and cheap stereotypes (Carol on Friends was used to insult Ross’s masculinity, insinuating that he turned her lesbian because he wasn’t man enough for her). 

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In Love, Victor, the core discussion around how masculinity, conservative social norms, and the gay experience can merge into one lifestyle is extremely compelling for a myriad of reasons, not the least being that parents of children who look, act, and behave just like Victor can see how normal all of this is. Being gay is so much more than who you are attracted too; sexuality relates to every sector of a person’s life and how they are perceived by the society around them. No other show on TV right now can claim to be as aware of all of these topics, all while making you laugh, cry, and think. Victor says in the second episode of season 2 that he hopes to inspire someone else to be themselves one day; he’s surely already done that tenfold. 

All 10 episodes of Love, Victor season 2 are available to stream on Hulu now.

The post How Love, Victor Accurately Portrays The American LGBTQ Experience appeared first on Den of Geek.

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