I’m not saying we should constantly seek external validation or depend on other people weighing in on our attractiveness to feel wanted. I am saying we all deserve to see people trying to bone people that look like us on screen.
I rarely see anyone that looks like me in movies/web series/TV — to the point that the most glaring examples of people that look like me in movies/web series/TV… ARE ACTUALLY ME.
Samira Wiley did an interview and photoshoot with with Mimichatter Magazine on topics mostly related to her hair and skin but also about LGBT issues, Orange is the New Black and her role in 37, a film about the murder of Kitty Genovese.
Because let’s talk for a minute about the glaring problem with there being the “right” kinds of books and movies, or any kind of stories that we should be consuming in order to be considered informed. Who decides what the “right” ones are? Who has access to these stories? What criteria are used to differentiate between stories? I can tell you the people who don’t get to make these decisions. People of color. Women. Members of the LGBT community. These are not the voices that typically get to choose the “right” stories.
This is still true when it comes to television. The writers and producers and other show runners involved are not typically members of any minority group. Fandom, however, is a very diverse group. And fandom, at its very best, understands the need for diverse stories and they clamor for them.
Lesbian Feminist Liberation members went directly to NBC headquarters ten days after the “Police Woman” episode aired, with Stevye Knowles accessing the building by saying she was there for lunch with her husband (she brought her three children along) and the rest entering through a door they’d duct-taped unlocked. The group staged an overnight sit-in, demanding to speak with the NBC Vice President. Outside, around 75 women were marching and handing out leaflets. Networks were realizing we couldn’t be ignored. Consequently, anti-gay groups ramped up their efforts, attempting to stop networks from ever portraying homosexuality in a positive light. That fight continues today.
Hey everybody. So this week is Transgender Awareness Week, from the 14th through the 20th. I have a couple things I plan to post about the comic this week, but I’ll especially be posting some things about Bianca Faye, one of the main characters in Campaigners, who is a young transgender woman.
I’ll dig into her over the next few days, she’s such a fun character to write, and she’s really in a lot of ways the driving force behind most of what happens throughout the story.
But right now, I wanted to share a few links regarding Transgender Awareness Week. Transgender people in this country (and the world) still face some serious issues, and it’s important for people to be aware of these issues.
So here are few places you can go for more information. Here’s GLAAD’s Trans Week site, which provides an overview and some videos talking with prominent members of the transgender community.
There’s also a lot of good articles on Autostraddle.com, including this one recapping some of the biggest Trans stories of the year and this list of 10 lesser-known trans women pioneers.
Oh and hey, while you’re at it, why don’t you check out our kickstarter here, for the Campaigners graphic novel?
And don’t forget to check back here the rest of week if you want to learn more about Bianca Faye and Campaigners.
keep your fears close and your intentions closer, and you set out on a noble quest to be your selfiest self.
