Don’t support “About Ray”
So as you may have heard, “About Ray” is a movie about a teenage trans boy named Ray going through his transition and the problems that trans men face.
Problem is: he will be played by a cis girl (Elle Fanning)
By casting a trans boy as a cis girl, it’s saying that trans men can be equated to women and that there is no difference between the two. Erasure of trans people is not representation. End of story.
The trailer also has transphobic lines in it as “born in a girl’s body” to name one in particular. The two main writers are both cis as well, so it is very unlikely that a transgender person worked on the script. (Additional sources are welcome)
This has nothing to do with the skills of the actress chosen nor the previous works of the writers. This is about actual trans people being swept under the rug for cis people to feel proud of themselves for being an ally as well as the continued erasure of trans people from their own experiences (ie the Stonewall movie).
Boycott this movie. Trans people should be recognized for what they go through and accomplish, and NOT pushed aside for an “inspiring” story to please cis audiences.
EDIT: I realized after this post had become popular that a full-on boycott is not the best idea, and for that I apologize. Instead, I propose that we use the hashtag #TransCharactersAreTransPeople to spread awareness about the movie’s trans erasure. Here is a link to me explaining it.
Also, people have talked to me about saying that the phrase “born in a girl’s body” is transphobic erases dysphoric trans people. Again, not my intentions, and I apologize for any misunderstanding. I do agree that trans people can use it for themselves if they are comfy with it, but it being in a script written by a cis crew and for a cast of cis actors would be transphobic. This is what I meant in the original post, but I should have been clearer. My apologies.
Alternatively, if you would like to support a movie made by trans people that casts them as well, you may want to consider checking out Her Story! The cast and crew consist of mainly trans women, and it is scheduled to release Fall 2015.
If I have missed anything that you would like me to add, message me and I will add it to the post.
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