Film Title: “API Hair & Queerness” by Sally Tran (full version)
So two summers ago, I independently worked on a short documentary on how hair plays a role within shaping our identities and explore what are the factors that render them.
Before I began this project, my hair was at the length of my hips. People have told me that during this time, i looked and presented more “straight” and “femme” and that “I was too pretty to be gay.”
Beauty privilege? Passing privilege? Asian privilege?
Every time anyone told me, “Oh you look so fucking pretty because of your hair,” i began to believe that my beauty could only exist because of my long silky black hair.
I felt vulnerable, I felt restricted, i felt conforming. That this piece of hair that was dangling side to side from my scalp is what defined my beauty.
Within queer spaces, i felt as if there were levels of “queer authenticity” that I had to pass in order to be taken seriously. I felt that I wasn’t “queer enough” because I had long hair, and because i had passing privilege, I felt a lot of femmephobia and the pressure to do this DYKE INITIATION and finally cut my hair which is one of the reasons how this project came about.
I wanted to document the experience of individuals within the queer and Asian womyn/trans community throughout California and explore how gender presentation plays a big role in shaping our different, unique, and intersectional identities.
**note this is my first ever film, so theres several glitches in there so be gentle… and i luhh you**
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