i talk about the intent of a portrayal again and again regarding other portrayals of hated minorities in media. though there are trans women who have a 5 o’clock shadow, trans women who let their beards grow out fully, trans women who don’t fit the norms of cis womanhood (or cisness in general), who are no less women than those who do, having a cis male back up dancer by the name of scott nicholson play a role where he is to be seen as a man in a dress only has one goal: to laugh at the idea of trans women thinking they’re women.
i seriously question the decision to add this detail to a music video for one of the most listened songs right now. ariana is a big enough of an artist to say that she’s refusing to add transmisogynic content into her videos and having her voice heard, yet this part is still in it. by allowing it in, she’s giving the impression that she either agrees with the mockery, or thinks it’s not big enough of a thing to question: both, in the end, equally harmful.
cis LGB artists and persons, such as troye sivian, took part in this music video, and still trans women are being mocked, showing how little the further cis community (and indeed, even the rest of the trans community) cares about the wellbeing of trans women.
ariana is, by including this, further helping transmisogyny hold its roots steady not only in its portrayal of trans women (and caricatures of men in dresses supposed to represent trans women) in media, but normalising this mockery to her audience, who will use this normalisation to harm trans women. it’s disgusting. ariana’s actions here are disgusting.
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