Transgender

"When you meet a human being the first distinction you make is 'male or female' and you are accustomed to make the distinction with unhesitating certainty"

- Sigmud FreudFreud,S,(n.d) p.12.

'Transgender' in the Media

This collection is interesting as it displays youthful transgender, which in effect, promotes transgender to a younger audience. The way the photos are shot, is almost portrayed as a fashion, or a trend, in which viewers may feel inclined to dress and appear differently to who they are beneath the clothes.

(Gorence, 2012.)

Paris is Burning -

Venus Xtravaganza

'I would like to be a spoilt rich white girl'

Xtravaganza planned to have sex reassignment surgery to complete her transition as a woman.

She had competed as a contestant amongst many drag and transvestite people.

Venus was a part of the 'House of Xtravaganza' which was an underground ballroom scene.

Paris is Burning 2012, Venus Xtravaganza [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SRoFxHSRl4[Accessed 12 Jan 2015]

Boys Don't Cry

Peirce, K. 1999. Boys Don’t Cry [TV programme recording] Film4. Available through: Box of Broadcasts database [Accessed 20 Feb 2015]

Boys Don't Cry

Transgender Brandon played by Hillary Swank tries to live his life to earn money for sex reassignment surgery. But until then he faces reality of meeting new people and falling in love.

The portrayal of this character was timid and weak, but in looking at the role as Hillary Swank, she definitely shows traits of male mind and bodylanguage.

Lana, the girl he falls in love with, is understanding and accepts that he is female and is happy to be with him, female or not. This film is inspirational to those who have no knowledge of a transgender persons life. This film gives an insight of how people are treated when they are misundertood. This opens eyes to see that they are unfortunate to have been born in the wrong bodies and until they have sex reassignment surgery, they have to live a complicated life of suffering.