Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

QUEER FILM REVIEW 1#: Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

With Transgender Rememberance Day coming up this month; I thought it would be a really good idea to explore the queer representation on film and how the views and narrative display has changed since the release of Kimberley Pierces’ Boys Don’t Cry (1999).

Based on the tragic events of the life and death of Brandon Teena; a young and inspiring transgender male who was raped and killed for being who he his. The perputrators presented within the narrative of the film and the real life events are what the community and the world that supports our movement fights against. The hate and the disgust prefusely pouring out of them is something we see happen time and time again as more and more trans people are murdered killed and attacked. 

As a community ; LGBTQIA+ individuals have fallen victim too many times to the hands of hate. Matthew Sheppard in 1999 was viciously attacked by fellow students for being who he is. In this year alone there have been numerous cases of trans black women being murdered as described on the HRC (Human Rights Campaign) article report (this will be linked). 22 black trans women have been listed of being killed this year. Dana Martin, Jazzaline Ware, Ashanti Carmen, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle ‘Tamika’ Washington, Paris Cameron to name the many who have died this year. It’s sad to think the human race has got to a place where hate is such a celebrated emotion that we are desensitised to the pain it causes. 

The film holds a huge significance to the movement because it placed a small and unknown town , Falls City in the world view. It represents the highest level of difference and non willingness to change. Through the watchful eye of capitalism; the world has become addicted to pain , hate and death. Money as the substance that abuses the minds of so many. Brandon is constantly in search of it in his short life to find ways to make his life more authentic and beautiful by fully embodying the person he truly is. 

As trans people we are constantly forced to look at the world from a binary viewpoint as we embark on our transistions (which are assumed as a general consensus as an end goal). Not all trans people want to take on the medical precidures either from personal and political stand point or and the difficult time and financial training process of it all. At the time to which the film is set; Brandon is embarking on his journey whilst the world is going through emmence change; a couple years prior the apartheid in South Africa ends; how many years before that the US was hit with it’s highest level of AIDS and crack epidemics which essentially destroyed the LGBTQIA and Black communities across the country and the world. 

I found the film hard to watch and triggering as someone who had been lucky enough to survive a sexual assault; but  due to the lack of attention made by the police the perpetrators; Nissen and Lotter went off Scot free. The police were more interested in questioning Brandon’s gender identity than getting justice. A choking moment that would later define his and two other victims survival. What I have to commend is Hillary Swank’s portrayal which lead to an academy award for best actress in 2000. The way she took on the role and personified the life and experiences of Brandon Teena was truly commendable. Pierce created a motion picture film that highlights problems we still deal with today as trans and non binary people. 

When I attended the first Trans pride in the summer this year I managed to get some time with Vice UK to speak on the experiences and also the day in itself. Being trans means the world to me; makes me feel good to say it out loud. Even though I am surrounded by the occasional homophobe; I manage to feel so empowered. It’s stories like Brandon’s or Matthew’s , Ashanti , Claire and so many of our amazing and beautiful humxns in our community that inspire me to be myself and stand up for what is right.

Though the film has some moments that made me feel uncomfortable and out of place; we are a family something that our cisgendered heterosexual counterparts wouldn’t understand. When you a minority in anyway and society has outcasted you’re existence, you build a family and start a fresh. The people I’ve met since I’ve been in London and started a new life are what I consider family and they are the reason I feel good and want to make the most of life. The reason why I pointed out our cisgendered heterosexual counterparts is because with the exception of POC and other minorities that don’t fit the societal ideal of a cisgendered white male; there is no real reason to seek out a family in this way because the very society had welcomed them. For us; the society in which we live has systematically found way to suppress and oppress for so long that it has caused us to find ways to interconnect and create a family. 

How can we find reasoning and middle ground? We interconnect, we listen and we get on with it. There 1001 problems all happening at the same time; whilst the UK government figure out the fate of our European ties; a country 1000s of miles away is breaking away from a beaucractic and dictated government or finding its feet in the post modern age. We aren’t moving at the same time with the same energy but I can assure you one thing; we will not stop until there is an understanding that LIFE MATTERS. 

All life has a reason to be here and it’s not some superstitious nonsense but a simple notion of life has meaning. Sometimes the meaning doesn’t need to be explained or sorted after but when did or at what point was it okay to murder and destroy? I’ll tell you the second the human race decided that hierarchy was necessary; the moment we decided to label and box people and animals and whatever else. 

The society that is presented in Boys Don’t Cry (Pierce,1999) is one that stills exist in a different time zone to you and you must understand that as we enter an age that’s entirely reliant on internet; we are interconnected more than ever so we must fight and be aware and prepared for hate. 

Hate is the resistant antibody that it threatening the very thing we hold dear.. peace. My gender expression has nothing to do with you and only to do with me. If I’ve specifically asked you to use the pronouns I’ve stated please do. Because it’s a hate crime when you mispronounce someone’s identity, when you disregard someone because they’re identity doesn’t match your ideals. Trans and Non-Binary people deserve love too. And this love was found for Brandon when he met Lana. She represent the world that we see creating itself. People being intolerant to hate and not getting involved in the medieval ideologies of gender expression and just allowing people to live their lives.

When you’re living in a capitalist system as a minority you’re seen as a problem; a hiderance to the system once they’ve used you up for all you’re goods. The colonial system and minds don’t go but change their modes of taking. Using LGBTQIA+ community for financial gain or taking from a culture that doesn’t represent your ideals but is useful for selfish and political purposes; it’s no different to selling slaves or using an entire country as a way of making money. 

We must fight back not just for ourselves but for the many lives of minorities that have faced death, prejudice, hate at the hands of the oppressors. Find a way to interconnect and create you’re own family because in the grand scheme of things; we are going to need it.

Thank you so much for reading,

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