So I don't know exactly what to say about the movie that we watched, other than it was kind of eye-opening. I have no issues with the transgender community or the lifestyle choices that the people displayed in the movie make. That being said, when the movie talked about taking in young boys (some were 14 or 15 years old), and teaching them this way of life, I was a little put off. In some cases, the parents of the boys would disown them with the announcement that they were gay, but in others the child ran away and joined one of these groups. I just don't know if a 14 or 15 year old is capable of making a life-changing decision like that. I was still watching cartoons at that age. I think this is especially problematic given the dynamics of the households that they were a part of. One transgendered male as a "mother" just seems like a weird source to be getting parenting from at that age. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, I know that gay parents are just as capable of raising a child as straight parents, so maybe it's the same type of a situation. We only observed a small portion of these men's lives in the ball culture, so maybe the home dynamic is different than what we observed. I just know as a parent, I wouldn't send my 14-15 year old child to one of the drag shows we watched, especially given the nudity and sexuality within.
That being said, I think the communities that were formed seemed to provide a strong sense of self-acceptance within the "families" through the shows. There was a small amount of discontinuity within this, though, with disqualifications in shows, but for the most part these men seemed like a close-knit accepting community. I think even the guy at the beginning of the movie with the moustache mentioned that being the most crucial part of the shows. Acceptance seemed like something that was lacking at the time, so in that sense this culture must have been helpful to these men struggling to find acceptance in mainstream society. The societies even provided a method of responding to criticism (I can't remember what it was called, but there was a word for it) of those who weren't accepting through practice within the culture. Through this, I think these cultures enabled these men to feel empowered and free.
I had similar reactions when watching that part of the movie. 14 or 15 seems to be a young age at which to run away from home and joining a new family, but is it worse than being kicked out of their real home for being gay? Isn't it better to live as part of a chosen family where they are cared for and supported than to be homeless or in a family that doesn't accept them for who they are?
ReplyDeleteMason, I definitely agree with you on the 14-15 year old part of the movie. I thought it was slightly odd and creepy as well, especially when they showed clips of the young boys. They seemed to have no problem with running off and associating with other "queens," which makes me think that Sarah's comment might be right - maybe, for them, it was about feeling accepted and truly loved in a chosen family instead of a biological one.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the family ties and acceptance were a big part of the ball culture. There were several references to the fact that balls allowed these men to "be themselves" and become "anyone they wanted," which was clearly important for them at the time.
Remember how we discussed how we often search for identities that remind us of ourselves in books, TV shows, movies, etc.? I think that these young boys and girls who would join the houses were doing the same thing. They were looking for other people like themselves. You mentioned how you thought that receiving parenting from a transgender woman as a “mother” seemed weird, but I would make the argument that it is not. These kids would be going through a variety of issues associated with gay life, especially back then. The only people in their lives that would be able to understand exactly what they were going through and be able to provide them with guidance are those who have had similar experiences, or in other words, their “mothers”.
ReplyDeleteOh! And just for a little education on this community, when talking about someone who identifies as trans, you should refrain from referring to them as transgendered. The reason being that the “ed” makes it sound like something has been done to them, and that they weren’t the same person all along. Another way to look at it is that you would never say that someone is “gayed” or “lesbianed.” Just for future reference!!
DeleteMy bad for the terminology, I didn't know that could be offensive. I'll be sure to use the correct term in the future. And it's not that I'm saying that trans individuals are any less capable of being parents. I just thought the society in the film was a little too sexualized for 14-15 year olds to be raised in. Like I said before, maybe this is just a small portion of their lives and the families are a safe, comfortable environment. Then again, maybe the sexual nature is okay for these boys to be raised in and I just have a more traditional view of the situation. Americans tend to think anyone under 17 is completely innocent, but maybe these boys know exactly what they are getting themselves into and finding themselves a comfortable home. I didn't mean to offend if that was the case! :)
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