MAGNET Panel about Misrepresentation and Exploitation of Transsexual Women Inspires Healthy Community Discussion.

Post Event Release

MAGNET’s positive panel discussion ‘Women Demanding Change Now’ has successful outcome.

‘Women Demanding Change Now: The Dehumanization of Transsexual Women through the Gay Male Hollywood Lens’ was a controversial, yet healthy and much needed discussion concerning the stigmatizing portrayals of transsexual women in the media, particularly those produced by Gay Male Hollywood.

An extremely diverse group of LGBTQI and allies spoke on the panel such as teachers, activists, film/TV producers, journalists, writers and actors.

Though the topics were confrontational, we needed to be honest about the realities affecting the most vulnerable portion of the LGBT community.

The reality is that there are very few opportunities for trans roles in Hollywood, so when gay men get into positions of power to make those few times count, it is extremely disappointing, stigmatizing and hierarchy creating when they put images of “trans face” into the public eye, therefore dehumanizing and marginalizing transsexual women in mainstream society.

Some of the footage from the event will be in Ashley Love’s upcoming documentary concerning media reform for transsexual women.

A outline of what was discussed at the event will be available next week.

The reason MAGNET elected to specifically target the negative images created by gay men is since transsexual women are listed under the LGBT umbrella, then it is even more damaging when the most privileged part of the LGBT community (affluent gay men) gives mainstream society ‘permission’ to oppress us. Transsexual women are not ‘property’ of the privileged white gay (or straight) men who continue to makes millions off exploiting them in the media. They do not have the right to make a minstrel show out of of transsexual women's lives. Gay Male Hollywood's "trans face" images are causing harm at a time when trans women are trying to gain acceptance and civil rights.

Thank you to all supported the trans community’s protest against defamation, misrepresentation and exploitation