I know, everyone is talking about this and
making videos and posting things.
It's been talked about a lot, but y'know what?
I am frustrated so I just gotta get it out
of my system.
[upbeat music]
So, Scarlett Johansson is the latest cisgender
actor to play a transgender actor in an attempt
to get that sweet, sweet Oscar.
This comes after she played the whitewashed
lead in 'Ghost in the Shell' instead of letting
that role go to an Asian actor.
And apparently that movie totally tanking
at the box office didn't teach Scarlett Johansson
or the director, Rupert Sanders, anything
because they've teamed up again for Scarlett
Johansson to play another role that makes
no sense for her.
She’s gonna play Dante “Tex” Gill, a
trans masculine person from the 70s in an
upcoming called movie Rub & Tug.
Historical records say that he liked to be
known as a man and called Mr. Gill and we
will get more into his identity later, but
suffice it to say for now that like he did
not just identify as a butch lesbian.
And I know, cis people play trans people all
the friggin' time.
And like, I don’t love it, but y'know I've
even let it slide in the past when it seems
like the actor and filmmakers are actually
doing their research and talking to trans
people - maybe even admitting that they effed
up, but like didn't realize it until they
were too far in.
'Cause y'know we've gotta take baby steps
towards representation.
Buuuttt I've been saying "baby steps" for
many years now and they have not turned into
real steps towards any change so I'm gettin'
frustrated.
But the real thing, the real thing that set
me off was Scarlett Johansson's apology, or
lack thereof.
Not an apology.
Response.
It was an angry, accusatory, placating, and
frankly kinda confusing response.
Not an apology.
Her rep said to any trans people or allies
that might've been upset about this decision,
"Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey
Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman's
reps for comment."
[astonished sound] Ok, first of all, they
all got the same backlash.
Just because they all won awards doesn't mean
that any of us trans folks or our allies were
ever okay with them playing those trans roles.
But also, how out of touch do you have to
be to list someone who was just outed as an
abuser, specifically an abuser of the trans
women on set when we he was playing a trans
woman - how out of touch do you have to be
to list him as an example of a good actor
doing the right thing?
What?!
I've like jumped an octave I'm so outraged.
[laughs] Another thing: the director said
that she was "perfect for the role."
Okay, cool.
Cool cool cool cool cool.
Cool cool.
Uh, one thing: here is a photo of Scarlett
Johansson and here is a photo of Dante "Tex"
Gill.
Am I missing something?
I mean, I'm about to go watch a documentary
on identical triplets so maybe I'll understand
the identical thing later, but like, these
two... do not...
I don't see the "perfect role" thing here.
And like, even if you want to try to claim
that Mr. Gill didn't identify totally as male,
which like his obituary completely refutes,
by the way.
His obituary says, "Dante 'Tex' Gill always
the 'woman who prefers to be known as a man'...
always insisted that he was a man... told
everyone he wanted to be known as 'Mr. Gill'...
might've even undergone the initials tages
of 'sex change' that made him appear masculine."
Dude totally identified as male.
Now I will say often when you look back on
history it can be difficult to put today's
labels on people who had different terminology
and concepts at their disposal, but this dude's
literally got receipts.
But even that aside, going back to Scarlett
Johansson and whether she is the "perfect"
person for this role, Kivan on Twitter brings
up a great point about how the producers are
effectively like skinnywashing Mr. Gill.
Predominant trans culture and the media has
a big problem with mostly putting white, thin,
able-bodied trans people front and center.
And that's what would continue to be happening
if you have someone like Scarlett Johansson
playing someone like Mr. Gill.
So if you want someone who is perfect for
the role, here's a handful of trans actors
who are 1.
actually transmasculine and 2.
actually look like the damn guy.
[sighs exasperatedly] But believe it or not
I don't actually want to keep talking about
this particular situation because it's gonna
be outdated.
Soon enough there's gonna be another cis actor
playing a trans actor and this video is going
to be relevant all over again.
So I wanna actually talk about the bigger
issue here, which is that trans actors should
be playing trans roles and explain why that
is.
And first of all, I do want to say that I
grew up acting.
I have dabbled in and out of the film and
entertainment industry in various capacities
throughout my whole life so I'm not just speaking
from like an out of touch activist who doesn't
know how the industry works perspective.
I actually do kinda know how these things
work.
And I'll give cis actors a bone here.
I totally get why they would see playing a
trans person as like a good meaty role that
they can sink their teeth into.
Playing characters that are super different
from you is a thrilling and challenging exercise.
It can be a ton of fun.
It can prove your chops as an actor, and yeah,
it might win you an Oscar or some other accolade.
So if you don't know anything about why it's
wrong, of course you'd say yes.
But here's why you shouldn't:
First and maybe most importantly, it furthers
dangerous stereotypes of transgender people.
Only 16% of Americans say that they know a
trans person.
While this can seem staggering to those of
us who live in trans bubbles, I can't tell
you how often I have conversations with people
and they tell me that I'm the first trans
person they've ever spoken to - or at least,
y'know, had a conversation about trans people
with because they have probably met more trans
people than they realize, but!
The point is, that this mainstream representation
of trans people is pretty much the only education
on us that most people are getting.
Trans people, especially trans women, especially
trans women of color, are murdered at horrendously
higher rates than the general population - and
most of that is done by cis men, who thought
that the women were "tricking" them or, or
that their own masculinity was being threatened
by these "men pretending and wearing dresses."
It's sickening.
It's horrific.
It's completely wrong.
And it happens because the media continues
to further the narrative that trans women
are just men playing dress up or trying to
trick people.
And that could not be further from the truth,
but how are people supposed to know that when
there's next to no accurate representation
or education about trans people in our nation?
I mean, our educational system... has a lot
to learn in general, and then especially when
it comes to sex ed, and then especially when
it comes to gender and sexualities that are
not heteronormative.
There are an increasing number of bills out
there right now that are trying to make it
illegal to teach anything about LGBTQ+ issues
in schools.
There's also a couple out there right now
that are trying to make school counselors
out trans students to their parents.
So, our educational system is completely lacking
when it comes to trans issues, which means
it's on the media to pick up the slack.
And we're doing as much as we can to further
representation out here on YouTube, but y'know
apart from the algorithm and the age the restriction
and the anti-LGBT ads, these types of videos
here on the internet are only being seen by
people who are seeking them out.
People who WANT to learn more about trans
people - or maybe hate watch us and y'know
leave comments telling us to kill ourselves.
Our videos aren't gonna like automatically
show up to mainstream middle America, like
major motion pictures and primetime TV do.
So that's where our country's education on
trans issues is coming from.
And when mainstream entertainment does it
poorly, it has realword implications on trans
people.
But I'll dial it down a notch.
Le'ts talk about the other reason that trans
roles should go to trans actors that you hear
about a lot and this is that trans actors
need a shot at something.
There are lots of trans actors out there.
Trust me, I am in a Facebook group of trans
actors and there are a bunch of us.
But for all sorts of reasons, trans actors
very very rarely get cast in cisgender roles,
which means that trans roles, when they exist,
are kind of the only option for a lot of trans
actors.
So then when a cis person takes the trans
roles as well trans actors are left with nothing.
And that brings us into the next argument
that people who don't understand why trans
roles should go to trans actors always bring
up, which is that you need a big name in a
movie for it to get funded and for it to be
popular and people to go see it and for it
to get press.
I get that, but how are trans actors ever
gonna become big household names if they're
not given the chance to even start out and
grow up to that point?
If they're not given any roles to help them
get to the point where they will be a household
name?
Laverne Cox is amazing, but there's just one
of her.
But I also just wanna retire this argument
all together because, now I don't know if
you know this, but most movies have more than
one actor!
Just because the lead actor who is a trans
character is gonna be played by a trans actor
that maybe not a lot of people know, doesn't
mean that the other opposite lead, who's a
cisgender character or all of the supporting
characters who are cisgender characters can't
be played by huge, massive names that'll bring
out the money and the press.
The "big name" does not have to be just the
one trans character, who like also because
these are usually being written by cis people
like the cis character ends up being more
of the lead anyway 'cause it's like from the
cisgender gaze.
On that note, let's also hire trans writers
and trans directors and trans everything else
in the film industry when you're trying to
responsibly tell a trans person's story.
Kay?
Cool.
But then of course when we start talking about
things like that, we hear cis people always
saying like well why don't you just create
your own stories?
Girl, we're tryin'!
There are so many trans web series and short
films and documentaries and all sorts of stuff
that are made entirely by trans people and
we've got GoFundMe's and we've got Kickstarters
and Indiegogo's.
We are trying to get those out there.
Do you realize how hard it is?
I mean, it is hard for anyone in the film
industry to make it on that kind of like indie
level, but when you've got like an entire
trans team... we are tryin'!
I will leave a, a list in the description
box of a whole bunch of really great uhm trans-backed
projects that you can go support and you can
watch and love and share around.
We're workin' on it.
And, on that note, we should all be watching
Pose on FX.
The new show about drag balls.
It has like a record-breaking number of trans
actors in it and also co-written and co-directed
by Janet Mock.
Give that show all of the views and ratings
and money that you can.
Also, talking about trans actors and filmmakers,
I want to plug this video that my friend Oliver
helped make with ScreenCrush and GLAAD a couple
years ago.
It is filled with trans actors all telling
you in their words why Hollywood needs to
treat them better.
[exhales deeply] Alright, I am almost off
my soapbox, but I got just one last thing
to say here: so I'm making this big stink
right now about how wrong Scarlett Johansson
is and how mad at her I am and I am.
Because again, it is one thing to properly
apologize and then y'know maybe even atone
for your mistakes and like step down from
the role.
But it is quite another to double down on
your position and then shout back at the marginalized
community that is rightfully calling you out.
So yeah, I'm pretty pissed right now.
But am I still gonna see the next Marvel movie
that Scarlett Johansson's in?
Yeah.
I probably am.
Because I'm trash.
And y'know, like in the grand scheme of the
giant Marvel Cinematic Universe, she only
has like a small role and it's not like it
was a trans character that she's playing.
Although, trans male actor Murray Hill did
point out that he is available to play Black
Widow in the next film, if she needs it since
y'know she took this one away from trans male
actors.
Now THAT is a Marvel movie I would want to
see.
Y'know, I probably also shouldn't be support
Mark Ruffalo by seeing Marvel movies after
he initially had a pretty salty response to
the trans community when we called out the
movie he produced with Matt Bomer, where Matt
Bomer a cis actor, played a trans woman.
But I don't want to hate Mark Ruffalo or Scarlett
Johansson or Matt Bomer, with those beautiful
blue eyes, or Eddie Redmayne, for that matter,
who some of you may know I love for reasons
that are complicatedly related to this.
Instead of having to hate them all forever,
I want them to learn from this, and spread
what they've learnt to the rest of Hollywood
and stick up for trans people, especially
fellow trans actors and filmmakers.
And I know, that might seem like a lofty dream,
but like, c'mon!
Over the past year, we've seen that change
can happen in Hollywood.
And that you can still get your friggin' Oscar
when you do the right thing.
So to any cisgender actors, just think twice
if you get offered a trans role and, when
people call you out, listen to them and be
nice and think about your response for a second,
and maybe y'know don't point out an abuser
of trans people as an example of someone who's
doing it right.
Just a suggestion.
Ah well, thank you for listening to me rant
on this, uh I hope you got something out of
it as well.
Down in the comments, please leave your favorite
trans actor.
Let's give them some good vibes and some promo.
And hey, make sure you're following me here
on Youtube, hit that subscribe button for
new videos every Wednesday... ish.
And also follow me on Instagram @jackisnotabird,
that's what I am on all social media.
Also, I do have a podcast called Transmission,
where I try to amplify the narratives of trans
people, it's coming back soon, I promise.
But you can listen to existing episodes on
Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.
That is it for now.
Thank you all so much for watching and I'll
see ya next time!
