Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual & Transgender People (MAGNET) is hosting a panel discussion tonight entitled ‘Women Demanding Change Now: The Dehumanization of Transsexual Women through the Gay Male Hollywood Lens’
MAGNET, an anti-defamation organization for trans people, is very alarmed with the pattern of gay male Hollywood continuing to make stigmatizing portrayals of transsexual women in a way that harms, rather then help. The panel seeks to explore solutions to build authentic unity and trust within LGBT community. Topics that will be highlighted are the mental and physical violence incited by messages in film and TV, influential gay men getting away with producing stigmatizing, over the top & unkind images of transsexual women, Gay Inc. and some transgender activists co-opting the medical condition transsexualism and Hollywood’s fetish with inaccurately depicting transsexual women as “drag queens”/ “caricatures of femininity.”
Many images of transsexual women in the media are dangerous propaganda that mis-educates the public and assaults transsexual women. Ironically, many of the same messages that Gay Male Hollywood depicts of transsexual women are the exact same messages that the religious far right concocts of transsexual women to alienate them from mainstream society. As the LGBT movement evolves, now is the time more then ever for the LGBT community to nurture and uplift each other, not “oppress our own.”
The panel will feature community activists, journalists, TV.film producers, a professor and trans leaders.
The event is today, July 15th- 7-9:30pm Plummer Park Community Center, Room#6. 7377 Santa Monica Blvd.(Cross street is Martel) West Hollywood, CA 90046.
Some of the panelists include Arianna Davis, Talia Bettcher, PHD, Cary Harrison & Matt Palazollo and will be moderated by Ashley Love (an organizer with MAGNET).
MAGNET is an anti-defamation organization dedicated to educating the media about transsexual and transgender issues, as well as pushing for more authentic and positive portrayals of trans people in the media.
For more info:
MAGNET WEBSITE: www.TheMAGNETSource.blogspot.com