We watched Disclosure at the weekend. A new documentary on Netflix. Leading Trans creatives share heartfelt perspectives and analysis about Hollywood’s impact on the Trans community. I’m a cis woman happily married to a Trans woman but it wasn’t always like that. We spent ten rocky years trying to get through and accept that my husband of fifteen plus year wanted to become a woman. Why? Exactly what it’s telling you in this documentary.
I grew up in the 70’s, with the likes of Dick Emery/ Les Dawson and many others appearing on our TV screens what felt like daily. We sat laughing at the TV because men were dressing up has women to get laughs. This was regular entertainment back then. 70’s TV was very limited. I watched the normal kids TV, but these comedies were the ones that came back to haunt me years later. Even in Diane’s early Transition Mrs Browns Boys was one of the most popular TV shows. Again people were laughing at the TV when a man appeared dressed as a woman. I’ll admit now I was one of those people. It was the talking point of the year and I need to feel part of the daily conversation round the table at work. Although it was one thing that hurt me because of Diane’s Transition it also took me away from Diane’s Transition. I couldn’t come out to anyone whilst they were laughing at Mrs Brown. All my fears of Diane’s Transition came from watching those shows. Everyone would just laugh at us because she was just another one of those characters from 70’s TV. How could I carry on if all that was going to happen is we wasn’t going to be accepted and become isolated from everyone around us.
I’ve come to realise that being Transgender isn’t about putting on a dress to become a woman, it’s about what’s inside. It’s a feeling that never goes away but gets increasingly worse until you have no other choice than to accept who you are. I eventually accepted my husband’s Transition. Seven years into Transition and she is now the content woman she always felt she was. She spent 50 years of her life fighting her feelings but eventually she had to be herself.
I know Trans people have many supportive allies these days but there is still many that want to erase them from the universe. It doesn’t help when politicians and TV personalities are getting front page headlines that are full of hatred for Trans people. Does all this hatred go back to these TV shows and look at them as though they are just getting a kick out of wearing a dress. Disclosure needs to be available for everyone to view. People need to listen to how Trans people feel and how something that appears on TV can be the reason they can’t accept people for who they are.
nanatracey 