Transgender (Boys Don't Cry)

The movie Boys Don’t Cry was a film I probably won't ever forget. The movie was uncomfortable at times but at the end made me feel sympathy for Brandon Teena. The movie which was based off of a true story truly depicted the idea of reinventing one’s self. Sexual identity crisis is not a concept most people can relate too. Watching Brandon Teena grow from the beginning to the end was a very interesting development. Brandon is the self-made man; he goes from being a woman and changing his whole identity to fit the profile of a man. Brandon is portrayed as a strong, confident, male. He is seen the chivalrous stranger who had a very charismatic effect on people due to high amount of faith he had in himself. Everyone fell in love with him; he instantly sparks a friendship with John and Tim. Brandon knew how to treat women with respect. He's truly dedicated to being a male. He only gets very jittery when others question his sexuality. The element of confidence is portrayed when he fights other men and tries to get Lana sexually. He is determined to make a better life for himself as a male. He seems happier and more at peace with himself as a male Even when tested and broken down while he is raped, he still allows Lana to help him be a comfortable in his own skin even though he was not an actual boy. 

When Brandon is shot, its like hope is lost for the transgender community. Not only did Brandon suffer so much for his identity but also was brutally raped, degraded, and beaten to the small little girl he once was. They took his virginity in a brutal scene one so vulgar and violent that I will never forget watching it. It was painful to see a person who was so determined and bold to be killed in the eyes of his loved ones. Brandon lived a life many didn’t; he lived on the edge but as the person he truly wanted to be even if it did not fit in with society’s stereotypes.

The murder scene was something hard for me to watch and something I will never forget again. It made my sympathies for transgender grow even more than before. Ultimately Brandon’s desire was linked to the danger of his life and his desire to be a transgender caused him to be killed by two people he called his friends. Their hatred for transgender ultimately killed Brandon Teena; the girl and boy version of him.

The other week in sociology we were learning about people who are transgender and they are seen as a very different species compared to homosexuals. It is very hard for certain people to understand the struggles they deal with. People act very violently towards transgender.  A woman and her boyfriend were accompanied by a friend in McDonald’s, the girls thought that a girl in the facility was hitting on the boyfriend. When the girl seemed to have followed the boyfriend into the bathroom, the two other girls pounced and literally beat who they thought was a girl. This other woman in the restaurant was a transgender and she was violently beaten. Transgender people are having a very difficult time being accepted by society. This film and these articles share the story of Brandon Teena makes me get a closer look to the struggle people that are a transgender are faced with on a daily basis. I commend Brandon for the strength to set for on his own path and march to the beat of his own drum.