Now more than ever we are seeing it
on television, we're seeing it in
commercials, we're seeing it in
every orifice of television and
media, but is it effective?
Is it true?
Is it performative?
Where are we at?
I'm going to start with
you, Adrienne.
What's the temperature you're
getting on it?
>> Okay, so I love that there is
more representation, more
acknowledgement, more presence,
that's extremely important.
At the same time,
we also need representation and
acknowledgement.
And essentially just also
the capitalistic benefits behind
the camera when we're looking at
the executive levels and
all tiers of the workplace.
Because we don't want to be in
a situation where society is
capitalizing and benefiting off of
having individuals of the LGBTQIA+
community out front and
center in front of the camera
making money off of them.
But then not actually embracing
individuals at all levels because
we continue to see that often with
the black community and
other marginalized groups.
>> I mean, it's interesting you
mention that because, I mean,
just recently Janet Mock at
the premiere of Pose touched on how
they have benefited from having
people of the trans experience on
shows and out and in front.
But behind closed doors or
behind the scenes, they're
not really getting that benefit.
And we're going to talk about trans
people in the media because
recently, singer Demi Lovato
revealed that they are non-binary
and are changing their pronouns.
Telling fans that they are proud to
make the change after a lot of self
reflective work.
She goes on to say,
quote, I'm still learning and
coming into myself.
I don't claim to be an expert or
a spokesperson.
Sharing this with you now opens up
another level of
vulnerability for me.
I think we have her actual
statement from her social media
if we could play that.
We do have that, I think so.
Yeah, I'm sorry,
this time we do have it, so
take a look.
>> I want to take this moment to
share something very
personal with you.
Over the past year and a half,
I've been doing some healing and
self reflective work.
And through this work I've had
the revelation that I
identify as non-binary.
With that said, I'll officially be
changing my pronouns to they/them.
I feel that this best represents
the fluidity I feel in my gender
expression and allows me to feel
most authentic and
true to the person I both know I am
and still am discovering.
>> That was from Demi Lovato and
that statement was met with a lot
of positive response, of course.
But also some people felt that
Demi, once again is in the news,
was seeking attention,
trying to piggyback off of
the LGBTQ+ community.
That's neither here nor there.
Want to also talk about
Laverne Cox.
I'm going to send it over to you,
Plastic.
Laverne Cox was just named the new
red carpet host for E, which is
huge for NBC Universal to make this
statement in that they've never had
anyone of the LGBTQ+ experience, or
at least of the trans experience,
have that type of role
that is front and center for
what is probably the biggest award
show coverage in entertainment.
What do you think about that?
>> I love it.
I mean, first of all,
I think Laverne is a huge,
huge name for the trans community.
I mean, her role in Orange is
the New Black was the brick that
smashed that glass wall between
Hollywood and the trans community.
And I feel like that was really
the start of when we were
getting a little more attention and
a little more play.
And we weren't necessarily
portrayed as the freaks or
the scary things that people were
afraid of.
Here's this beautiful woman who
happens to be transgender, and
also happens to be an inmate.
But she was fabulous and
it just humanized and
normalized the trans community.
So I feel like to once again take
this a step further and
bring her into people's homes when
they're watching, like you said,
the biggest award shows,
this is amazing.
This is humanizing trans people and
showing the world that we're not
the monsters that the right
portrays us to be.
We're daughters, we're sisters,
we're wives, girlfriends,
we're human beings too.
So I feel like that's huge and
I am so happy for Laverne.
>> And Canela?
>> Yeah, absolutely.
I think everything that Plastic
said is absolutely true.
I mean, it's really significant to
be able to have a trans person be
directly in the homes of millions
of Americans for this award show.
Because I think it was actually
Laverne Cox's documentary,
Disclosure, that said
90% of cis people in the US don't
know another trans person.
So it's really powerful to then
have someone that is so prominent,
and does such important work like
Laverne, hosting the show.
And just showing up as a trans
person who is doing everyday things
and isn't necessarily focusing
the media solely on being trans.
That's another thing that
is really important to think
about when thinking
about representation, right?
It's like, you can't just include
trans people when you want to talk
about trans issues.
Trans people are more than our
gender, right?
We're a multiplicity,
we're multifaceted people and
deserve to be portrayed as such.
So I think this is fantastic.
>> I think it's fantastic as well
and shout out to NBC Universal.
I work in entertainment,
I watch a lot of television.
I keep up with how people
are really standing in
their allyship because
this time last year, what were we
experiencing on social media?
A lot of performative allyship
when it came to things that
were happening in regards to social
injustice and the injustices.
And the violence against people of
color and the violence
against trans women, namely women
of color that are trans, right?
So, you had a lot of people that
were jumping on
a bandwagon say okay look,
we want to be on the right side of
history with this you guys.
So let's make sure we put up our
black boxes,
we have our rainbow flags, and
we say all the right things.
But once the fanfare,
unfortunately, and I hate to call
it fanfare, but once all eyes were
starting to turn to something else,
they're like okay, good.
We did what we had to do to stay
safe, but behind closed doors,
they really didn't care.
NBC Universal I think is
the antithetical to that,
they actually were like, listen,
we're going to actually put our
money where our mouth is.
And I love how you so eloquently
pointed out that being trans isn't.
And, again, I'm not of the trans
experience, but just Canela from
what you said that,
it's not the whole outfit that
you put on everyday, it's probably
just the socks of the outfit.
Because there's the shirt, there's
the jeans, there's the hair,
there's everything else that makes
up who you are and
how you move through the world.
Speaking of the outfit and
something that was very poignant
for me recently, and
I don't know if you guys saw this,
but Elliot Page, speaking to Oprah,
about his journey.
First of all, one of the most
compelling interviews that
I've watched Oprah do.
And Oprah of course, when Oprah has
done a lot of interviews.
But feelings on that because,
I'm at a loss for words.
Right, what you guys are seeing is
that I'm at a loss for words.
Canela, yourself?
>> Yeah, absolutely, I mean, I
think that I was also at a loss for
words just at the trans joy and
the trans power that really came
out in that interview.
And I think also the growth that
Oprah did over the last even ten
years in terms of researching trans
people and researching how to
really do this interview in
an effective way that isn't just
focusing on Elliot's body.
Which I think, if you look at any
interviews, even with prominent
people 15 years ago that were with
trans people, you really see
a really disturbing trend of just
asking about the surgery.
Or asking about gender affirming
care, which like I said before,
trans people are so much more than
our bodies and we're so much more
than that facet of our lives.
So I think it was really great that
she dug a bit deeper to ask Elliot
about not just his experience when
it came to his medical transition,
but also talking about why he
decided to come out.
And actually talking
about grappling with gender
dysphoria as a young person and
what that meant being a young
person in Hollywood and having to
hold up this ideal, right?
I think that it was just
a fantastic interview.
>> Yeah, Plastic.
>> I mean, I couldn't be more
happier for him.
I remember seeing the recent
picture of him at the swimming pool
or whatever.
And I remember exactly where I was
when I saw it.
I was at Starbucks in the car and
I saw and I started crying because
I lived that.
I know that feeling, and
I remember when I finally felt my
true authentic self.
And it was the most
beautiful feeling in the world,
because I felt like I finally was
me, I wasn't trapped in this
prison anymore.
And you could see that on his face
and his true authenticity was just
radiating and it was beautiful.
So I'm so, so, so happy for him.
>> I mean, who better to be able
to have that moment
with him with Oprah.
And I couldn't agree with you more,
Canela, about Oprah's growth
because throughout the interview,
and everyone watching this at home
right now, I implore you to go and
watch that on
Apple Plus if you can.
And just really take a minute to
experience it, because for myself,
even though I am of the LGBTQ+
experience, the different LGBT and
Q of the rainbow,
we're all adjacent to each other.
But we don't have the same
experiences, right?
So I learned so much just from
listening to Elliot, and one of
the things that really resonated
with me, I'm going to quote him his
discussion with Oprah, was this.
He said, quote,
I want people to know that not only
has it been life changing for me,
I do believe it is life-saving, and
it's the case for so many people.
It's, getting out of the shower and
the towel is around your ways and
you're looking at yourself in
the mirror and you're just like,
there I am.
I mean, wow.
People go their whole lives looking
for, I would say,
that moment of truth, right?
Trying to find their
moment of truth.
And listening to that interview
where Elliot talked about Oscar
dresses and the stress and anxiety
of trying on all these dresses and
not feeling totally like himself
in his body.
It was just one of the best
interviews.
Adrienne, want to
get you to chime in.
Were you able to view the the
Oprah, Elliot Page interview?
>> I was not able to go through it
completely, but from what I did
see, I think Plastic really hit
the nail on the head in terms
of saying radiating.
Because you can sense that
joy in that.
It's a completion, it's a wholeness
that comes together.
And having a lot of friends in
the trans community and having them
speak with me about their journey,
I don't understand necessarily how
people do not connect with one
another and understand what
that feeling is like to just not
necessarily feel correct or
whole in your own skin.
And to give you that power.
And to be able to have that moment
of correctness where you feel like,
hey, I am here, I am alive.
That is so incredibly beautiful.