Micro theme 1: Boys Don’t Cry
In class today we discussed the 1998 film, “Boys Don’t Cry.” During our discussion, the class was asked a set of questions pertaining to the film’s characters and plot, including “Does Lana accept Brandon’s gender identity, or does she misread him as a lesbian?” I thought this question especially was important, as it was directly questioning the director’s method of representing Brandon. This question was given to Group 4, who believed that yes, Lana had misread Brandon as a lesbian, with one group member stating, “Lana engaged with Brandon sexually as a lesbian relationship, without understanding his trans-identity.” This is something I disagreed with. I thought the Lana character brought a crucial, human compassion to the film. Lana and Candace are two voices …show more content…
She would have understood Brandon’s identity, as she was aware that he was biologically female. Another important thing to note on Lana is her refusal to misgender Brandon. She always uses his preferred pronouns, never questioning how he presents himself. She fundamentally understands he is male in every sense but physical and still chooses to engage sexually with him, though she identifies as being straight. The final sex act between Lana and Brandon is not Lana wanting a lesbian encounter, instead it is Lana wanting to connect with Brandon, this person she has developed intense feelings for. The final sexual encounter between them is “lesbian” only physically. Lana had no preconceived notions or predetermined ideas of Brandon’s sexual identity. She knew Brandon identified as male, and past that, she didn’t care. The only thing important to Lana was giving and experiencing intimate pleasure to this person she had fallen for. Lana goes so far as to explain to Brandon that she doesn’t care what his anatomy may suggest about his
In class today we discussed the 1998 film, “Boys Don’t Cry.” During our discussion, the class was asked a set of questions pertaining to the film’s characters and plot, including “Does Lana accept Brandon’s gender identity, or does she misread him as a lesbian?” I thought this question especially was important, as it was directly questioning the director’s method of representing Brandon. This question was given to Group 4, who believed that yes, Lana had misread Brandon as a lesbian, with one group member stating, “Lana engaged with Brandon sexually as a lesbian relationship, without understanding his trans-identity.” This is something I disagreed with. I thought the Lana character brought a crucial, human compassion to the film. Lana and Candace are two voices …show more content…
She would have understood Brandon’s identity, as she was aware that he was biologically female. Another important thing to note on Lana is her refusal to misgender Brandon. She always uses his preferred pronouns, never questioning how he presents himself. She fundamentally understands he is male in every sense but physical and still chooses to engage sexually with him, though she identifies as being straight. The final sex act between Lana and Brandon is not Lana wanting a lesbian encounter, instead it is Lana wanting to connect with Brandon, this person she has developed intense feelings for. The final sexual encounter between them is “lesbian” only physically. Lana had no preconceived notions or predetermined ideas of Brandon’s sexual identity. She knew Brandon identified as male, and past that, she didn’t care. The only thing important to Lana was giving and experiencing intimate pleasure to this person she had fallen for. Lana goes so far as to explain to Brandon that she doesn’t care what his anatomy may suggest about his