Day: February 28, 2018

While watching the film Major! directed by Annalise Ophelian, I learned about the work of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy.  Before viewing this film, I had never heard of the work of Miss Major or the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP).  Hearing about the conditions that many transgender men and women are subjected to in prison was jarring and appalling.  They are commonly sexually assaulted and forced to say in solitary confinement for extended periods of time.  The personal help that Miss Major extended to trans individuals who were recently released from prison was especially touching.  She is truly selfless and she deserves so much more recognition.  She was present at Stonewall, she organized the creation of an AIDS garden in honor of veterans with AIDS, and contributed greatly to the campaign for HIV prevention and treatment with the Tenderloin Aids Resource Center.  This film left me wondering about which other amazing LGBTQ activists I haven’t learned about and who haven’t received the widespread recognition that they deserve.

-RF

One of the biggest pieces of information that interested me and surprised me while watching MAJOR! was how a lot of the women believed that if they had been given the love and support that they wanted form their parents, they would not have ended up living on the streets. This information came after the printed fact that “one in five transgender respondents experienced homelessness at some point in their lives as the result of discrimination or family rejection” (MAJOR! 24:43). Tumeka Godwin recounted the story of how she was kicked out of the house when she was 18 and was not allowed to come back unless she presented herself as a man to the public. She explicitly states that if her parents had loved her the way she was, she probably would not have done the nefarious things that she described. The lack of love and support of family members, which is often thought to be unconditional, is clearly a big problem in the trans community.

The film left we wondering about how many other untold stories existed out there that we would never be able to hear about, simply because they were the stories of less privileged people. At this point in the course, we have heard about Miss Major, Marsha Johnson, and Silvia Rivera. For me, these have all been names that I had not heard about before this course, despite having some knowledge about LGBTQ+ history in the United States. These stories did get told, but I know that there are countless other warriors who fought for LGBTQ+ rights who’s stories won’t ever get told.

One of the most significant things I learned from watching Major! was the formation and impact of the TGI Justice Project (TGIJP), especially since this is an organization I had never heard of. It’s remarkable how actionable this organization is in their mission to resist against human rights abuses, particularly police violence and the mass incarceration of transgender POC. Learning about the direct action and advocacy the organization practices—including the relationships and outreach they maintain with currently incarcerated people—was really telling. It’s also significant that this organization comprises so many transgender women of color, many of whom were previously incarcerated. These voices are so thoroughly marginalized and underrepresented in society, even in many outlets for social justice and advocacy, so it’s remarkably meaningful for these voices to have such a firm, actionable place in TGIJP.

Reflecting on the film, something I’d like to learn more about is organizing to hold law enforcement accountable with respect to transgender rights. The wild disproportion of transgender incarceration was previously unfamiliar to me, so I absolutely want to stay better informed about this moving forward. And I believe accountability—policing the police—is important to this end.

Ophelian, A. (Director). (2015). Major! [Motion Picture]. United States: What Do We Want Films.