LGBTQ Experiences in US History

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.

From watching the film Major!, I learned about the terrible treatment and abuse of transgender women in the prison system. I have known that the prison system of the United States is corrupt in its treatment of inmates, but I was unaware of the way that transgender women are singled out and abused. Miss Major talked about the ways that she was singled out from the rest of the prisoners, and how the prison guards shaved her platinum hair and eyebrows, and forced her to walk around the prison naked. They exercised their power to strip her of her identity and make her vulnerable. I learned from the film that unfortunately, stories like Miss Major’s are not unique, as many transgender inmates face similar abusive treatment. They are humiliated, raped, and tortured. Transgender women are overwhelmingly kept in solitary housing units, under the guise of “protection”. This film left me wondering as to why there is such a lack of policy protecting transgender people who are incarcerated, and why, despite many reports being made of rape and abuse, there is a severe lack of action and justice. Video cameras are all over prisons, so there is no reason that offending prison guards shouldn’t be held accountable.

-ML

I had known beforehand that communities and families of trans and gender-nonconforming people existed to provide love and support for members of those communities, but I didn’t realize until watching Major! how much effort and energy some of these communities were willing to put into providing this support, even to people who weren’t necessarily personally known within that family. I found it very moving that Miss Major and the organization TGIJP were so deeply committed to paying close attention to and showing love and understanding towards every member of the family and larger community, even writing letters and keeping that close relationship and sense of deep connection with trans people in jail that they had never met before. I thought it was interesting, too, that Miss Major was so devoted to fostering commitment and dedication to the community, seeking her daughters out soon after they got out of jail to make sure they came back to TGIJP to help support others still in jail, rather than just focusing on their own lives. I found myself wondering how Miss Major had the resources and, more significantly, the strength to do all of this for her family and community, especially in the midst of all of the oppression and hatred she faced; I doubt I would be so immediately able to set aside my own problems and focus on the safety and well-being of everyone else in the community first.

Major! Directed by Annalise Ophelian, What Do We Want Films, 2015.

SB

Let me just say, that I LOVED this documentary! This film was so beautifully put together I found myself emotionally overwhelmed at many points while watching. Between the telling of Major’s story or of the lives of the other women, I felt so connected to these women and was empathetic to their struggles and pain. I also greatly appreciated the fact that the film was focused on the lives of Trans women of color. When I first entered the class, I know that the Trans women of color voice was an aspect that I noticed was missing from our class discussions. So it was nice to be able to have something that was solely focused on this ideas. I feel as though this film is a beautiful piece and that people should watch it out of pure enjoyment but also for educational purposes.

I feel like the film overall was extremely informative. The things that stood out to me the most was learning about TGIJP (Transgender, Gendervariant & Intersex, Justice, Project). This was an organization that I didn’t have any prior information about. I think the first time I started thinking about the Trans presence in the prison system was when I first started watching “Orange is the New Black” which was a popular Netflix series. I think that the issues that Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox) went through in the system spoke to watch went on behind bars. Through the documentary I think it became that much more learn and significant to my understanding of the issue. I personally loved the message that the organization fights for, just the fact that it is lead and organized by a group of Black Trans women is amazing. But what’s more amazing than that is the fact that they, themselves, have been to prison and want to advocate and offer support to other Trans women. I just was so taken aback at how beautiful that is. These women have been tortured and mistreated, beaten, raped and ridiculed while behind bars but that doesn’t kill their spirit.

Something that I found myself wondering about was if Rochester’s Trans committee would benefit from a program such as TGIJP? I think that without a doubt the answer is yes. After watching this film I honestly believe that their needs to be more programs designed to help strengthen the Trans committee. One issue that come to mind was how Major talked about how she found it difficult to find work while she was transitioning/transitioned. I think that if organizations and companies worked closer together that they should develop programs that would work to help Trans people who have served their sentences, find and keep steady forms of work. These women are looking for a fresh start but if they can’t find work and have a means to sustain themselves then it is a cycle like Major said. Trans people just like everyone else need to survive and be clothed. I think our society needs to do more for the progression of the Trans community. These people are still fighting and pushing to make their voices heard and know. I commend their hard work, determination and spirit,  because they “Are Still Fucking HERE!”

Major! was a very interesting film that contains many details that I’ve never really delved in to discover. One of the more pressing themes of the film involves the prison system. Most of the time spent thinking about the prison system, I’ve only ever noticed it in terms of privatization and the grossly large proportion of people of color incarcerated. One thing that often is overlooked is the presence of trans men and women in the prison system. While there has been more recent exposure through the use of mainstream film and media, like Orange is the New Black, I often forget the concerns and trials that trans POC face in the system from sexual assault to lack of hormone therapy.

Even beyond that, trans people are often placed in assignments that do not fit their identification, and that poses a threat that often leads to violence. Most times, they are even placed in the shu (aka solitary confinement) for their own “safety” which the U.N. identifies as torture when over 15 days.

After the film, I was left wanting to know more about Miss Major and the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP). I want to know the current state of affairs and more that I can do to ensure proper reform.

I thought Major! was a wonderful documentary about an important activist and community advocate. While I knew Miss Major was a long-time advocate for the trans community, I had no idea about the number of women whose lives she had personally touched. Miss Major supported so many people not just with marches or protests, but with simple human interaction. She has cared for people who had no one else, and shown so much genuine human kindness throughout decades of adversity.  When we talk about activism today, we often focus on organized efforts and the legal process. And those things are important, but so is Miss Major’s dedication to taking care of people on a personal and community level.

Something that the film left me thinking about was what limited control we have over our legacies. We are so fortunate that Miss Major is still here to help tell her own story; historically, trans people often aren’t.  Everyone has their own boundaries regarding what language they’re comfortable being referred to as, and every time I read about historic(al) trans and gender non-conforming people I wonder what language they used to describe themselves, and what language they would have used today. I think it’s important that we are continuously conscious of discussing people respectfully, even we might use different language to refer to ourselves.