I’m making a new comment because I think clearly some people missed my general point. Which I suppose doesn’t really surprise me considering the actual critique of the video I had so let me clarify:



I have nothing against Andrew, I have nothing against Acarde Fire, I like the song. I think the message in this music video and the intention behind it are great. However- this is very paint by numbers trans 101.



What do I mean by that? I mean that people are viewing this music video as so revolutionary and so amazing and saying that Andrew is so brave and that this song and the message are so different when this isn’t the first time someone has made a music video or a film with these exact same tropes. The trope of a trans person standing in front of the mirror looking uncomfortable and trying on clothes and makeup is done to death. Christina Aguilera did the same exact thing in her music video for Beautiful in 2004… that’s 10 years ago. Here we are in 2014 doing the same exact thing.



I can understand how, as a person that is not transgender you can view this music video and feel touched and feel as though you have a deeper understanding of trans people. I respect that… but what I’m trying to say is that this is all extremely shallow. As a trans person it’s very sad to me to see trans identity boiled down to looking into a mirror and going to a bar and getting beaten up. It’s frustrating for me to see so many people view what is clearly a tragic representation of trans people as amazing and groundbreaking. This music video is made to paint the trans person as the victim.it’s made so that everyone can essentially feel sorry for and pity the trans character until the end where the character is ‘celebrated" by going on stage and performing with the band.



I’m really honestly baffled by people that say that this music video has expressed anything to them about trans people. The amount of people that have attacked me for expressing my opinion about the portrayal of trans people, specifically trans women and have viewed this as me wanting to “make this about me” really speaks to the disconnect we’re having here about this whole walking away with an understanding of transgender people thing. i’m sitting here telling you hey, there’s more to being trans than this and you’re all saying shut up screw you? How do you not see that as problematic? I thought the point here was to have an understanding of trans people… so what exactly is the problem with a trans person telling you what it’s like to be trans?



And therein lies the problem. You’re all so much more willing to buy the narrative from cis men about what being trans is about. You’re all more interested in seeing cis men portray and discuss trans women. You’re not actually interested in hearing the true perspective of trans people. This is where I have such a deep issue. I can’t understand why people would watch this video, feel supportive of the trans character in it and then not actually want to hear from the perspective of a real trans person. I don’t get it.



There are so many people that simply want to feel good about being an ally. They simply want to enjoy the feeling they get from supporting….but no let’s not even say that. What it really is is pitying trans people. They enjoy feeling sorry for us and being that encouraging person that tells us that everyone’s ok….more so than they do understanding our actual situation. See to me it was very interesting reading the responses to these comments because so many people assumed because of my response that I was an unhappy person that’s had a hard life. So many people buy into this narrative of the tragic trans person that they assume that because I am trans, I am tragic and my life is so terrible and so hard. Have I experienced hardships? Absolutely. Do I identify with the first minute of the music video? Absolutely. However, I’m an extremely happy, transitioned, content person. Being trans has made me prosperous. It’s why I have a thriving career as an Illustrator, why I’ve been able to find love and why I can finally navigate the world happily as the person that I am. My life is nothing but joy now. And of course it wasn’t always and of course transition wasn’t easy but things are awesome now.. and those stories are rarely told. Those stories are rarely portrayed in things like this. Stories of thriving, happy trans people. People are just purely invested in painting trans people as tragic and sad and victims. Meanwhile I know trans women and men from all walks of life and from all various backgrounds that have persevered, overcome and built happy content lives for themselves. And it’s shocking to people. It’s shocking to see trans people living normal lives because there are so many things like this that paint a negative sad tragic picture of how trans people live their lives. And what does that say to young and questioning trans people? It tells them that this is what they have to look forward to. Going to a bar, getting beaten up… and then what? Dancing with Arcade Fire at Cochealla?



The issue of violence against trans people is a real issue and I personally would have liked for it to have been less of a plot device and more of a discussion. I know that seems like asking for a lot from a music video but… there’s something about including violence against trans women in this music video and using it as a plot device that rubs me the wrong way. Especially as someone that has been threatened harm for being trans. It’s a very real thing and we usually don’t get out of it unaffected. I’ve seen my friends put into the hospital because of transphobic attackers. I’ve seen girls disappear only later to find out that they were murdered. It’s a real issue and to see it turned into a dance number with no resolution kinda rubs me the wrong way.



I know that the few people that will read this from start to finish will say “wow she’s over reacting” or “wow she’s being over sensitive. These are things I hear from so many people who claim to support trans people. So many times I hear things like "you’re being over sensitive” or “it’s not that big of a deal” or “it’s the thought that counts” so I know a lot of people aren’t even interested in listening to my perspective as a trans woman. It’s easier to dismiss it. It’s easier to ignore it and to pretend as though it has no validity. I’m just saying that things could have been done differently and that we could have gone beyond trans 101 and made a great music video that didn’t rely on classic tropes and stereotypes of trans portrayals in film. I long for stories that paint trans people in a positive light. But I’ve accepted that this will likely never happen. Everyone’s too interested in feeling so deep and so open minded by expressing their pity for trans people. It would require too much of an open mind, too much of a stretch for some people to acknowledge that trans people aren’t always so tragic. Some people would rather place trans people into the other box than accept that we can live and exist just like they do. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that things will get better. but I’m not optimistic at all. The fact that so many people are holding this video up as so amazing and so great and so supportive and so ground breaking when this is the same narrative from 10 years ago tells me not to expect much of a change any time soon.