Sleepaway Camp and the value of a problematic trans narrative

 So, assuming you have seen it or at least just now read the wiki article.  You must understand this was the _only_ representation I saw in movies coming up.

Family friendly 

Barring shit like the trans women being the punchline in movies like Bachelor Party – one of DARLING ERICAN TOM HANKS mor shining moments – that was literally it for me growing up.

Meanwhile and I don’t think many of the younger people reading this will really understand, but this was the 1980s.   When All Media was almost literally fagfagfagfgfagfgfgfgfagfagfagfagfagdirtystinkingfaggotyfaggotfagfagfagfagfgfagfgfgfgfagfagfagfagfagdirtystinkingfaggotyfaggotfagfagfagfagfgfagfgfgfgfagfagfagfagfagdirtystinkingfaggotyfaggotfag fagfagfagfgfagfgfgfgfagfagfagfagfagdirtystinkingfaggotyfaggotfag.

Basically every other word in all things that were not network television. 

VCR Parenting 

Sleepaway camp in my case has a unique distinction – it hails from my freshman year in high school when I had a VCR of my own in my bedroom so I could rent movies AND the local shitty supermarket was selling DREK UBER DREK for super cheap (Read: Freshman in high school) rental

So this mean for example, the :classic” deathmaster, which has a sequence where one of the bad guys is gender flipped, RAPED BY THE PROTAGONIST and it is played for laughs. 

So yeah, the ‘reveal’ in Sleepaway camp meant a lot to me.  Unlike everything else here, it was not exploitative within the narrative. Within the narrative…however unintentionally by the creators, it was empowering.

She had agency. 

Through becoming the definition of Axe Crazy but agency.

Valuable sweet agency. 

As it is so common across Queer Media, we begin relating first to the villains because only these villains by rejecting society, get to be themselves.

So maybe this is part of why I’m not on board with all this assimilationist shuck and jive. I don’t want to look like a Karen nor live like one. I don’t want cushy job writing bullshit for some megacorporation. 

If you do that’s fine. 

But also  get out. 

Because you are now in my way. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Well trod garden paths

2023

Image
  ... Has been a long hard trip. I’ve had … other years as challenging as this one. 2001 when I left Texas, 2004 when I had to leave university (and San Angelo, where my kid was) as I had no where else to live, and of course 2008 when I moved to California and lost my fucking mind. All of these, rough, some voluntary, some not, hard times of ungentle transition. Many bridges are burning, even though I did not light them. All I had to do was insist on my boundaries and my needs, and let those who would not – could not – respect this, find the door out of my life. And like some of those years, this has been among the worst years of my life. It wasn’t *all* bad of course. I’ve grown, tremendously, I’ve done actual metric fuckloads of self-work this year. (You may not think it but it takes quite a bit of self-knowledge and even more courage for the Queen of Excess to admit and acknowledge when she is overstimulated.) I published my second collection, this one a CNF/Poe...
Read more

Capsule Review - Trans Dimensional Beings

 I loved this album - I did not intend to listen to it in it's entirety at first sitting but it sucked my perceptions in, and did so in the best way almost immediately.   To me it is very centering and oddly calming. Like a controlled factory reset for the brain, about 11 or 12 times consecutively.   This is a unique and highly experimental sound and I dig it a great deal.   It's wonderful.  Trans Dimensional Beings on Soundcloud
Read more

Do you have a story about accessing sexual, reproductive, or gender affirming health care?

Image
  Seeking Storytellers!! Do you have a story to share about accessing healthcare? What is the goal of the project? This project aims to document and disseminate the stories of women and gender diverse people with disabilities who have accessed, or attempted to access, sexual and reproductive healthcare or gender affirming healthcare in the United States. We hope that by sharing this information publicly, we can increase understanding about the barriers that exist and advocate to ensure improved access for all. Who is eligible to participate? People who meet all of the following criteria: Identify as a person with a disability Identify as a woman (cis or trans), a transgender man, nonbinary, and gender diverse Have accessed or attempted to access sexual and reproductive healthcare, such as routine and preventative care, information and care related to sexually transmitted infections [STIs], fertility care, pregnancy care, abortion care, or have...
Read more