The transgender community is angry at Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, 2012) for casting an openly gay man as a transgender woman in his upcoming transgender drama Anything. Ruffalo felt the need to justify himself on Twitter, nearly apologizing when faced with the outrageous demand that he scrap the movie, which has already been filmed. An op ed in the Huffington Post even alleged that having a gay man (Matt Bomer, White Collar) play a transgender woman would result in violence.
“Most important, if you release this film, statistically speaking, trans people will likely be attacked or killed because of the stereotypes it contains, especially by casting Matt Bomer as a woman,” wrote Mya Byrne, a transgender musician, recording engineer, actor, and “social justice activist” from San Francisco. She insisted that “historically, anytime Hollywood says, ‘Oh, trans women are just men in drag,’ and portrays them as such, there is a marked — and measurable — uptick in so-called ‘trans panic’ killings, harassment, beatings, discrimination, and suicide rates. It gives bigots a leg to stand on.”
So, would it be better for Hollywood not to make any LGBT movies to begin with? Wouldn’t that be safer, by Byrne’s declarations?
When Hollywood produces a transgender film, you might expect LGBT activists to be happy their culture is being further normalized. No, the social justice warriors are annoyed because the actors aren’t transgender enough. The actor is even openly gay, but that’s not good enough.
What if Ruffalo had cast a woman for the role — would the transgender activists still complain because that person isn’t transgender? It is a serious conundrum: If you have a character who was born a man but who underwent surgery to become a woman, do you cast a man to fill that role, or a woman? And if you must cast a transgender person, would it be just as offensive — nay, dangerous! — to cast a transgender man? What about other considerations, like a person’s relationship to the executive producer?
Byrne explains that anti-gay oppression has merely been replaced by anti-trans oppression. “There seemed to be consensus that any gay-leaning role, going back to at least the ’40s, was to be played by a straight man as a ‘challenge’ for Oscar bait, leading many gay actors to both lose compelling roles and to become victims of subsequent homophobia, driving them deeply into the closet, personally and professionally,” she explains. Now, “in the realm of trans women’s portrayals, the idea of cis men ‘stretching themselves’ to play a ‘challenging trans role’ is as alive and deadly as ever.”
Seriously, she says “deadly.”
Byrne openly asks Ruffalo to “shelve and scrap this film before you begin post-production.” Yes, she asks the executive producer of a movie that has already been filmed to just throw away the project entirely. This is how morally narcissistic she is: “Please do the right thing — and be the ones on the right side of history.” Wow.
Next Page: Mark Ruffalo’s pathetic response.
Naturally Ruffalo could not give in to this demand, but he did everything but. On Wednesday, he tweeted, “To the Trans community. I hear you. It’s wrenching to you see you in this pain. I am glad we are having this conversation. It’s time.”
To the Trans community. I hear you. It's wrenching to you see you in this pain. I am glad we are having this conversation. It's time.
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 31, 2016
Then he explained why he cast Matt Bomer. “I suggested Matt for the role after the profound experience I had with him while making ‘The Normal Heart’.” This is how Hollywood — and indeed, business in general — works. You suggest people you know are good based on your previous experience. If Ruffalo had had a similar positive experience with a transgender woman actress before, Bomer probably would not have been cast for the role.
In all honesty I suggested Matt for the role after the profound experience I had with him while making "The Normal Heart".
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 31, 2016
In response to people asking him to replace the actor, Ruffalo explained why that’s not an option: “The movie is already shot and Matt poured his heart and soul into this part,” the executive producer said. “Please have a little compassion. We are all learning.”
Where is the compassion in the LGBT movement? It certainly isn’t there for their fellow liberals, when they commit such an unforgivable sin.
I really hope you both choose to do some actual good for the trans community one day. @MRodOfficial @MattBomer https://t.co/9WHwNu7HFm
— Jamie Clayton (@MsJamieClayton) August 30, 2016
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