On Sunday, March 2nd, the 97th Oscars took place. All eyes were on Emilia Pérez’ lead Karla Sofía Gascón, as she became the first transgender woman to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress. In this musical/thriller film, Karla’s character is a Mexican drug lord who transitions into a transgender woman, Emilia Pérez. Living in a continuously shifting world, this community is still adjusting to the challenges surrounding inclusion and equity. Without a doubt, progress has been made, like Emilia Pérez, but this is an industry that has traditionally been unwelcoming.
Gascón was a controversial name of conversation leading up to the Academy Awards as she was dealing with backlash from old social media posts on X being leaked containing racist and Islamophobic comments. Mentioning the murder of George Floyd and inappropriately commenting on him. As well as out of place remarks regarding China and COVID. An apology was delivered by her acknowledging her past offensive posts, but some people will never forgive her for this. The Oscars were her first public appearance she has made in several weeks. This dispute was at the point where Karla didn’t walk on the red carpet at the Oscars, she went right to her assigned seat inside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien, this year’s host of the Oscars, addressed the elephant in the room by calling Garcón’s publicist out for using the f-word 479 times regarding her racist tweets. The film received several mixed reviews, most expressing that it was a step backwards for transgender representation. Clearly, she was embraced in the film industry after all, she was nominated, but it’s most likely the social media posts ruined her chances.
History was made that night, but stereotypes remain a challenge in the entertainment industry. Audience reactions were and have always been the proof of why transgender representation in film initiates difficult discussions. Transgender characters are often depicted as the villains or victims in films. As well as being used for comedic reasons, most often in joking ways, mocking their gender. In many films, the misrepresentations of trans women send feelings of invalidation out to the transgender community watching. With an absence of transgender actors playing transgender characters, cisgender actors have had to step in. Often, this leads to these roles giving off an inauthentic vibe. The transgender community wants to understand and feel the same emotions as the characters portrayed on screen. Representation is important and there needs to be a reinforcement in societal stigmas. Stigma needs to be reinforced because film plays a huge role in influencing its audience. The more negative portrayals are, the higher the chance of discrimination occurring. There needs to be a push for more transgender voices in this industry, both in the camera frame and behind it. Generation Z is without a doubt, the most diverse generation regarding race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. LGBTQ+ is being acknowledged and accepted more than it ever was before. Social media has been a significant factor as we were the first to grow up with it. Online communities emphasize acceptance and encourage people to use their voice. Gen Z is the future because we aren’t afraid to speak up and fight for equal opportunities.
There needs to be a bigger shift in the film industry because diversity is more prevalent than ever before. Perception matters and with more refined portrayals, people can develop a greater understanding and break the barriers. If authenticity is being so praised today, why is the film industry lacking portrayal? This is the time for transgender representation to finally be taken seriously.
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