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Her Story is a web series completely written, acted and directed by transwomen. If you believe in inclusion, you should watch this and learn!
I keep talking about LGBTQ issues and how feminism is all-inclusive and how any human should be able to identify with whatever gender they feel comfortable with and that genders can never be binary and that genders and genitals (sex/reproductive organs) have to be kept exclusive of each other; so, I am absolutely ashamed to admit that I have never ever seen a documentary or a movie or a series that talks about these issues unabashedly.
Therefore, when a friend suggested a short web-series, I decided to watch it asap and not procrastinate the way I otherwise do with recommendations.
The web-series Her Story revolves around a few days out of the lives of three people, Violet, Allie and Paige.
Violet (Jen Richards), or Vi as she loves to be called, was formerly a bi-sexual man, who transitioned to a woman. She is conflicted about her sexual preferences otherwise, until she meets Allie (Laura Zak), a lesbian and a writer.
Paige (Angelica Ross), is an attorney who works for Civil Rights of all communities including Black and LGBTQ. She herself again is a transwoman, much to the disgust of her Christian evangelical mother and dates men.
What makes this Emmy-nominated web series stand out is the fact that it has been written, acted into and directed by transwomen. Most of the movies and series that involve transpeople (if at all) are created by cis people, which is why some really subtle nuances are completely missed.
For example, when Vi speaks to Allie about her conflicted sexual preferences and Allie asks her about whether she prefers gay men or straight men, the resounding answer of Vi shows the inherent need for acceptance that is displayed by every human being. She very simply says, “It’s not about them. It’s about me. When I’m with a man I have no doubt about my womanhood. My body next to theirs is so obviously feminine.” Juxtaposing herself behind someone she thinks makes her feel how she wants to feel. And hence she accepts abuse, self-deprivation, lesser than she deserves, to be her way of living. When she asks for help, she is laughed at.
After this sequence, Vi goes on to explain how being with a cis-woman makes her feel less of a woman and how because of it she is trapped despite having exercised her freedom of choosing her gender. Transwomen have been ostracized probably the most because of various reasons (even by ciswomen).
‘Inclusion’ should not be just in our heads. Thinking of how inclusive we are vis-à-vis including people different from us in our lives are two different things and the first one doesn’t help much. Thinking of inclusivity and then stiffling laughter when a supposed ‘man’ wears pink or displays a range of emotions not associated with being a ‘man’ (fuck pink and fuck display of emotions and fuck societal standards), is the worst hypocrisy one can ever display. Not many of us find it easy to talk to people different from us and this could be because, well – how to talk, what to talk, will asking questions and being curious be construed otherwise, will they like me asking questions at all, will they feel threatened by my company – I am sure we all are somewhere fighting these questions in our heads.
To gather knowledge and be less ignorant should be the beginning. To be self-aware, should be the next. But then self-awareness is a constant and conscious process. And third and the most important should be acceptance. Irrespective of who the person identifies to be, if the person is a good human, are you willing to accept it just on that basis?
Like Adichie says, stereotypes explain to us only one side of the story. Go on. Try something you won’t otherwise try. Don’t simply sneer at someone who doesn’t live by your standards of living. Try learning their part of the story. The world is full of stories. The sky isn’t even the limit anymore.
If you want to get a peek into the lives of transwomen, do watch Her Story on YouTube. It is barely an hour’s watch. But come on, it deserves attention. A lot of it.
Start with the first episode of season 1 here:
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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