Nyala Moon’s short film How Not to Date While Trans has been making the rounds on social media lately after the director, writer, and actress “got some messages about accessibility to my work for [people] who aren’t able to go to film festivals.”
Over the years, Moon has been creating films based on her experiences as a Black trans woman living in New York City. This includes the 2020 short One Last Deal, as well as the 2023 short Dilating for Maximum Results. The latter has won several grand jury prizes from high-profile festivals such as NewFest and the Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival. Moon is also attached to two upcoming projects: the drama And Then There Was Her alongside Alexander Lex King and the comedy I Used to Be.
But the short that is currently going viral is 2022’s How Not to Date While Trans, where Moon plays a character named Andie who navigates her dating life and breaks the fourth wall to explain to the audience what’s going on in each of those instances. Even though these situations aren’t exactly fun or funny, the character’s narration underscores the obstacles that she’s facing while also making those scenes feel pretty hilarious and relatable.
For instance, the film opens showing a couple at a park having a romantic afternoon. “Have you ever been in a park watching a really cute couple making out, wishing it was you? But it can’t be you, because you were born with a penis?” Andie asks the camera. She then wonders, “Is that relatable?”
Nyala Moon
Andie then goes on to detail the step-by-step journey of dating men and planning for a first date, considering a second date, and perhaps even getting to a third date… all while showing how each of these dates can end abruptly due to these guys’ ignorance and insecurities around dating a trans woman.
The film demonstrates all kinds of common issues that surround the dating lives of trans people, such as disclosing that you’re trans early on or later in the process, meeting guys who want to have a “secret” trans girlfriend, dealing with men who are attracted to trans women but still hold onto anti-trans opinions, and even going on dates with people who say all the right things about LGBTQ+ rights and issues but still freak out over the idea of dating a trans person.
Dating isn’t easy for anybody (generally speaking), but How Not to Date While Trans is an entertaining and much-needed film about the extra obstacles faced by trans people who are just trying to date around, find love, have sex, and be desired… just like everybody else. Imagine that!
Watch Nyala Moon’s How Not to Date While Trans below and learn more about her work on NyalaMoon.com.
