This Week In Trans: Wachowski Rising, D. Smith & Trans New Yorkers

I'm back again with the headlines that rocked our world. Here are some of the major things that spoke to the trans experience in the media this week!

Another Wachowski Comes Out As Trans

This week Lilly Wachowski, of the wildly successful Wachowski directing duo (The Matrix, Bound, Sense 8), came out as transgender. She represents another high-profile trans star to share her experience with the world as her and her sister, Lana, have created an amazing legacy within Hollywood as filmmakers. It’s cool to see two openly trans siblings thrive. The only downside to the coming out is that Wachowski was all but forced to share her identity in UK-based tabloid the Daily Mail despite their denial of the ordeal.

Here’s an excerpt from her beautifully powerful essay published at the Windy City Times: “But these words, "transgender" and "transitioned" are hard for me because they both have lost their complexity in their assimilation into the mainstream. There is a lack of nuance of time and space. To be transgender is something largely understood as existing within the dogmatic terminus of male or female. And to "transition" imparts a sense of immediacy, a before and after from one terminus to another. But the reality, my reality is that I've been transitioning and will continue to transition all of my life, through the infinite that exists between male and female as it does in the infinite between the binary of zero and one. We need to elevate the dialogue beyond the simplicity of binary. Binary is a false idol.”

Despite the roll-out forced on her by the tabs, Wachowski has been universally supported and her story has raised awareness of the difficulties of coming out for trans people. We salute her bravery and courage and look for to seeing her success continues with one less burden on her back!

Here are two celebrities who expressed their support:

D. Smith Breaks Ground As First Trans Star in "Love and Hip-Hop" Franchise

If you don’t know who D. Smith is, you’re sure to know soon. VH1 announced that the trailblazing trans music producer will be lending her life and experience to the small screen as the first transgender star in the “Love & Hip-Hop” franchise. The Grammy-award winning musician is not simply a diversity figurehead, she’ll be showcasing just what has brought her career so far.

She won’t be the first LGBTQ star in the franchise. Just last year, former queer couple, Milan Christopher and Miles Brooks, shared their stories and left a lasting mark on the TV scene. Atlanta rapper Lil Scrappy has already given a taste of the growing pains that the LHH audience may go through once she appears. Last week he posted a video online expressing his transphobic views on trans women. Despite some potential fallout, we can’t wait to see how she expands the reality show’s storyline.

New York Gains Regulation for Trans Bathroom Use

So we all know that anti-trans legislation has been spreading like wildfire across the nation, much of it centering on bathroom use. Well, New York City has put out some of that fire. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation this week that ensures access for all people to use facilities that correspond to their gender identity.

De Blasio took a strong stance in an interview with CBS New York saying, “Access to bathrooms and other single-sex facilities is a fundamental human right that should not be restricted or denied to any individual. Every New Yorker should feel safe in our city — and this starts with our city’s buildings.”

This protection allows city residents and visitors access at all city-owned building following in line with access that has already been granted in pubic schools. We hope this is just the start of a trend towards respecting trans folks’ humanity.

That’s all for this week! Stay tuned!