Books & Movies We Like
Books
Miss Vera's Finishing School for Boys Who Want to Be Girls, Veronica Vera (1997): an informative book for readers who want practical advice about all things femme (complete with illustrations and homework assignments). It includes an anecdotal "herstory" of Miss Vera's experiences as a pleasure activist and gender educator and a delightful document of the transformation of the academy's students as they prance toward "gender euphoria" in high heels and glimmering tiaras. This is an indispensable guide for emerging femmes of all ages, sexes, and sexual orientations, as well as an insightful, humorous, and sassy work sure to interest all devotees of gender studies.
My Husband Betty, Helen Boyd (2003): Author Helen Boyd is a happily married woman whose husband enjoys sharing her wardrobe—and she has written the first book on transgendered men to focus on their relationships and their female partners. Traditionally known as cross-dressers, transvestites, or drag queens, men like Helen’s husband are diverse and don’t always conform to stereotype. Many of the older transvestites are socially conservative, deeply closeted, and devout churchgoers. Helen addresses every imaginable question concerning the reasons for behavior that still baffles not only "mental health professionals" but the practitioners themselves; the taxonomy of the transgendered and the distinct but overlapping societies of each group; coming out; bisexuality; and homophobia. The book features interviews with some very interesting people, all of whom struggle and love: dominatrix and her cross-dressing husband; a crossdressing Reiki master and his son; a woman who after dating one cross-dresser wanted to date others and met—and fell in love with—a transsexual instead; a woman whose husband promised her he was only a cross-dresser and later realized that he was transsexual. This is a book about relationships that will engage the reader, and Helen’s narrative is a powerful lens with which to examine our own notions of gender and equality.
She's Not There, Jennifer Finney Boylan (2004): The provocative bestseller She’s Not There is the winning, utterly surprising story of a person changing genders. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Jennifer Finney Boylan explores the territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of family. Told in Boylan’s fresh voice, She’s Not There is about a person bearing and finally revealing a complex secret. Through her clear eyes, She’s Not There provides a new window on the confounding process of accepting our true selves.
Movies
Transamerica (2005) This landmark indie hit garnered Felicity Huffman an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and numerous other awards, and it's no wonder. This movie is charming, bold, funny, and a wonderful road movie. Definitely worth seeing.
Just Like a Woman (1994) A true crossdressers fairytale! Gerald is a yuppie-like transvestite in his thirties. His wife arrives home earlier than expected and discovers female attire spread over their apartment. Not knowing anything about his habit, she misinterprets this and throws him (and the attire) out of their home and marriage. He rents a room in Monica's house, recently divorced and around 50. Their relation- ship evolves from landlady/tenant over friends to lovers. Monica learns about, begins to understand and finally appreciates and supports Gerald- ine, Gerald's alter ego. His transvestitism, a rarely filmed subject, it's ups and downs, is treated with a lot of respect, warmth and humour. Julie walters and Adrian Pasdar co-star.
Kinky Boots (2005) After inheriting a shoe factory, Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) aims to take the fashion world by storm with help from a transvestite cabaret dancer in this whimsical comedy. Charlie risks it all when he hires sassy Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to help design a racy line of men's fetish boots. But on the eve of the Milan Shoe Fair, just as he's about to introduce the world to his signature shoes, everything falls apart. Sarah Jane Potts and Jemima Rooper co-star.
Screaming Queens (2006) Three years before the famous rioting at New York's Stonewall Inn, there was a riot in San Francisco at Gene Compton's Cafeteria. On a hot Summer's night in 1966, in the city's Tenderloin district, a group of transgender women and gay street-hustlers fought back for the first time in history against everyday police harassment. This act of resistance was a dramatic turning point for the transgender community, and the beginning of a new human rights struggle that continues to this very day.
Stonewall (1995) In a story framed by a seminal moment in gay history, Matty Dean (Fred Weller) arrives in 1969 Greenwich Village, N.Y., seeking sexual liberation. He finds it at the popular gay bar the Stonewall Inn. After ending up in jail after a raid there, he meets Ethan (Brendan Corbalis), a gay activist who favors peaceful protest. That ideal, however, is lost when police storm the Stonewall again, and this time the enraged drag queens fight back.
Wigstock (1995) Barry Shils directs this documentary look at the annual Labor Day festival-in-drag held in lower Manhattan. The founder of Wigstock, Lady Bunny, hosts the festivities as some 20,000 spectators witness a dazzling array of costumes and celebrity impersonators. Includes appearances from famous stars such as Alexis Arquette, RuPaul and Lypsinka, along with behind-the-scenes interviews and footage from the 1993 and 1994 Wigstocks.