The Lorax and company are at their post tryna roll back transgender rights as we speak. Your time will be better spent Googling any local organization that represents or services trans people near you and volunteering on their behalf, rather than, like, arguing online with thots who want to snort Mary Daly’s ashes like bathsalts or any other brain worm sufferer with a dilapidated keyboard and doodoo-stained fingertips. Your time has always been needed, but this should surely mobilize you if it hasn’t already. Channel your anger into productive forces. If you believe in voting, chances are the democrats in your area need you to canvass for them, so seek out who’s running and see if you can get involved. Give a call to your state representatives. Sign up to volunteer at Planned Parenthood. Everyone has the capability to affect the present, but it requires your action. Any little action. Go to protests if you can, because a greater number of bodies mobilizing always matters. Create habits that involve action as these are the keys to moving beyond settling for depression and anxiety in the realm of politics. Lives are at stake, and you do have the power to help mitigate these attacks on trans people’s wellbeing in a significant way. Be kind enough to yourself to say, “No I will not argue with people who huff embalming fluids online for a living” and seek out these affirming alternatives. Thank you for attending my TED talk.
In 1996, Cheryl Dunye gifted the world of cinema with a true gem. Twenty-two years later, her novel story from the LGBTQ community still stirs much conversation, inspiration and excitement. The release of THE WATERMELON WOMAN (’96) was a pioneering moment for young Dunye, as the first narrative feature film helmed by an African-American lesbian.
Two adventures unfold in this 90s comedy classic as Cheryl (played by Dunye), a video store rental clerk, searches to uncover the identity and work of the fictitious black actress Fae Richards AKA the “Watermelon Woman.” Richards was cast in the domestic mammy roles and Cheryl wants to dig deep to find out more about the actress. During the filming of her documentary she becomes smitten with Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white woman that she meets at her job. Ironically, Cheryl discovers that Fae Richards was also gay and rumored to be in a relationship with a white female director, Martha Page.
As I reflect upon the strides that have been made in storytelling by Lena Waithe, Tina Mabry, Dee Rees and so many other queer women of color, Dunye should always be recognized for laying the framework for black women creators “in the family.”
In a pre-crowdfunded and smartphone world, Dunye set out on a mission similar to that of Spike Lee when he pooled together donations from family, friends and grants to fund his first feature film, SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT (‘86). Backlash for THE WATERMELON WOMAN came from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which funded a portion of Dunye’s film, because it was considered pornographic due to its lesbian sex scene. In an interview with Interview Magazine in 2016, Dunye elaborated:
KELSEY: The ’90s was such a fertile time for a lot of artwork, but it was also a time where great artists were being scrutinized because of the conservative backlash against National Endowment for the Arts funding, and I know you went through that personally with The Watermelon Woman. [Dunye was given a $31,000 grant by the NEA for the film only to have her work singled out by Representative Peter Hoekstra for its lesbian sex scene]. What was that experience like for you?
DUNYE: It was a slap in the face in a weird way. It was a gift, it was a slap in the face, it was something that was stimulating to me, like, “Wow I did the right thing as an artist.” The story behind Hoekstra on the Congressional floor, with Sheila Jackson Lee; I’m glad Sheila Jackson Lee stood up for me, thank goodness for Sheila Jackson Lee. But it goes onto a further debate, where it’s people like Hollywood stars, Alec Baldwin was the one representing the NEA and my project. But nobody contacted me. I don’t think that would happen at this point, I think CNN or Fox would have just put the person on. But at that point in that debate, I was sort of like “The Watermelon Woman,” you know? Talked about, but I didn’t have a real face. I was just a puppet within that thing, and I just think that that for me is that double-edged sword about making work. It’s out there, people can do whatever they want with it. That, I walked away with thinking, “Wow, here was a transcendent moment, and I have no answers. I just have more work to make.” So, that’s the way the lens gets changed. [laughs]
Despite this, the work was not disrupted and allowed to retain the funding. *wipes brow* Celebrate Pride and this important work in film history, and stream Dunye’s groundbreaking work now on FilmStruck.
Feinstein: You’re a big, powerful man. Why didn’t you [gestures pushing motion]?
Crews: Senator, as a black man in America [sigh]…
Feinstein: Say it as it is. I think it’s important.
Crews: …you only have a few shots at success. You only have a few chances to make yourself a viable member of the community. I’m from Flint, Michigan. I have seen many many young black men who were provoked into violence, and they were imprisoned, or they were killed, and they’re not here. My wife for years prepared me. She said, “If you ever get goaded, if you ever get prodded, if you ever have anyone try to push you into any kind of situation, don’t do it. Don’t be violent.” And she trained me. I’ll be honest with you it was the strength of my wife who trained me and told me, “If this situation happens, let’s leave.” And the training worked because I did not go into my first reaction, I grabbed her hand, we left, but the next day I went right to the agency. I have texts, I have phone conversations, and I said, “This is unacceptable!” And I told them how -you know- I almost got violent, but I didn’t. And I said, “What are you going to do about this predator that you have roaming your hallways?” And -you know- I was told, “We are going to do everything in our power. We are going to handle this Terry. You’re right. It is unacceptable.” And then they disappeared. Nothing happened.
Look at the faces of the black men behind him it says it all.
This is real fucking infuriating. This shit isn’t funny. Fuck them and anyone who makes fun of Terry Crews speaking out and taking a stand.
