Transsexuals In Iran is an award winning documentary by Tanaz Eshaghian that takes a fascinating look at the lives of transsexuals living in post revolutionary Iran. It's not very often that we get to take a look at the lives of our transgender brothers and sisters in that part of the world, and this documentary gives us the chance to do just that.
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Thank you for rec'ing and linking this documentary. I've been watching at all morning. I think the thing that is blowing my mind is how openly people are talking about everything *including* the comments against the transmen and women in the documentary. There is a lot of brutal honesty.
ReplyDeleteThe argument about how homosexuality is still wrong even being trans isn't just blows me away. Or even that gender reassignment surgery is thought seemingly as a way to prevent or cure homosexuality. I know their are/have been similar arguments made in "western" trans community, it always baffles me.
I'm also ridiculously touched that the doctor continuously wishing God's blessings on the men and women at his office. The acceptance of transness by a religious institution is amazing.
Thanks for linking to this. I just sat down and watched this. How incredibly heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, the struggles of Western people who truly believe themselves to be transgender are quite difficult, so to see that people in Iran are being hurried into/ forced into this decision with so very many obvious doubts is incredibly troubling. The surgery is being used and abused as some sort of "cure-all" when it is so clear that the only thing that is happening is that the government is using a very delicate surgery to try and camouflage/sweep away their "undesirables".
It was good to see that Anoosh's mother embraced him, but for every Anoosh I am sure there are hundreds more miserable and suicidal Alis living in prostitute ghettoes. My heart is truly hurting for these young people and for that repressed society as a whole.
I am definitely going to share this documentary with others, and if you hear of any way that we can be of any support in drawing more attention to this issue, please do share.
I was googling around and there is a lot of information on this phenomenon
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice photo essay
http://www.viiphoto.com/detailStory3.php?news_id=409
This is the link to an interview about a film called Birthday which is on the topic
http://www.cinemawithoutborders.com/news/127/ARTICLE/1236/2007-03-31.html
An article in UK's Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/26/iran.gender
Camille
ReplyDeleteThanks for the additional links
Jo Jo
It's been fascinating to watch.
As for using SRS as a cure for homosexuality or else you die, it's what happens when you have a theocracy, and science gets used for buttressing specious religious concepts.
A really intense and moving documentary. A lot of emotions roiling about atm. Thanks for sharing it, Monica.
ReplyDeleteIran is so wrong to force sex change and sex change propaganda upon lesbians and gays. They should be allowed to stay as they are....gay.
ReplyDeleteThe doctors seem to be exploiting the situation and selling these people lies.
ReplyDeleteVery heart-breaking. Especially the last scenes.
I saw this documentary at NewFest Film Festival last June, and I was saddened. It was so sad for these gay and lesbian people to be forced into irreversible surgery so that they could express themselves. And then after the surgery, still not allowed to be themselves the way how they truly felt. The Iranian government virtually brainwashes it's LGBT community, and they go along with it. There is just so much denial in the whole process.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this.
ReplyDelete