So my understanding of current fundamentalist ire at the movies is somewhat limited. From what I've heard, although they mention Capote and Transamerica as part of the great gay plot to corrupt the youth of America, their ire is mostly aimed at Brokeback Mountain. This makes sense, given the iconic nature of the cowboy in the American mythos. (Not everyone bought into that myth: the homoerotocism of the Hollywood western has been a matter for amusement long before Jon Stewart's very funny Oscar night montage.)
After the Oscars, I downloaded "Travelin' Thru" by Dolly Parton from Transamerica. After a single listening, I was astounded that there has not been screaming indignation from the fundamentalists about this song sung by Dolly Parton -- a country and western luminary -- in a movie about... about... transsexuals!!!!! How dare they!
Because "Travelin' Thru" is a spiritual.
Questions I have many, answers but a few
But we're here to learn, the spirit burns, to know the greater truth
We've all been crucified and they nailed Jesus to the tree
And when I'm born again, you're gonna see a change in me
She said "born again"! Well, clearly, she doesn't mean it like we mean it. Or does she? And just mentioning the name of Jesus doesn't make something a spiritual.
But calling on the name of Jesus does -- and with an assertion of God's love, to boot:
God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain
Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain
Oh sweet Jesus if you're listening, keep me ever close to you
As I'm stumblin', tumblin', wonderin', as I'm travelin' thru
A spiritual with a message about acceptance and redemption. A remarkable message about becoming who you are. Especially remarkable when, as is the case with transgendered people, who you are is subject to misunderstanding, rejection, and even possibly violence (such as Brandon Teena and Gwen Araujo suffered).
A friend of mine who is a transman has described to me in the past the frustration of dealing with people who insist on calling him by his birth name, use "she" and "her" -- or worse, "it" -- when referring to him, about people who think that he is evil or damned, about Christians who say "I'll pray for you," when what they mean is "I'll pray for you to renounce your sinful ways and return to being a nice feminine wife and mother." The pain when he spoke of it was palpable and heartbreaking.
As long as I've known him he's been a man. I can't imagine him as a woman. The sort of emotional and psychological distortions he'd have to undergo to become a woman would drive anyone insane. His being a man hurts no one at all, and makes him emotionally healthier than he ever was as a woman. And we are suppposed to shame him into being someone else simply to fit our preconceived notion of who God finds acceptable?
Oh sometimes the road is rugged, and it's hard to travel on
But holdin' to each other, we don't have to walk alone
When everything is broken, we can mend it if we try
We can make a world of difference, if we want to we can fly
Amen, Sister Dolly. I just wish that the people who would condemn my friend for being who he is would feel the same way. Or, if they do, they don't interpret "mending" as "forcing into the mold we need them to be in." Because that's not mending, that's bludgeoning.
Like the poor wayfaring stranger that they speak about in song
I'm just a weary pilgrim trying to find my own way home
Oh sweet Jesus if you're out there, keep me ever close to you
As I'm travelin', travelin', travelin', as I'm travelin' thru
As so are we all. If we all recognized that fact the world might be a gentler place. A place safe for all of us, even a middle-aged MTF meeting the son she never knew she had, or my friend.
I think that would be worth a song, don't you?
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