Scarlett J pulls out of trans role

We get this the whole time. Should black actors be cast in Skakespear? In fact, should women be cast if a production is truly authentic? Should able bodied actors play disabled parts - and vice versa.

This is just more of the same. There are always going to be people who feel an actor has to match all the characteristics of the part and others who believe that actors are versatile. It's not a trans argument.

Looking forward now to the next King Lear productions with a 'real' King. A Midsummer Night's Dream with actual fairies, with real wings etc.
Looks like 'acting' as well as being what I am a woman etc, is now illegal.

Funny old world.

www.them.us/story/the-true-story-of-dante-tex-gill

I've never heard of Dante Tex Gill but basically he/she was a corrupt and violent criminal, pimp , brothel keeper and gangster.

Why the writer of this article thinks he/she deserves respect or , for that matter, why Scarlett Johansson thought this was a story worth telling escapes me.

OK, so find a butch woman - it's not that hard, I can think of two or three off the top of my head - top of the list being the woman from Orange is the New Black, who could come very close to that photo above if she wanted.

And surely it would be triggering for a trans man to have to woman up to play the pre trans bit?

Actors act. It's what they do. Pretend to be someone else and get paid for it. It's all bollocks.

One problem with having a transman play the role is that the transman would have had medical treatment, so would have a deep voice and stubble. Dante Tex Gill never went through that. She looked like a powerfully built, masculine woman in men's clothes.

Forgot to add - therefore, only trans people can play trans roles because noone else represents them.

Therefore they are separate from male and female people, so the statement of 'transwomen are women' and 'transmen are men' cannot stand? It's more like 'trans people are trans people'?

Unless, I guess.the protestors against Scarlett's appointment would have been happy for a male person to play the role? But all the protests seemed to be about transmen wanting to audition for the role, not males?

The debate seems to tangle itself up in knots once you go down the rabbit hole.

Just saw this too. So if the argument is only 'transmen' can play 'transmen' (even the definition of this role is wonky in this case as the person Scarlett was due to play, Lois Jean Gill never described themselves as 'trans' - they've been historically-transed by the transjuggernaut) because Scarlett, as a female, 'doesn't fit the criteria'.

The logic follows, after protests online at her casting in that role, that only 'transmen' should play this part as they are the only ones who represent and can know what this role is about. And only they 'fit the criteria'.

So the logic has to therefore follow that trans actors must only play trans roles, because , say, if a transwoman plays the part of a female, that wouldn't be right as they can't represent a female because they don't have that lived experience and don't 'fit the criteria' - because they are trans?

A transman can never play a male role, because they don't have the lived experience of a male. Like Scarlett playing a supposed-transman, she doesn't 'fit the criteria'.

So either those who champion and celebrate Scarlett stepping aside from this role celebrate transpeople either only playing trans roles and no other role or, unsurprisingly, there seems to be a logic fail along the way here.

Ahh, I see what you mean NotTerfNorCis:

It says she has pulled participation. I wonder if that means the production company will pull out too, as it's hers?

I can't think who they could get for the role who'd be acceptable to TRAs.

To be fair Scarlet J looked nothing like Dante Tex Gill, so maybe a more masculine-looking woman would be appropriate, but not a man as at least one TRA was suggesting.