Queer As Folk Reboot

[olivermoss]

Note: the trailer has a scene that is meant to be an analog of the Pulse Club shooting. The aftermath of a Pulse-style shooting seems to be the set up for the show.

Watch on YouTube

I've seen references to the show having trans characters now, but don't have definite word on who and how major a role they have. They did cast Jesse James Keitel as one of the leads, and she is non-binary but uses she/her pronouns.

Also, per <a href="https://www.them.us/story/queer-as-folk-reboot-first-look-imagesan article in They magazine</a>: <i>Executive producer and writer Jaclyn Moore spoke directly to the series’ depiction of trans characters, who were all but absent in the original. “As a trans woman, I’m excited to take steps to move past telling stories that seem to just be arguing for our basic humanity,” Moore said. </i>

Comments

[mistressofmuses]

Having trans creators behind the scenes is encouraging, though I'm curious to see more about what they'll do in terms of characters and storylines, too.

(Peacock is another service that I don't have, alas.)

[olivermoss]

I don't know if I can watch Peacock. I mostly use Amazon to temp subscribe to channels, turn subs on and off. That's my main viewing platform. I kinda want to see it, but as someone who feels very alienated from the queer community (esp after last night, long story) if it leans too much into power of community I might need to peace out.

[mistressofmuses]

I hate how many people do wind up alienated from the sense of queer community. I mostly have a kind of... tangential connection to the queer community, both online and in-person. Not terribly participatory, on my part. I wish I had a more tangible connection, but I've definitely been burned several times, and it's hard to WANT to try again. I'm sorry you're feeling particularly alienated.

[olivermoss]

Yeah, it's rough and oh look it's almost June again. I'm starting to plan for how to deal with it this year, especially since I forgot to make sure I'd be out of town for the start of June.

The linked article says something about how the show will be a success if at least one person feels less alone and it's like... How does seeing a party you aren't part of make people feel less alone? Everyone is sharing that Bros promo ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWd-AuIgCrc ) and I wish other stories got told, too. Anyway, enough emo from me. I might post on my own journal about dealing with it all at some point.

[mistressofmuses]

I'm sorry you don't have plans. :/ I wish Pride could be the helpful, community-building (or hell, even just party, if that's what you're into) that it seems like it should be. Unfortunate especially when it feels like the opposite.

I think there is something to be said for "representation" and all... but there are different kinds of loneliness. The loneliness of a kid growing up (especially in the 70s/80s/90s/early 00s) and never seeing ANY positive/non-tragic depictions (or maybe any depictions at all) of queer people is different than the loneliness of 20/30/40/50-something people who are happy with themselves but are still ALONE in terms of community.
An aspirational view of community and connection and happiness may be something that helps some people... for other people it feels hollow because they've grown up and still don't have those things, or have been denied access to them.

IDK, it all falls under the "different people need different stories" thing, which is certainly fine. But it feels like a new kind of alienating to have only ONE type of "positive queer story" out there. Which I guess is progress of a kind, as compared to none at all... and yet. Still alienating.

I'll try to rein in my angst on the community too, though.

[olivermoss]

Nah, it's fine for other people to vent. I just feel bad as the mod/de-facto-host of the community. Yeah, I kinda want to write something about the contrast between the stories we see and just... reality. My peer support group even being allowed at the Q Center is controversial and other groups have strategized to push us out of our already-very-bad time slot. Hopes of community is why I moved here and it's all gone... not good.

[mistressofmuses]

That's really shitty that your group is being pushed out of the center. Like, ultra super shitty. Is it just a cliquish thing, or something about your group they don't like? Peer support is ostensibly one of the major functions of queer community centers, so what the hell!? I'm so sorry that's been your experience.

[olivermoss]

It's because it's a Transmasc group. Us being included is controversial. It took the founder 2 years to get us the space at all, then the kidz who just moved are all like 'Wow, it's great PDX has this because of course it does. I hear this group has a ten year history!'

Also, the local trans resource center recently had an oopsie where they forgot transmasc people / transmen even exist. They started a new drop in social hour for 'trans people', but only meant trans women and enbies. After the first meeting redid all the promo to say 'femmes and thems'. They literally just forgot anything else exists.

I've also asked in the group what they do for Pride in this town and they are all 'nothing, we don't feel safe or included there'.

This is the first time I've referred to myself as Transmasc under this name. I've been sort of talking around it, but I figure most people just assume that about me at this point due to the things I talk about.

And not to go full emo, but even though there is a group here they are mostly 20 somethings who don't even want to talk to anyone over 30. Some have said, outside of group, that I shouldn't be there. Pre-pandemic I used to go just because there were always new people so I felt like there were possibilities there, but the group has mostly fallen apart during the pandemic.

[mistressofmuses]

That is garbage bullshit and I am so sorry that you and your group are being treated that way.
The queer community as a whole really needs to address the transphobia that's coming from inside the house, so to speak, but there's a lot of resistance to ever doing that. As many ongoing wanks attest to.
When done deliberately, it seems to come from a very TERF-adjacent place, that gets very gender-essentialist with an attitude of men (and masculinity) seen as bad things. Of course the worst offenders refuse to acknowledge that, because they don't hate trans women, and just... don't think about trans men.
When done accidentally, it's too often brushed off as no big deal, something impacting few people. Except it IS a big deal, or should be. And of course you aren't going to have a large number of transmasc people using your services/visible in your groups if you do everything you can to drive them away.

The "femmes and thems" thing is one I've seen before, and honestly, it's real shitty for something that's trying to be so cute. The exclusion of transmascs is crap, and it also toes the line of implying "nonbinary = femme-lite".

(I'd sort of assumed you were transmasc, but also knew that was just my own assumption.)

The way this general purity culture kind of attitude, where younger teens/20-somethings should never ever ever have to speak to someone over 30 (or 25, in a handful of circles I've seen) is just... real weird and gross to me. That's one I have started to see around more, VERY much online, but seeping into real-life spaces, too. I don't care if younger people want their own spaces, but I DO care about them trying to push older adults (and calling 30 "older" is weird as hell) out of existing spaces, especially when some of those spaces are so difficult to come by at all. By all means, be annoyed if specific older people are condescending, and get rid of anyone *actually* predatory or something (not just... daring to exist), but deciding that you're only willing to interact with people your age +/- 5 is just... such a crappy way to live your life. The chance to talk to queer people who were older than me, and had presumably therefore made it through some life shit that I was just running into was a POSITIVE to me, when I was looking for that kind of support group as a 20-something.
There's also a sense of "who do you think builds and organizes this shit?" because while 20-somethings certainly can and do run events and things, my experience with those things when I was that age wasn't... great in terms of how they were run or how consistent they were.

I'm sorry for getting this off-topic and personal and kind of ranty on the media comm! But I'm extremely sad that you're being treated so poorly by a community that should know better, yet refuses to be better.

[olivermoss]

I appreciate the rant. It makes me feel a little less crazy. But I am going to reply via PM if that's okay.