People who think that “there’s no trans art” are divorced from reality. Let’s celebrate trans art and artists

Actually, Glinner, trans art is going really well and more people should know about it

Earlier this week, The Daily Telegraph published an interview with the famously divorced former TV-writer Graham Linehan. In the interview, Glinner justified his intensely irrational hatred of trans people by stating “there’s no trans art”.

”There’s no great trans film. There’s no great trans creators of music. All the books that come out by trans authors are universally panned because of their incoherence.”

The interview itself pointed out that this wasn’t true, with the next paragraph stating the critically-acclaimed works of Torrey Peters (writer of Detransition, Baby nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction) and Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys) as well as actors Laverne Cox and Elliot Page.

People also turned to social media to point out that trans people have historically been responsible for revolutionising music and cinema. Wendy Carlos, who worked on the soundtrack of landmark films such as A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, is seen as a very early pioneer of electronic music and synthesisers. Likewise, trans sisters Lana and Lily Wachowski transformed how action scenes are shot in Western cinema through the success of their Matrix franchise.

So, uh, yeah that’s complete bullshit!

But while we’re disputing Linehan’s ridiculous claims (also his claim that trans people are “white and middle-class” which again… couldn’t be further from the truth. Trans people are amongst the poorest people in society and the gender binary itself is a Western phenomenon you complete dickhead), let’s do something really lovely that we all know he’s gonna hate.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate and promote some contemporary trans artists and their work. Not just to stick it to Glinner, but because during dangerous political debates such as this, it’s the art that will make the difference in survival for us.

Screen

While Laverne Cox, Elliot Page and the Wachowskis are rightly acknowledged for being trailblazers in trans people on the screen, there are many less well-known figures also blazing a path for the next generation of trans actors and directors, even here in Australia.

Formerly known for changing young lives across Australia with her fight to make puberty blockers more accessible, trans activist Georgie Stone appeared as Mackenzie Hargreaves on Neighbours, a trans high school student with a heartbreaking love story.

Similarly, fellow Aussie trans actress Evie Macdonald appeared as Hannah Bradford in Emmy award-winning children’s drama First Day as a trans girl starting at high school and revolutionising how her school treats gender non-conforming students. In America, Hunter Schafer took the world by storm with her fierce portrayal of troubled trans teen Jules Vaughn in Euphoria. The next generation of trans actresses is incredible!

In terms of writers and directors, ND Stevenson became an internationally beloved name with his Emmy award-winning show She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and the recently released Nimona. M.J. Bassett is a director and writer of cult horror films such as Deathwatch, Wilderness and the video game adaptation Silent Hill: Revelation. In Australia, AP Pobjoy was the writer and director of Unerased, a documentary film showcasing the lives of a group of trans teenagers.

Visual Art

Across the world, Wu Tsang is a burgeoning name in the world of art, who has been represented in the Tate Modern in London and the MoCA in Los Angeles. Their art about exposing the limitations of binary ideas behind sex and gender.

Amos Mac is a Los Angeles based photographer whose speciality is capturing the portraits of gender non-conforming people using vivid colour to reflect their entire personality. And Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernst are a trans couple who documented their gender transition throughout their romantic relationship in their compilation Relationship.

wu_tsang

A post shared by @wu_tsang

Here in Australia, Meanjin-based trans lesbian couple Amy Sargeant and Arianna Nixon created Climate of Violence, a contemporary art exhibition held in Wreckers Artspace earlier this August, and their visual art is known for showcasing disillusionment with the political establishment held by trans activists.

James Barth is also a visual artist working in Meanjin who is showcased in the Milani Gallery demonstrating the emotions behind transgender visibility and politics. In Naarm, Ruby Quail is a visual artist and designer who created Thou Dost Bleed, an exhibition held at Off the Kerb which demonstrated the visceral nature of trans suffering under capitalism through the artistic rendering of GoFundMe, a donation platform used by countless impoverished trans people desperate for healthcare access.

Music

Wendy Carlos may have pioneered electronic music, but the impact of trans people in music doesn’t stop there. The hyperpop craze which has affected all pop music to this day owes itself largely to the work of Sophie, a Scottish producer and DJ who tragically passed away too young. Nonetheless, her work lives on in the music of superstars such as Madonna and Charli XCX, as well as inspiring a new generation of trans singers.

Trans artists such as Kim Petras, Laura Les (of 100 gecs) and Dorian Electra are all musicians of the ever-growing hyperpop movement, and earlier this year Kim Petras became the first out transgender solo artist to reach No. 1 on the US and UK charts (with “Unholy”, a collaboration with non-binary musician Sam Smith) as well as the second out trans person to win a Grammy following Wendy Carlos.

In other genres, Ethel Cain earned widespread acclaim for her Americana album Preacher’s Daughter, released last year. Lena Raine is a music producer known for her critically acclaimed soundtracks to games such as Celeste, Minecraft and Chicory: A Colourful Tale. And here in Australia, we have a flourishing trans music scene with the likes of Simona Castricum, June Jones, UBOA, Dubhessa and Mani Blu.

Literature

Far from every book coming out being “critically panned”, trans literature likewise is growing from strength to strength. In 2021, non-binary writer Xiran Jay Zhao gained a New York Times Bestseller with their debut work Iron Widow, a science fiction themed reimagining of the rise of Chinese Empress Wu Zetian. Also in the world of science fiction, Charlie Jane Anders is an award-winning writer of books such as Six Months, Three Days and All the Birds in the Sky, while Isabel Fall became a finalist for the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novelette for her story I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter.

In contemporary fiction, Kai Cheng Thom garnered critical praise for her work Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, which was chosen by Emma Watson for her feminist book club, Our Shared Shelf, in 2019. Here in Australia, Alison Evans is a non-binary writer of young-adult fiction who won the People’s Choice Award at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards in 2017 whilst Lee Lai has been shortlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize.

The problem with Glinner being able to discredit trans literature so easily is simply because so little of it exists, which sucks considering how important it is right now and how amazing it all is when it does get taken on. The publishing industry has been notoriously struggling of late, especially after the arts industry was hit extremely hard by Covid-19, and supporting your local trans author is a great way to not only boost the arts in Australia but also boost trans authors. Gives the likes of Alex Gallagher or Maddison Stoff some love, they’ll give you great stories in return!

Video Games

One of the most well-known video game developers of late is a trans woman, Maddy Thorson. After first releasing the action party game TowerFall, she went onto be the lead developer of platform game Celeste, which was critically acclaimed for its gameplay as well as its story centered around introspection, determination and embracing your mental health struggles.

The game went onto win several awards including Best Independent Game and Games for Impact at The Games Awards in 2018, where it was also nominated for Game of the Year. Celeste also featured a critically acclaimed score by the aforementioned Lena Raine, which was performed by Orchestra Victoria at their concert celebrating indie games. Maddy Thorson is now the Director of R&D at Extremely OK Games, which is currently working on Earthblade.

Another big name in trans video game design is Christine Love, most well known for her visual novels including Digital: A Love Story and Ladykiller in a Bind. Most recently, she released the road trip inspired role playing game Get in the Car, Loser! which featured three lesbians and an angel on an adventure together.

So there you have it! Supporting trans art is one of the best ways to support trans liberation, and we hope this gives everyone some inspiration. Trans art takes many forms and despite what anyone wants to say, all of it is rad! :)

Further Reading:

• Ten Essential Short Stories by Trans Authors - Tor.com

• 15 Transgender and Non-binary Artists You Need to Know: Peppermint, Ethel Cain, Cavetown and More - Billboard

• Going Beyond the Screen with Trans Actors, Directors and Filmmakers - NYFA

• What’s next for trans representation in AAA games? - GLAAD

• 26 Important Transgender Books (by Transgender Authors) - Books & Bao

• Six artists exploring the joy and pain of the transgender experience - i-D

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Natalie Feliks is a writer and activist originally from Adelaide, now living in Melbourne. She's written for the likes of Junkee, Crikey, and Overland, and spends her time listening to pop music and eating chocolate.