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Transgender Prison Experience and It’s Representation on TV: Media Component 

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Cultural Event Report

On Tuesday, April 25th, I had the pleasure of attending the LGBTQIA Spring Mixer. This Spring Mixer was held in the Howard Gittis Student Center, room 200C, from 3pm to 5pm. Their second mixer, it was hosted by the LGBTQIA+ Coalition of Temple University. The event offered a safe space for members of the LGBTQ community and allies to get together and mingle. The Spring Mixer featured finger foods, desserts, and drinks, and offered me a chance to hear testimonies from members of the community on ways in which Temple University can improve upon LGBTQ relations and issues, as well as their opinions on current popular culture issues regarding LGBTQ representation.

To begin the event, all guests were asked to sign in with their Temple ID, and fill out a name tag to make meeting new people easier. I found a table at which only a few guests were seated, and made myself comfortable. Shortly after my arrival, a young woman, Kathryn, arrived and sat next to me. I quickly learned that Kathryn would have no problem sharing her thoughts and opinions with me, a complete stranger.

Upon introducing ourselves, I asked Kathryn what it was like for her to be a member of the LGBTQ community on Temple University’s campus. She explained that she feels Temple tries to promote itself on being inclusive, but rather simply acknowledges the LGBTQ community without really putting forth efforts to support it. She expressed that while many LGBTQ events exist on Temple’s campus, promotion of those events are nearly nonexistent. I agreed, explaining that I found out about this Spring Mixer completely by accident. Kathryn continued, stating that Temple needs to work harder to build a bigger LGBTQ community on campus, calling for a need to connect more people, advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ students and staff, and promote the LGBTQ safe spaces on campus. One of Kathryn’s biggest concerns was the lack of openly supportive teachers. While a teacher may not actually oppose LGBTQ students, not acknowledging their existence can make it seem that way.

When speaking with Kathryn, I began thinking about Chapters 1 and 5 of Larry Gross’s Up From Invisibility. Chapter 1 discussed the role television plays in the formation of opinions and biases about minority groups, specifically the LGBTQ community. Gross explains that television is perhaps the biggest influencer of modern society. He writes, “Television has become the key source of information about the world, creating a common set of values and perspectives among its viewers (Gross, p. 6).���  With this quote in mind, I prompted Kathryn to speak about her opinion of LGBTQ representation in the media and popular culture. She expressed concern, as someone who identifies herself as bisexual, with the lack of bisexual characters in movies and television shows. Additionally, we discussed that since society automatically assumes everyone is straight, a character’s queerness becomes his/her main storyline, and they’re typically just supporting characters. After leaving the event, I began reflecting on this portion of our conversation. I realized that while LGBTQ representation in the media has improved over time, in comparison to the early examples given in Chapter 5 of  Up From Invisibility (Gross, pp. 81-93), there is a long way to go. Its incredible that in 2017, the LGBTQ community is frequently represented through characters that support widely believed stereotypes.

In addition to connecting LGBTQ students, staff, and faculty, this Spring Mixer was held as a way to recognize the recent process and success of the LGBTQIA+ Coalition, as well as to address issues that are still currently at hand. After about an hour of mingling, the chair of the Coalition stepped up to the podium and addressed us. He explained that the goal of the Coalition is to create a single safe place for all members of the LGBTQ community to flock to, and to develop support and resources for staff and students. While there are a few safe places for LGBTQ students and staff around campus, like the Wellness Center, the IDEAL Office, and Safe Zones, the Coalition found it would be most beneficial to have one center that emcompasses all of these resources. He went on to explain that the Coalition had recently made arrangements with the Wellness Center to move their support and resources to a new LGBTQ Center on campus. While the LGBTQIA+ Coalition has made progress in their efforts to supply all LGBTQ students and staff with support and resources, the fight is not over. At this event, I learned that there are currently efforts to implement more gender inclusive/gender neutral bathrooms on Temple’s Campus.

The LGBTQIA+ Coalition’s Spring Mixer was a wonderfully eye opening event that I’m very thankful to have attended. I was introduced to opinions on topics that affect the LGTBQ community of Temple University’s campus, directly from members themselves. I was also introduced to the struggles they face living on campus, as well as the efforts and success made by the LGBTQIA+ Coalition. I would absolutely love to attend another one of these events.

Works Cited

Gross, Larry. (2001). Up from invisibility: Lesbians, Gay men, and the Media in America, Chapter 1, pp. 1-20.

Gross, Larry. (2001). Up from invisibility: Lesbians, Gay men, and the Media in America, Chapter 5, pp. 81-93.

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Transgender Prison Experience and It’s Representation on TV: A Critical Analysis of Orange is the New Black

Transgender Prison Experience and It’s Representation on TV: A Critical Analysis of Orange is the New Black

Introduction

     Orange is the New Black is a Netflix original series focused around the life of Piper Chapman and her prison experience. The four time Emmy winning series addresses multiple LGBT topics. Sophia Burset, played by Laverne Cox who is transgender in real life, is a transgender inmate in the series. Throughout the series, viewers are exposed to Sophia’s prison experience as a transgender woman, as well as get a glimpse of her life before prison. This paper will examine the transgender prison experience and how it is represented on tv, specifically analyzing Orange is the New Black in terms of this subject.

The Gender Binary and It’s Influence on the Prison System and Experience

     Prison operations exist around the assumption of a gender binary. They are institutions simply segregated by male and female, unwelcoming and unaccepting of anything in between (Jenness, 2013). Conflicts arise when inmates personally identify themselves as one, but are biologically or genetically representative of the other. The prison experience for transgender inmates is often lacking compassion, support, and allies. In many cases, transgender people are placed into correctional facilities that coincide with the gender they were assigned at birth, rather than the gender they identify with. Prison guards see transgender individuals as a threat that disrupts the prison order (Agbemenu, 2015), as they are perceived as a possible source of attendant management problems (Jenness, 2013), and in many cases, officials routinely prevent transgender prisoners from receiving access to transition-related health care, like hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery (Agbemenu, 2015). Additionally, transgender individuals in prison often face much sexual harassment and assault in regards to their gender presentation and identity.

The Most Sex Segregated of Institutions

Prisoners are typically separated based on their sex assigned at birth, and many other factors central to the prison context--the presence of guards, strip searches, medical care, and interactions between prisoners-are addressed in terms of sex and the gender binary. Sex segregation and discrimination are rampant, and indeed central to the prison context, leading advocates and scholars to describe prison as "arguably the most sex segregated of institutions” (Agbemenu, 2015, p.43).

     For a transgender inmate serving sentences in a prison they don’t identify with, their time can be very difficult compared to that of their non-transgender counterparts. All aspects of their prison lives are determined by their assumed, biological gender. The situation becomes all the more complicated when thinking about gender authenticity and the pursuit of being the “real deal” or a “real girl” (Jenness, 2013). Being in a men’s prison means that transgender women inmates are immediately understood as male, and thus “passing” is no longer an issue. However, these inmates  must make a constant commitment to being feminine, or “acting like a lady,” in order to be perceived as female (Jenness, 2103). In many cases, transgender women serving in men’s prisons find themselves in competition with other transgender women inmates for the attention and affection of their male counterparts, or “real men,” and use this attention to measure gender status among themselves.

Medical Transgressions

     Though transgender inmates make up only a small portion of American prisoners, nearly one in six transgender Americans has been incarcerated in a state or federal prison (Agbemenu, 2015). Access to comprehensive medical care is difficult for transgender individuals to begin with, yet these difficulties are emphasized for transgender people in the prison system. While many transgender inmates try to gain access to proper health care on the basis of the Eighth Amendment and its protection against “cruel and unusual punishment,” and argue that gender dysmorphia is a serious medical need, there is no consensus among the courts that supports that claim. Furthermore, in most court cases, gender dysmorphia is not deemed a serious medical condition unless the plaintiff has gone to serious and life-threatening lengths, such as attempted suicide and self-genital mutilation.

Sexual Assault

     Aside from the opposition transgender inmates face from the justice system in regards to comprehensive medical care, they’re usually met with hostility from fellow inmates and guards, often through sexual harassment and assault in the form of insults and physical abuse. In fact, transgender prisoners are 13 times more likely than their non-transgender counterparts to be sexually assaulted in prison (Jenness, 2013). Transgender inmates are often victims of cruel words, death threats, and physical abuse at the hands of inmates and prison staff alike. Furthermore, transgender inmates find themselves with no one to turn to for help, and are often left to deal with the abuse and harassment on their own.

Protection or Punishment?

     Unfortunately, transgender inmates are met with few, if any, allies amongst the prison staff and faculty. Additionally, they are met with little protection from their harassers. Upon filing formal complaints against their assailants, transgender prisoners are often ignored. Left to fend for themselves, sometimes solitary confinement, or the Special Housing Unit (SHU), is the only escape from their abuse. However, serving time in the SHU leads to being more of a punishment than protection. As a matter of fact, transgender inmates are disproportionately punished in prison, most commonly through isolation (Stahl, 2014).

     While spending time in solitary confinement may possibly save transgender inmates from the abuse of their peers, the 23 hours a day spent alone in the confines of a windowless room can certainly take a toll on their mental health. Inmates in the SHU have no telephone access, few to no personal possessions, and no access to activities, programs, or class. Upon mealtimes, prisoners in the SHU are served through a slot in the door, eliminating possible contact with the facility’s guards (Stahl, 2014.

     Many prisons across the country recognize that transgender inmates are particularly vulnerable to abuse and harassment from the general prison population. Therefore, they’ve begun placing transgender inmates in involuntary protective custody (IPC). Inmates in IPC are expected to receive a minimum of three hours per day outside of their cells, participate daily in at least two group meals, and have regular access to library and counseling services, telephone calls, visits and their personal property (Stahl, 2014).  Though these certain distinctions are supposed to exist to differentiate IPC from the SHU, prisoners report that in many cases, being in IPC is comparable to being in the SHU.

     Furthermore, while being place in IPC or the SHU is often seen as a method of protection from harassment and sexual assault, nearly half of the alleged instances of sexual violence in prisons and jails across America are actually committed by prison staff and faculty, according to a recent statistical data report by the Bureau of Justice (Stahl, 2014). Thus, attempts at protecting transgender inmate could potentially be placing them in more danger of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault.

Orange is the New Black’s Portrayal

     There are a few accuracies in the transgender prison experience as portrayed in Orange is the New Black. When the prison transgender inmate, Sophia Burset, is serving receives new staff members, as well as when other inmates discover she still poses male genitalia, Sophia faces sexual harassment and abuse from staff and inmates alike. Upon filing formal complaints against the harassment and abuse, she is left to fend for herself and ultimately ends up in solitary confinement, or in the Special Housing Unit (SHU). The prison warden claims she was placed there to protect her against further attacks. However, the SHU is more of a punishment rather than a protection method (Kohan, 2013). Overall, the entire storyline is short lived, and upon being discharged from the SHU, Sophia’s life in prison essentially goes back to normal.

     While somewhat accurate, Orange is the New Black’s representation shows a fantasy that is very much unreal for many unlucky transgender women in prison. First and foremost, transgender inmate, Sophia Burset, is serving her sentence at a women’s facility, despite still having male genitalia, where she is allowed to continue her hormone therapy. However, this is not the case for most transgender women, who are usually placed into men’s facilities, regardless of genitalia and previous hormone therapy. In addition to receiving comprehensive health care, including hormone therapy with virtually no hurdles, she’s also surrounded by rather compassionate prison staff and faculty, at least those working directly in the prison. She is shown to have the support of her wife, whom she married while still identifying as a male. Sophia has the respect of her fellow inmates, and has never really face any threat of having to prove her femininity thus far in the series.

The Solution

     Although television shows don’t necessarily need to be completely accurate, it’s imperative that minority groups are accurately being represented. Afterall, television acts as a key source of information about the world (Gross, 2001). Including a transgender inmate, Sophia Burset, in the Netflix original series, Orange is the New Black, as a recurring character isn’t the source of funny or comic relief (Rigney, 2003), is a big step in the right direction, and offers a great opportunity to show support and give representation to the transgender community. However, while Sophia struggles with some real issues that many transgender inmates face, such as lack of support from family, possible funding cuts for hormone replacement therapy, and harassment from guards and fellow inmates, ultimately leading to her spending some time in solitary confinement “for her own good,” Sophia’s prison experience is rather luxurious than that of many real transgender inmates in America. Though she still has male genitalia, she is an inmate in a women’s facility, where she continues her hormone therapy. She is well liked by her fellow inmates, and is treated well by the prison staff.

     While Orange is the New Black has done a decent job representing transgender inmates, there is some work to go. It would be beneficial to offer some portion of the series to Sophia Burset spending time in a men’s facility, where she has a difficult time receiving hormone therapy, and is exposed to the competition of being “the real girl” amongst fellow transgender inmates. Ultimately, the series is lacking interactions between transgender inmates, as well as unsympathetic prison staff and faculty.

Conclusion

     While media such as Orange is the New Black offer a somewhat accurate depiction of the transgender prison experience, it is imperative to recognize that much of the inhuman mistreatment and abuse real transgender inmates face is neglected for the sake of entertainment and viewership. Furthermore, it is also important to acknowledge the flaws in the gender binary-based prison system. Transgender inmates are often subjects of sexual harassment and assault, denied comprehensive and necessary medical care, and are placed in situations that lead to conflict and competition with each other. Through Sophia Burset, the Netflix original series’ sole transgender inmate, Orange is the New Black offers a glimpse into the struggles of real transgender inmates. However, her story always has a happy ending, and her conflicts are typically short lived. Orange is the New Black portrays a prison experience that is unfortunately an untrue narrative for the majority of transgender prisoners.

Works Cited Agbemenu, E. (2015). Medical transgressions in America's prisons: defending transgender prisoners' access to transition-related care. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law

Gross, Larry. (2001). Up from invisibility: Lesbians, Gay men, and the Media in America, Chapter 1, pp. 1-20.

Jenness, V., & Fenstermaker, S. (2013). Agnes Goes to Prison Gender Authenticity, Transgender Inmates in Prisons for Men, and Pursuit of “The Real Deal”. Sage Journals

Kohan, Jenji, prod. (2013).  Orange Is the New Black. Netflix.

Rigney, M. (2003). Brandon goes to Hollywood (1): Boys Don't Cry and the transgender body in film. Film Criticism

Stahl, Aviva. (2014). The Horrors Endured by Transgender Women in Prison.Alternet.

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Orange is the New Black and the Transgender Prison Experience (Proposal)

While Orange is the New Black’s transgender character, Sophia Burset,played by Laverne Cox, serves to represent the transgender community, and offers some insight into the experience of transgender prisoners, there are some instances in which Burset’s experience does not represent the majority. My project will analyze the transgender prison experience depicted in Orange is the New Black and how it compares to the real life experiences of transgender people in America. Through the use of scholarly sources, I will identify the differences and offer suggestions on how to improve the series’ presentation of the transgender prisoner’s experience.

For my final project, I will be focusing on the transgender prison experience and how it is represented on tv. I will be analysing Orange is the New Black in terms of this subject, and will be using scholarly articles for research regarding transgender people and prison, as well as researching government laws used to determine which prison transgender people are sent to. After researching and analyzing Orange is the New Black and how it relates to my topic, I will create a digital presentation that presents my information and suggestions to improve the show’s representation of the transgender community.

Orange is the New Black is a Netflix original series focused around the life of Piper Chapman and her prison experience. The four time Emmy winning series addresses multiple LGBT topics. Sophia Burset, played by Laverne Cox who is transgender in real life, is a transgender inmate. Throughout the series, viewers are exposed to Sophia’s prison experience as a transgender woman, as well as get a glimpse of her life before prison. My final project will serve to analyse Orange is the New Black’s representation of the transgender prison experience through scholarly articles. Additionally, I will provide suggestions for how the show can better represent the transgender prison experience.

In my final project, I will be addressing a few topics related to Sophia Burset’s prison experience and how it compares to the real life transgender prison experience. While somewhat accurate, Orange is the New Black’s representation shows a fantasy that is very much unreal for many unlucky transgender women in prison. I will specifically be addressing these differences. For example, Sophia is an inmate at a women’s facility, despite still having male genitalia, where she is allowed to continue her hormone therapy. However, this is not the case for most transgender women. Additionally, I will  address how states determine which prison transgender people are placed in, as well as the problems associated with these decisions.

To begin conducting my research, I’ve come up with three research questions I’d like to find answers to. Firstly, how accurate is the transgender prison experience represented in Orange is the New Black? Secondly, how does the state determine which prison transgender people will be placed in? Finally, What systems are put in place to assist transgender prisoners that are transitioning in prison, and how can they be improved upon?

In beginning my research, I’ve located four scholarly sources related to my topic. My first source for information is an article titled, Redefining Realness?: On Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, TS Madison, and Representation of Transgender Women on Tv, by Julian Kevon Glover. This article investigates how transgender women, specifically transgender women of color, are represented in the media. It discusses Laverne Cox, transnormativity, and respectability politics within the transgender community.

Secondly, I will be using an article titled, Agnes Goes to Prison: Gender Authenticity, Transgender Inmates in Prisons for Men, and Pursuit of “The Real Deal”, by Valerie Jenness and Sarah Fenstermaker. This article examines the transgender prison experience. It serves to analyze the experience of transgender women in men’s facilities, and introduces ideas related to gender authenticity.

The next article I will use is titled, Brandon Goes to Hollywood: Boys Don’t Cry and the transgender body in film, by Melissa Rigney. This article examines the film, Boys Don’t Cry, and the presentation of transgender people in media, specifically in film. In the article, Rigney explains that most transgender characters in film seem to serve the same purpose and suffer the same terrible fate.

Finally, I’ll be using an article titled, Medical transgressions in America's prisons: defending transgender prisoners' access to transition-related care, by Esinam Agbemenu. This article discusses transgender prisoners and their transition-related care in prison, and how many transgender prisoners are deliberately denied access to appropriate transition-related care. The author also specifically cites Orange is the New Black as a source of information for his arguments.

While Orange is the New Black’s transgender character, Sophia Burset,played by Laverne Cox, serves to represent the transgender community, and offers some insight into the experience of transgender prisoners, there are some instances in which Burset’s experience does not represent the majority. My project will analyze the transgender prison experience depicted in Orange is the New Black and how it compares to the real life experiences of transgender people in America. Through the use of scholarly sources, I will identify the differences and offer suggestions on how to improve the series’ presentation of the transgender prisoner’s experience.

Scholarly Sources:

Agbemenu, E. (2015). Medical transgressions in America's prisons: defending transgender prisoners' access to transition-related care. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, 30(1), 1+. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.libproxy.temple.edu/apps/doc/A428752943/OVIC?u=temple_main&xid=81cdd8f5

Jenness, V., & Fenstermaker, S. (2013). Agnes Goes to Prison Gender Authenticity, Transgender Inmates in Prisons for Men, and Pursuit of “The Real Deal”. Sage Journals, 28(1), 5-31. doi:https://doi-org.libproxy.temple.edu/10.1177/0891243213499446

Julian Kevon Glover (2016) Redefining Realness?: On Janet Mock, Laverne Cox, TS Madison, and the Representation of Transgender Women of Color in Media, Souls, 18:2-4,338-357, DOI:10.1080/10999949.2016.1230824

Rigney, M. (2003). Brandon goes to Hollywood (1): Boys Don't Cry and the transgender body in film. Film Criticism, 28(2), 4+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libproxy.temple.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=temple_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA118377485&sid=summon&asid=8f4a66de626fc16d3c73d74664215abb

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Hairspray (1988), Boys Don’t Cry (1999), and LGBT Transgression and Representation in the Media

In both Hairspray (1988) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999), the main characters are social outcasts living on the fringe of society due to their identities. Tracy Turnblad, of Hairspray, is an overweight teenager with a passion for performing. While her weight is the main source of her social exclusion, her dedication to fighting to end segregation sets her further apart from her peers. Brandon Teena, of Boys Don’t Cry, is a transgender boy that finds himself wrapped up in legal issues and violent altercations because of his identity. While both characters are faced with social exclusion because of their perceived social difference, the issue affects the two very differently. This essay serves to compare the two main characters and discuss how their existence effects the LGBT community in terms of LGBT transgression and transgender representation within media.

Throughout the movie, Hairspray, Tracy Turnblad seems unfazed by her weight and unconcerned with the hurdles society has placed in front of her due to her weight. While her mother frequently tries to explain to Tracy that being overweight makes her less desirable to the public, hoping to save her from embarrassment, Tracy has only one dream: to be on the Corny Collins show. When she auditions for the show, it is very clear that the rest of the cast dislikes her because she is overweight. However, Tracy embraces her weight and perceived social differences, overcoming the hurdles, and becoming a member of the Corny Collins show, where she gains a large fan base and uses her fame to fight for integration.

On the other hand, Brandon Teena, from Boys Don’t Cry, is well aware of his social disadvantage, but chooses to ignore it, hide his perceived social differences, and act erratically. His flirting with and dating girls without disclosing his true identity is the source of much of the conflict. However, the way he, and transgender people in general, are perceived in his society is the biggest cause for discourse, and he’s frequently called homosexual slurs and faces violent altercations. It seems that in order to combat his perceived position in society, Brandon tries to act hyper masculine in some sense.

Overall, I believe that greater media visibility has helped the LGBT community in terms of representation. While Tracy Turnblad isn’t necessarily a member of the LGBT community, like Brandon Teena, Hairspray possesses camp characteristics and serves to bring some visibility to the community (Babuscio, 122). As discussed in Lyn Pedersen’s article, The Importance of Being Different,” she touches upon a topic that illustrates why greater visibility and representation of the LGBT community is necessary. Pedersen explains that members of the LGBT community are “inescapably different” in the “basic facts of life (Pedersen, 15).” In her article, she goes on to clarify that members of the LGBT community have a different outlook on the world than non-members, that they’re set apart, lone individuals searching for others of their kind (Pedersen, 15). When thinking about the inherent differences of the LGBT community, it is important to realize that like any minority group, accurate representation in the media is imperative. The LGBT community longs for characters and emotions they can relate to and feel connected to. Dynamic characters like Tracy Turnblad and Brandon Teena offer just that.

In addition to providing characters and emotions the LGBT community can relate to, greater media visibility is necessary for creating LGBT awareness and shattering stereotypes of the LGBT community. In his book, Up From Invisibility, Larry Gross explains: “…the media are likely to be most powerful in cultivating images of events and groups about which we have little firsthand opportunity for learning (Gross, 11).” The media, as Gross says, has an enormous influence over how society behaves and what society believes, especially in regards to topics most are unfamiliar with. Through greater media visibility, the LGBT community is more transparent to society. Hopefully, heteronormativity will eventually be a thing of the past.

In closing, movies such as Hairspray (1988) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999), with dynamic characters and camp qualities, provide much needed representation and visibility of the LGBT community. While the films main characters, Tracy Turnblad and Brandon Teena, respectively, face exclusion due to their perceived social differences, each copes with their rejection from society in different, yet very real and valid ways. The films and their characters, in addition to greater media visibility in general, serve to provide members of the LGBT community with characters and emotions they can relate to and feel connected to. Additionally, they provide realistic glimpses into the lives of the LGBT community, illustrating the hardships and exclusion many members experience.

       Citations

Babuscio, Jack. (2004). “Camp and the Gay Sensibility” in Queer cinema: The film

reader, pp. 121-136

Gross, Larry. "The Mediated Society." Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the

Media in America. N.p.: n.p., 2001. 1-30. Print.

Pedersen, Lyn. "The Importance of Being Different." One Magazine (1954): n. pag.

Abstract. Rough News, Daring Views (n.d.): 13-16. Print.

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The Watermelon Woman, Sexual Identity, and Oppression

The Watermelon Woman, a film by Cheryl Dunye, tells the story of Cheryl, an African American, lesbian, aspiring filmmaker. Cheryl works a video rental shop, in addition to shooting professional home videos for strangers with her friend, Tamara, who is also a lesbian. Tamara consistently tries to set Cheryl up with her friends, much to Cheryl’s disapproval. Throughout the film, Cheryl’s sexual identity is a topic of discussion, lending to crisis and her personal evolution.

While trying to decide on a topic for her first attempt at professional filmmaking, Cheryl becomes intrigued with films from the 1930s and 1940s featuring black actors and actresses that are often left uncredited. When watching a film called Plantation Memories, Cheryl sees who she describes as ‘the most beautiful mammy,” credited as simply “the Watermelon Woman.” Unsure and fascinated, she sets out to learn more about the Watermelon Woman, and documents her journey of discovery.

In her quest for information, Cheryl takes to the streets to interview people, hoping to find someone with knowledge of the Watermelon Woman. She also interviews her mother, who is unable to identify the Watermelon Woman by name, but recognizes her photograph. Cheryl also speaks with Tamara’s mother, who directs her to Lee Edwards, a black film researcher who offers some insight into Philadelphia’s historic black culture. Her mother also introduces Cheryl to her friend, Shirley. Shirley is a lesbian that identifies the Watermelon Woman as Fae Richards, a lesbian club singer that hung around Martha Paige, the white director of Plantation Memories.

While working at the video rental shop, Cheryl meets a white woman named Diana, whom she flirts with. Diana embarrassingly catches Cheryl and Tamara renting videos, some of them pornographic, under her name, and takes the tapes. Upon going to Diana’s house to retrieve that tapes, Cheryl stays for dinner, watches some of the films with Diana, and ends up having sex with her.

At one point, Cheryl interviews critic, Camille Paglia, who is shocked to hear that Martha Paige was a lesbian yet alone was in a biracial relationship. She explains that at the time, a biracial, homosexual relationship was incredibly uncommon, and called Cheryl’s discovery an “astonishing find.” Camille Paglia also explains to Cheryl that the mammy stereotype doesn’t necessarily have to be has negative as its been made out to be. She explains that she sees the mammy archetype as one of a goddess figure, likening the character to her Italian mother and grandmother. Furthermore, she explains that the watermelon should be a sign of fruitfulness, not slavery and poverty.

Sexual identity is a common theme throughout the film. Cheryl herself is a lesbian, and she meets many people who identify the same on her quest to find the Watermelon Woman. Her sexual identity is a cause for discourse when her personal relationships are involved, like when her friend Tamara introduces her to Yvette, whom Cheryl later describes as “emotionally unstable.”  More crisis arises after having sex with and starting a relationship with Diana. Cheryl admits that Dianna isn’t necessarily her “type,” but she really likes her. Cheryl describes feeling confused with “the Watermelon Woman, Fae Richards, and Diana.” Furthermore, crisis peaks when Tamara expresses her discontent with Cheryl dating a white woman, speculating that Diana just has a fetish for black women. Overall, Cheryl’s sexual identity contributes to her personal evolution in the story. In her journey, she meets people she feels connected to as lesbians, She even mentions that she and Fae Richards are a few things in common: their interest in “films and women.” A shared common sexual identity makes her project even more personal.

Continuing, sexual identity, stereotypes, and gender representation posed problems of marginalization and oppression for the primary character of this film, the Watermelon Woman herself, Fae Richards. As an African American lesbian aspiring actress in the 1930s, Fae Richards likely had a very difficult time getting recognized. As a club singer, she strived to be noticed, yet as an actress she found work portraying stereotypical mammy characters in films she was left uncredited in. Fae Richards usually starred as “the help in many 1930s films,” as described by Hollywood Lesbians, a book Cheryl found in a local shop, a role many black actresses fell into. Additionally, as Camille Paglia explained, the suspected biracial, lesbian relationship between Fae Richards and Martha Paige was likely met with much resilience. However, despite these forces of oppression, Fae Richards overcame the hurdles and became a successful actress, paving the way for young, black lesbians aspiring to make it in all aspects of film.

Source:

The Watermelon Woman. (1996). First Run Features Exclusives.