Transgender filmmaker Lana Wachowski recounted her traumatic childhood and planned suicide in a heartfelt yet funny speech at the Human Rights Campaign’s fundraising gala. Wachowski accepted the HRC’s Visibility Award on October 20 in San Francisco.
“I am here because when I was young, I wanted very badly to be a writer, I wanted to be a filmmaker, but I couldn’t find anyone like me in the world and it felt like my dreams were foreclosed simply because my gender was less typical than others. If I can be that person for someone else, then the sacrifice of my private civic life may have value. I know I am also here because of the strength and courage and love that I am blessed to receive from my wife, my family and my friends. And in this way I hope to offer their love in the form of my materiality to a project like this one started by the HRC, so that this world that we imagine in this room might be used to gain access to other rooms, to other worlds previously unimaginable.”
“Lana’s willingness to tell her story will impact and change countless lives across the world,” said HRC President Chad Griffin, who introduced Wachowski. “She is a giant in her industry, and for someone with such success and such profile to be willing to tell their personal story to the world sends a tremendous message to LGBT people across the globe that they too can aspire to be a giant in their industry.”
IzzyLuna
This is really amazing. I remember watching the movie BOUND and the beginning credits read “The Wachowski Brothers” and I wondered why two guys would make a mafia-lesbian film (although superbly made – it’s one of my top 3 films of all time).
Now, it all makes sense. Lana was a part of our community. Good for her coming out as trans.
2eo
@IzzyLuna: Your film needs a “Dildocopter” that is used to send messages between the place where the gay people are holed up and the church people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmhQQAeRFoc
^^^^ This
Eric Auerbach
Lana Wachowski is a very ballsy woman. I’m glad she has the cojones to let the world know who she is.
Red Meat
V for Vendetta is one of my favorite films of all time. Looking forward to Cloud Atlas this weekend.
tommyz
Wow – what a brilliant woman. I have never really been able to connect the dots between the transgender experience and my own until hearing this speech. It makes so much sense to me now.