Do We Exist?

While surfing the web this morning for news stories I came across this in the Guardian about the song “We Exist” by Arcade Fire. The song is about a trans-person who faces prejudice, it is a dark song. Its lyrics paint a very hard picture,

     Maybe it's true
     They're staring at you
     When you walk in a room

     Turn on us fine
     Stare if you like
     Or just let us through
     Just let us through

     Let them stare
     Let them stare
     That's all right with you

In the Guardian article Sean Michaels wrote,

Grace [Laura Jane Grace] is certainly not alone in criticising the casting of Garfield. "There seems to be a prevalent idea in Hollywood that viable transgender actors and actresses simply do not exist," wrote Bustle's Kat Haché. "This becomes particularly problematic when you’re casting a video for a song entitled We Exist. If so, where?"

Others have taken issue with the shape of We Exist's narrative. "I can’t help but feel the whole thing plays into the pervasive idea of trans characters as victims and freaks, destined to be oppressed by a world that doesn’t understand them," Tom Hawking wrote on Flavorwire. "Almost every time you see trans characters in popular culture, they’re either a) tragic, sensitive figures brutalised by the horrible world or b) flamboyant, hedonistic female impersonators who still end up as a) eventually." On Metafilter, a user called emmtee claimed Arcade Fire's clip reinforces the idea that trans people can only find "beauty, happiness [and] acceptance ... in death".

I like the music, but not the message and I also do not like it when non-trans people play trans-characters. As the article said the song claims we exist but they don’t use a trans-person in the video which is kind of two-faced of them.

Next Friday the Out Film Festival begins and their movie that day is “Boy meets Girl” a comedy about a trans-girl's transition and her best friend since childhood. The lead is played by a trans-girl who is playing the part of the trans-girl… what a novel idea!

So what do you think? Should the video the part been played by a trans-person? Does the song paint a dark picture of us?