A Trans Version Of The Bechdel Test Movie

A friend posted this on her Facebook page and I thought that it was a great idea…

Well first off what is the Bechdel Test for movie?

The Bechdel Test, sometimes called the Mo Movie Measure or Bechdel Rule is a simple test which names the following three criteria: (1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. The test was popularized by Alison Bechdel's comic Dykes to Watch Out For, in a 1985 strip called The Rule. For a nice video introduction to the subject please check out The Bechdel Test for Women in Movies on feministfrequency.com.

She posted this article.

There Wasn’t a Bechdel Test for Trans Representation, So I Made One
If a trans character checks off three of these points, they pass.
Vice
By Kiley May
November 26, 2019

Picture this: a beautiful, seductive woman. She could be described as sexy or a little mysterious. She is irresistible—like catnip to men. A man flirts with her, or kisses or maybe has sex with her. Then it’s revealed: she’s a trans woman. Cue the man’s immediate shock, disgust, gagging, and/or vomiting.

Such is a scene played out over and over again in film and television of the past 30 years, from The Crying Game (1992) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), to The Hangover Part II (2011) and that one terribly transphobic episode of Cake Boss.

Transgender characters have been done dirty in film and TV for far too long. We are too often portrayed as sex workers, addicts, villains, and gags. We’re seen as depressed, unloveable, lonely, or abused. In 2019 we can write these stereotypes off as tired and boring tropes, but they can also be dangerous.

So what would a trans Bechdel Test look like?

The May Test asks whether a transgender character is/has:

1. portrayed by a transgender actor (If not, why not? Is the role perpetuating the cisgender actor playing the “man in a dress” stereotype?)
2. safe, stable, and secure (not homeless, assaulted, or victimized—no more bloody noses!)
3. thriving, healthy, and happy
4. in love, loveable, and dating (not a lonely romantic pariah)
5. a trans identity not used as a joke or “surprise reveal” gag
6. an occupation that isn’t sex worker, dealer, or thief
7. a storyline that is not solely about their transition or surgery, or their struggle with their identity

Bonus points if the trans character is in a lead role or has a gender queer, non-conforming or neutral gender identity.

My friend’s wife’s movie “And Then There Was Eve”, passes the author’s test parameters.

What other trans movie do you think would pass the “May Test.”