Tangerine Reflection
Out of the many notable cinematic elements in the film Tangerine, I found myself most interested in the use of gendered language to reveal layers of discrimination and oppression that exist in the lives of trans women of color. Upon first viewing, I didn’t take note of some of the derogatory terms characters used to refer to Alexandra, Sin-Dee and other transgender characters because of initial discomfort (although it’s safe to say that there were plenty). The following examples are instances that I did happen to take note of in my screening notes.
Sin-Dee and Alexandra begin the film by talking about Chester cheating on Sin-Dee with a “real fish” while she was in prison. “Fish” is a derogatory term that some trans individuals use to refer to cisgender women (or as a compliment for trans women who are passing.) This sheds light on a type of discrimination that exists in the trans community against cis women, rooted in the fact that trans women feel as if they must compete with cis women for the love and attention of straight men, which is only escalated by racial difference. This language is introduced to us first to set the stage for the main source of conflict of the plot between Dinah and Sin-Dee.
After Alexandra’s altercation with her first customer of the day, the police referred to her using he/him pronouns, demonstrating the police's disrespect toward trans individuals of the community. It’s also notable that the police were both cisgender and white, which emphasizes the difference of power and privilege between the two. This scene demonstrates that, although police may have a certain level of tolerance for sex workers, they do not acknowledge trans identities. This power difference and lack of respect sets an undertone for the remainder of the film as Sin-Dee and Alexandra navigate their everyday lives while avoiding the police.
In the taxi cab with Razmik the Armenian cab driver, the cis female sex worker refers to Razmik as a “homo” before being kicked out of the car. If I recall, this kind of language was echoed by other characters in the film, including Razmik’s own family in the final scenes. This language sheds light on the discrimination against trans individuals in the sex industry. As demonstrated by the cis female sex worker, trans women are not truly thought of as women, male customers that engage in sexual relations with trans women are thought of as gay, and the presence of certain sex organs means more in the industry than identities do.
The use of gendered language in these scenes highlight the harsh and difficult world Alexandra and Sin-Dee navigate as trans sex workers of color. In romance, they must compete with white cis women for love and attention from straight men. The police don’t acknowledge their identities or trust their race, and they have the power to put them in prison for the way they make their money. In their industry, their identities are discriminated against, fetishized, and disrespected.
Alexandra’s rendition of “Toyland” is a beautiful and poignant description of what it’s like to navigate our two-gender society.
Toyland, toy land Little girl and boy land While you dwell within it You are ever happy there
Childhood's joy land Mystic merry toy land Once you pass its borders You can ne'er return again
I interpreted this song as a reflection on the pressure trans individuals face to fit society’s gender binary. "Toyland" is a metaphor for this binary; those who “dwell” within the categories of “boy” and “girl”, male and female, experience less oppression than those who exist outside of these confines. Once a person “passes these borders” of gender, they lose their place in our two-gender society and the privileges that accompany it. Alexandra’s song reflects the feelings of loneliness, rejection, and longing that comes with being rejected by the society to which she belongs, as well as shedding light on her humanity by showing an innocent and vulnerable side of her that we hadn’t yet seen.
This film’s use of gendered language does a wonderful job of giving viewers a realistic look into the world that trans women of color navigate every day. It leaves viewers unsettled, with a greater empathy for Alexandra and Sin-Dee as well as outrage for the society we live in.
