One of the first movies on TG issues

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Last week I found an interesting movie on rarelust dot com, that I downloaded and watched over the weekend. The movie is called "I want what I want" and was released in 1972.

It is the story of a young man and his struggle of finding his own identity. How his domineering, womanizing, ex-military and abusive father threatens to kill him, but refuses to report his running away to the police for fear of losing face in society. The overcompensating girly-girl, the insecurities and struggles through transition that happened in the late 1960's to very early 1970's.

I found the opening sequence very well done, in how many of us T-folk will longingly (and surreptitiously) observe all aspects of how our gender-peers dress and move. The searching of ways to express the gender identity was also very well presented. Sadly the lack of acceptance (and the fear of losing face with their peers) by the parents is still happening far to often today.

The movie, though set the UK, also gives a very interesting view of the fashion extremes of the time around 1970. Where on one side we have the women who dress almost masculine, then we have the androgynous minis and on the other side the overloaded and frilly girly-girl. The "free love" movement is also very much in evidence. Especially with one wife making passes at several bachelors right under the nose of her husband, and one of those bachelors virtually raping the protagonist.

Trigger alert: Near the end, the protagonist attempts suicide.

For me, this is one of the oldest movies to give a rather objective portrayal of a TG protagonist, and not as a gimmick for comedy or even comic relief.

Jessica Nicole

Comments

The book

Angharad's picture

is available for free though I can't remember how I got it a couple of years ago, having loaned my original copy to someone many years ago. I remember consuming it back in the 1960s where it was one of the few pieces of fiction that wasn't porn. It's by Geoff Brown. It's somewhat dated now and the film didn't run entirely true to the novel.

Angharad

I bought the book

from a station bookshop, probably Beckenham Junction. I remember being struck forcibly by it.

Julia

just googled for the book and got this as one of the results

Teresa L.'s picture

I Want What I Want by Geoff Brown. | BigCloset TopShelf
bigclosetr.us › Blogs › Angharad's blog
Jan 26, 2010 - 3 posts - ‎2 authors
I've got a paperback copy of this tucked away somewhere. It's well worth reading though not entirely uplifting. Apparently, according to the web ...

Teresa L.

I have the DVD

Read the book, saw the film years ago. DVD is available. Oddly, I bought it through Amazon very cheaply, but it is now going for around £60! Dated, but had a profound impact on me when I was young.

Thanks Cyclist

I was frustrated when I couldn't find the movie on Netflix, but was able to buy it on Amazon.

Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

Anne Heywood

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Glen or Glenda?

Daphne Xu's picture

"Glen or Glenda" was supposed to be a serious attempt to discuss transvestism (or transgender), or so I heard. What actually went through Edward D. Wood, Jr.'s mind when he made the movie, nobody knows. It was made in the early fifties.

-- Daphne Xu

-- Try saying freefloating three times rapidly.

I Read The Book

joannebarbarella's picture

It profoundly moved me. Remember this was in the era when internet did not exist...was not even contemplated. To find that there was someone out there like me was a revelation. I had no idea that a film had been made and now I will watch it!

I have the whole book

Angharad's picture

on my computer, if anyone wants a copy please send me a PM and we can arrange to copy it.

Angharad

I Just Watched The Movie

joannebarbarella's picture

From where I sat it was very good, although I doubt that it broke any box-office records. It's on YouTube if you want to watch it. As far as my memory goes it is pretty close to the book.

The story of a boy who knows he is a girl is faithfully rendered. I found some of the sequences, like her struggle with make-up, to be very close to home, and her fear of men getting too close to her and the inevitable confrontation when a man won't take "No" for an answer. All in all, it mirrors many of our deepest feelings and fears.

Probably way ahead of its time and well worth watching.