Netflix’s ‘Sense8’ Gains Approval From The Transgender Community
It seems Netflix’s Sense8 has arrived just at the right time. With Caitlyn Jenner in the news at the moment, the transgender community is getting plenty of airtime and plenty of discussion in relation to a topic that, at times, has been shunned. So, now is the perfect time for TV and film to make transgender less of a heated topic. And that’s where Netflix’s new series, Sense8, comes into the equation. Which is not surprising at all as one of the creative minds behind Sense8 is transgender herself.
Before Sense8, they were known as the Wachowski Brothers, these two creatives were a powerhouse directing team, known for movies such as The Matrix trilogy and V For Vendetta. However, in the early 2000’s, long before Sense8 arrived on Netflix, Lawrence Wachowski started transitioning into the woman we known today, Lana. So, when Sense8 was developed, a character in the series was obviously very special to the brother/sister duo.
Nomi Marks is a transgender character on Sense8 played by trans actor Jamie Clayton. And it is her impassioned speech in Episode 2 of Sense8 that have warmed the hearts of the transgender community. USA Today originally posted the speech below, which Nomi makes in Sense8 in relation to the LBGTQ Pride Parade. Also bear in mind this is a character whose own mother still refers to her by her birth name of Michael in Sense8.
“For a long time I was afraid to be who I am because I was taught by my parents there’s something wrong with someone like me. Something offensive. Something you would avoid maybe even pity. Something that you would never love. My mom, she’s a fan of Saint Thomas of Aquinas. She calls pride a sin. Saint Thomas saw pride as the queen of the seven deadlies. She saw it as the ultimate gateway sin that would turn you quickly into a sinaholic. But hating isn’t a sin on that list. Neither is shame. I was afraid of this parade because I wanted so badly to be a part of it. So today I’m marching for that part of me that was much too afraid to march. And for all the people who can’t march. The people living lives like I did. Today, I march to remember that I’m not just a me. I’m also a we. We march with pride. So go [expletive] yourself, Aquinas.”
While Sense8 is a slow burner of a TV series, thanks to Nomi, people are heading to Twitter to show their support for the show.
Is everyone watching @sense8? This scene with Nomi talking about pride is a perfect reminder why we march. #Pride2015 pic.twitter.com/WFZ6NimbUi
— Acts of Greatness (@ActsofGreatness) June 7, 2015
Everything Nomi is going through is so incredibly upsetting to me that I feel for whatever led Lana Wachowski to write her that way. #sense8 — ashley™ (@rabcyr) June 7, 2015
Even transgender actor and activist Laverne Cox is letting the Twitterverse know just how much she loves Sense8. While the transgender woman of the moment, Caitlyn Jenner hasn’t yet spoken out about Sense8, she did post the following picture to Twitter this week in support of the transgender community:
Learn from those who have walked the path before you. #TransIsBeautiful #LivingOurTruth #JustTheBeginning pic.twitter.com/OTSS7LOSx9
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) June 6, 2015
E!Online explained this image was taken after Caitlyn “recently traveled to San Francisco to visit the Human Rights Campaign.”
Have you watched Sense8 yet? Will you consider watching it now after finding out about the transgender character, Nomi? Do you think Sense8 will help people understand the transgender community more? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
[Image credit: Netflix / Sense8]
