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Hollywood’s transgenders laud Scarlett Johansson
Los Angeles, July 15 (IANS) Hollywood’s transgender community has applauded actress Scarlett Johansson’s decision to withdraw from a project on a trans man after she courted backlash for taking on the role.
Johansson announced that she was exiting “Rub & Tug”, a film in which she was set to star as Dante Tex Gill, a transgender man.
The actress issued a statement, saying she had “decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project” following ethical concerns about her participation as a cisgender actress.
“Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realise it was insensitive,” she added.
Transgender actors, filmmakers, artistes and activists, who were at The Hollywood Reporter’s office here for a discussion about representation in the entertainment industry, lauded her decision.
“You are awesome,” said Buck Angel, with others expressing relief that the public outcry on behalf of the trans community had been heard and acted upon.
“Scarlett deciding to pull out was a good example of listening to the community and that was the right thing to do,” said Rhys Ernst, an Emmy nominated producer and director known for his work on “Transparent”, “This is Me” and the upcoming feature “Adam”.
“Rub & Tug” tells the story of Dante ‘Tex’ Gill who operated a massage parlour and prostitution business in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and 1980s. When the project was announced on July 2 with Johansson on board, there was an immediate backlash online, both on social media and in various news outlets. The consensus was that the role should have gone to a trans performer, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Jen Richards, known for creating the series “Her Story”, analysed Johansson’s well-received statement, one that included a troubling statistic from GLAAD about representation — “LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40 per cent in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release — commented: “I’m going to assume what she says in the statement, which is clearly very well-crafted by a team of very smart people, was nonetheless in earnest.”
Zackary Drucker, an artiste, cultural producer and filmmaker who has worked on “Transparent”, said she is hopeful this is a turning point in Hollywood.
“We are so troubled and so ravaged by feeling ignored, by feeling exploited, by feeling that our stories are not our own,” she said.
For those who felt that the controversy and criticism grew from the transgender community attempting to police who should and shouldn’t be allowed to act in whatever project they choose, actress Alexandra Grey said: “What we’re saying is that actors should have the artistic freedom to play any roles. We’re not saying that you can’t portray these characters.
“We’re saying we just want to have the opportunity as well to go out for any types of roles. We’d like to be invited for anything that you got.”
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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