By: Eva Reign, Contributing Writer
Movies were like friends for me as a kid. I struggled with making friends as a young budding trans woman in staunchly conservative environments. Young queer people can be confusing to others who like for everyone to fit into a box. We color outside the lines. That’s why I found solace in films. Watching cinema was like peering through the looking glass of other worlds I previously thought impossible. Whether it was a saga about a vampire who falls in love with a human girl in Forks, Washington or a Black American girl group in 1960s Detroit who become the top recording artists of their era or even a more simpler narrative about someone assigned male at birth who knows in their heart that they are a woman, the power of film is fierce. An even greater power is that of representation. That’s what drew me to the media and entertainment world. I wanted more than just to witness stories like mine on screen. I wanted to create them.
Attending the American Black Film Festival with GLAAD in June was like a childhood dream come true. Instead of just watching films that inspire me, I got to meet the people working behind and in front of the camera. Even though I’m an actress who has starred in films such as Anything’s Possible, I never take for granted an opportunity to network and make new friends in the industry. I am especially grateful for the chance to enter all-Black spaces as my full self. As a Black trans woman, it can sometimes feel daunting when walking into predominantly cisgender Black spaces. I never know who will or won’t be transphobic. Too many girls like me are subjected to extreme forms of violence that can sometimes be life-threatening. No matter the space I enter, I usually have to err on the side of caution. ABFF with GLAAD was not one of those moments.
When I arrived in Miami, Florida, I had already experienced six flight delays and a cancellation the day before. Early that morning, I flew from New York City to Minneapolis before finally landing in the Sunshine State. Upon arrival at my hotel, I was welcomed by DaShawn Usher, Shar Jossell, Jonathan Elijah, Julian J. Walker and more members of GLAAD’s Communities of Color Coalition. Immediately I knew I would be taken care of and uplifted for all that I am. I had no reason to be frightful. All I felt was relief and an abundance of love.
The following days moved more quickly than I could have anticipated, but that’s what happens when you’re having fun. I attended a panel about the upcoming Amazon MGM series Cross with Aldis Hodge, showrunner Ben Watkins and DEIA Head of Amazon MGM Latasha Gillespie. I attended the premiere of Jussie Smollett’s The Lost Holliday, and I got to see a sneak peek of P-Valley’s Nicco Annan’s Down in the Valley on STARZ. I even got to see Issa Rae and Kenya Barris in conversation on their creative journeys.
Beyond panels and parties, one of the key aspects of this time in Miami was the community. GLAAD cultivated a serene environment full of marvelous creatives from across the country to partake in a generative and rejuvenating few days. I walked away feeling more than inspired to create change. I am determined to continue down this artistic path of progress and passion. One day soon, I hope to premiere my own film at the American Black Film Festival, and I know that I’ll have friends cheering me on along the way.