A transgender actor in the new film Emilia Perez spoke at the Cannes Film Festival about transgender rights and acceptance.
Karla Sofía Gascón, who transitioned from male to female, said that being transgender should be “unimportant” and that trans people are “normal human beings” who should be treated equally.
“We’re normal people who can have the careers they want,” Gascon said. “Being trans is unimportant. A trans person is someone going through a transition. Once they have transitioned, that’s it. They are what they are.”
#EmiliaPerez star Karla Sofía Gascón on the importance of her role in the film as a trans woman: "I think trans people should be treated like anybody else. I'm no better, no worse than anyone else … We have to continue fighting for our rights." https://t.co/kgC2ntGSwP pic.twitter.com/TIQvRSVmQU
— Variety (@Variety) May 19, 2024
“We’re first and foremost human beings, and there’s no point sticking labels on us.”
Gascón discussed facing discrimination and threats in Hispanic cultures but asserted that trans individuals have a right to control their own bodies and identities.
“People who are trans are subjected to insults or death threats because they exist. In Mexico, there are harsh phrases when addressing trans people. It can be gross,” Gascon said.
“I think we should be taken for what we are. We have to continue fighting for our rights. We have our body and we’re allowed to change it.”
Gascón’s comments emphasized promoting transgender rights while also normalizing gender transitions as a human experience rather than something to be sensationalized.
Gascón’s role in Emilia Perez portrays a drug kingpin undergoing a gender transition, and Gascón has been openly discussing transition to increase understanding.
