listen i’m so here for they/them pronouns but if a trans man uses he/him and you call him they because calling him he makes you uncomfortable, ur transphobic
to be clear, when you know a trans person’s pronouns and use they/them because you don’t want to use their pronouns, you are transphobic. even if u are using gender-neutral pronouns, you are disrespecting them by not using the pronouns they want you to use.
a lot of reviews i’ve seen of rafiki have given it a 3/5 and critics are calling it a sweet, simple, almost bubblegum-ish movie…. but like that’s the whole point of it? it’s meant to be a drama at its core, but bursting with joy, music and love.
we often take advantage in the west of the fact that we can portray the sexual, political and complicated aspects of lgbt life without it being censored, but in a country with militant homophobia and anti-gay laws, a portrayal of a lesbian romance in the modern day between two teenagers as sweet, and innocent is an incredibly brave stance to take.
rafiki is not as complex or heartbreaking or visceral as brokeback mountain, but it’s a powerful statement in and of itself to make a movie about lesbians that’s actually happy in tone for once. it’s something that larger studios here are still too scared to make lmao
