NewFest Recap: 'Renee' and 'The Green' (Reviews)

Only ended up seeing two movies during this past week's NewFest -- "Renee" and "The Green" -- but both were high on my list for the LGBT film festival, so I'm not complaining. Eric Drath's "Renee," the long-overdue first documentary to ever tackle the complex life story of Renee Richards -- who, if you don't know, was a Yale-educated, skirt-chasing eye surgeon before undergoing sex reassignment surgery in 1975 and then becoming a professional player on the women's tennis circuit (in her 40s!) -- is a mesmerizing treasure trove for fans of tennis' late-'70s-early '80s heyday. (Are you ready to see Renee playing at the La Jolla tournament where she was "outed," including an interview with the woman she crushed in the final? Are you up for some serious Caroline Stoll footage?! And are you prepared for doubles with Betty Ann Stuart -- aka Taylor Dent's mom?!) But even if you're just now learning about Richards -- whose 1977 New York Supreme Court case that granted her the right to compete as a woman at the U.S. Open was a landmark ruling in trans rights -- you'll be equally captivated by a story that 35 years later doesn't even seem like it could have really happened. (It almost has that "All in the Family" factor to it, like it could happen then but wouldn't fly now.) I grew up watching the 1977 U.S. Open live from Forest Hills -- my first Grand Slam, and what a Slam it was with Tracy Austin, Wendy Turnbull and Renee!-- but when I saw her 6-foot-2 frame playing new Wimbledon champ Virginia Wade up on the big screen, it was still jaw-dropping. I went with two non-fanatics and they both loved every second of it. One of the chief criticisms I've read about "Renee" is that Drath, who interviews Richards off-camera in a number of lengthy scenes, doesn't ever press her hard enough to really get inside the head or heart of his subject. But I would argue that that is unfair given who his subject was. After years of feeling like a circus sideshow -- something she naively thought would never happen to her as she believed she could become a "woman," not a "transwoman" -- Richards indeed has lots of walls up around her, and can you blame her? In 2007, she was famously misquoted as saying she "regrets" having had the surgery -- something that quickly became a cautionary tale for all trans people -- when in fact she said that she regretted that there had been no other alternative to surgery -- "better to be an intact man functioning with 100 percent capacity for everything than to be a transsexual woman who is an imperfect woman” -- "but there wasn’t,” and she'd likely have opted for suicide because the draw to become female was so great. But for all of her intelligence, accomplishments and solipsism, she's always been surprisingly anemic in self-awareness -- as evidenced by many of her actions, like entering an amateur tennis tournament thinking she could pass as a "California housewife"(!) -- so it's from finally hearing from those closest to her and really seeing how it all played out with our own eyes -- something does Drath brilliantly with interviews with friends, family and colleagues from the world of medicine and tennis (John McEnroe, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King) plus loads of extremely rare footage of her days in the limelight -- that we are finally able to begin to know the real Renee, whose appearances on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" and countless television interviews belie her claims of being such a "private" person. (First there was Dick and Renee, now there is Private Renee and Exhibitionist Renee.) While she comes across as thoughtful and sympathetic at times -- you really feel for her when you see the enormous guilt she carries about her druggy, deadbeat son, who seems to blame his dad for his problems one minute, then seems to have all the compassion in the world for what Dad must have gone through the next -- it's a bit jarring when you realize everything Renee fought for -- driven by the arrogant, alpha-male personality (which is brought up again and again by friends and colleagues) that still resided somewhere deep inside her -- was for Renee, a former white male, who was not used to being told she couldn't do something, rather than for a greater good. Perhaps that's not as uncommon of trailblazers as I think, and she's since been quoted as saying that it was all about her, but that if others wanted to come along for the ride, then fine. So it's not surprising that Renee has never really been a part of the subsequent transgender movement, not only because she never set out to be an activist, but because her views have changed 180 degrees since her days on the circuit, and she now disagrees with the International Olympic Committee that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete. This hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed, although her precedent-setting case was always confounded by the fact that she was, as Ilie Nastase so perfectly put it, old enough to be the other players' mother, so she was never a true "threat" to dominate the sport. She recognizes now that if she'd had her surgery at age 20, she may very well have taken over, and she doesn't think THAT would be fair, hence her view about today's (non-middle-age) athletes. (For her part, Renee told People magazine that the thing she "regrets" is fighting for the right to play instead of just going back to medicine and having some semblance of a private life. She also says she would never accept an invitation to speak to transgender youth because "it would be presumptuous of me to try to advise people.")

Canadian doubles: Director Eric Drath, Dr. Renee Richards and Virginia Wade

I doubt "Renee" will get a widespread release, but if you can't wait until ESPN gets around to showing it (they were backers), it's available on Tribeca On-Demand HERE. Anyone with an interest in LGBT history owes it to him/herself to learn about Renee Richards, the unwitting Harvey Milk of transgender rights.

Info HERE.

On Sunday we caught a packed screening of "The Green" -- or, as it was known around the lobby, "the Cheyenne Jackson movie." Jackson actually rides shotgun to fellow Broadway star Jason Butler Harner, who plays a school teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a male student. Jackson plays his caterer partner whose loyalties are tested when details of his man's past come to light. Both men -- as well as a charming supporting cast of Julia Ormond (as the lawyer) and Illeana Douglas (as Harner's hilarious coworker/friend) -- give great performances in this uncomfortable story that drips of homophobia. (Oh, Mark Blum -- aka Gary Glass from "Desperately Seeking Susan" -- is in it, too! I hadn't seen him since an episode of "Roseanne.") The ending was a bit melodramatic for me -- too many bows tied around everything when life is almost always a present where the wrapping doesn't line up around the edges -- and the film had a cheap tint to it that I found a bit distracting. But all in all, it's worth checking out -- and despite what I heard in the lobby, it wouldn't just be for the Cheyenne Jackson factor (but it doesn't hurt!). For more information, click HERE.

 

Renee Richards: Third-Set Tiebreaker

I just read Renee Richards' new book, "No Way Renee: The Second Half of My Notorious Life." As you may recall, I fell in love with tennis during the summer of '77 -- aka the summer of Renee Richards. Although I shared none of her gender confusion, there was something inherently fascinating about her to me even as a child. Looking back I think I was attracted to her because I was so confused about my sexuality, yet she was able to put who she was on display for the whole world.

A couple of years later I got to see her on a practice court at the Avon Championships of Detroit. Later while watching a match I noticed her sitting in the players' box so I went down to get her autograph. It was in the middle of a point, so Renee politely but firmly pushed me down in the chair next to her as to not be distracting. I stayed for the duration of the game and I remember just staring into her eyes hoping that somehow she would know exactly what I was going through. In reality she just signed my trusty autograph book and sent me on my way. (Trannies love their accent marks, see below.)

Nonetheless, my fascination never waned and over the years I read her autobiography, "Second Serve," and then eagerly watched the made-for-television movie of it. I remember thinking that Vanessa Redgrave was very convincing as Richard Raskind but couldn't pull off the "after" part at all! I even ended up switching to a racket she used at one time -- the Yamaha YFG20 -- although it had more to do with thinking it looked cool than her using it. More recently, however, I have read a number of conflicting reports that Richards regretted having had sex-reassignment surgery and have even seen her quoted as being highly critical of pro-tranny rulings in sports. I'm hoping this new book sets the record straight on all counts. Based on the preface, that appears to be her motivation for writing it.

P.S. Who knew getting Caroline Stoll's autograph would be so much more fun?

Excerpt: 'No Way Renee: The Second Half of My Notorious Life' (NPR)
Check out "No Way Renee: The Second Half of My Notorious Life" on Amazon.

When Bruce Jenner Met Dr. Renee Richards

Matt at Boy Culture caught this revealing shot of Bruce Jenner from a promo for his E! reality show, saying:

I was struck by the saw-a-ghost pallor of Bruce Jenner in this shot from the following preview for "Keeping Up With the Kardashians: About Bruce." His struggle is real, and it's not just for attention ... 

Indeed. I was in Tucson for my family's medical emergency when the Diane Sawyer interview aired, but I've been meaning to blog a thought or two about it. Although Renee Richards laughs off reports that she has been in contact with Jenner about his journey, I did come to find they had met at least once before, at a WTA dinner in 1987. There are soooo many similarities between their stories -- from the hyper-successful sports careers and love of women, to the transitioning almost to the point of no return before "chickening out" and getting married (again) and having children -- and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in Bruce's mind that night. The last 35 years of Jenner's life finally made sense when I learned he wasn't just a vain jock gone Hollywood getting crazy plastic surgery right and left, but in fact a transitioning woman. I joked about how disgusted I was when he came out as a Republican -- and I do hope he will realize his party is the principal reason why there are no laws protecting his fellow trans citizens in most U.S. states, and that he will come around eventually and conclude money isn't everything. But more important, here's hoping future transgender people will be able to live as they really are sooner in life than Richards and Jenner were able to as a result of stories like theirs.

Bruce Jenner and Dr. Renee Richards at the 10th Annual Women's Tennis Association dinner at the Plaza Hotel, in August 1987

If I could ask Jenner one question, it would be: How were you feeling that night and what were you dying to ask Renee?

Renee with son Nicky, who was born after Renee had transitioned back to male

Canadian doubles match of the year

Chris was always a hunk magnet!

Watch the Bruce Jenner E! promo HERE.

Was It Science or Fear of Trans Activists That Prompted Sports Governing Boards to Allow Transgender Athletes to Compete, Loosen Standards?

NOTE: This post is long and the topic isn't pressing for many of you, so while I have you just know this: Trans activists aren't just saying it's fair for transgender women to compete against cisgender women. They're saying trans women are at a biological disadvantage having been born male. And secondly, the only trans woman to ever compete at the highest level of sports is Dr. Renee Richards -- and she is one of the main people saying she should not have been allowed. She was a 42-year-old (smoker!) when she joined the women's tennis circuit so wasn't much of a threat -- but she believes had she been 24, she would have killed everyone in sight. (Before you say she's self-aggrandizing, keep in mind she actually did reach the final of her very first Grand Slam doubles tournament, where she only had half as much court to cover.) If either of these things raises your eyebrows at all, keep reading.  

Martina Navratilova has spoken out against inclusion of transgender athletes again, and it's gone about as well as you might expect. Progressives universally condemned her, figuring the tennis legend was getting older and somehow just had a blind spot about this topic. And even those who agreed with her overall assertion that she outlined in the Sunday Times -- that trans women shouldn't be allowed to compete against cisgender woman because of the inherent physical advantage she believes being born biologically male provides -- were put off by some tone-deaf phrasing, an inflammatory headline and the use of a silly trope as a hyperbolic example. Naturally, the piece was met by the LGBTQ community's most humorless letter with the DEFCON 1 reaction we've come to expect from them.

And none of this was a surprise. Nobody wants to seem unfair or not inclusive, so the easiest thing to do was to quickly condemn her and move on without doing much research. But I know Navratilova's long history as a smart, liberal and fair women, so I figured there had to be more to this story. So I decided to look beyond the headlines and focus on the facts -- and here’s what I found: 

In my experience, trans people are the first to point out that there are transgender and cisgender folks in the world. (That’s how I learned the term.) But then the minute Navratilova recognizes the differences between the two she is blasted as being transphobic. Dr. Rachel McKinnon -- for whom Navratilova has no love lost after McKinnon repeatedly insisted Navratilova was anti-trans for raising the question of fairness -- immediately took to Twitter and twisted Navratilova's acknowledgment of these differences into Martina's saying trans women aren't "real women," as if Martina were challenging someone's gender identity. (McKinnon's apparent insecurities about her womanhood struck me as something she ought to be discussing with her shrink rather than in a Twitter fight with a superstar jock.) I have never met McKinnon nor do I have anything against her. And I think it's horrendous that she says she is constantly bombarded with hateful messages online. But if this is how she warps the words of a lifelong LGBTQ ally -- talk about a leap! -- I'm not sure how much of what she says needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Above: Dr. Renee Richards now believes she shouldn’t have been allowed to play on the women’s tennis circuit 

I also don’t have enough information to be sure whether Navratilova's assertions about trans women are correct or not. But I am sure that the prevailing idea among trans activists that Martina Navratilova -- arguably the best all-around player to ever play tennis -- and Dr. Renee Richards -- a medical doctor and the only trans woman to ever successfully compete on the tour -- are in no position to knowledgeably weigh in on the topic seems more than a bit galling. And it is undoubtedly why Navratilova feels the need to continue speaking out about something that has no measurable effect on her. "They're old" seems to be the prevailing reason why Martina's and Renee’s opinions are not worthy in their eyes, and that the tennis veterans' information has been supplanted by new scientific data that shows they're wrong. But has it?

Above: Martina Navratilova lays out her case against trans women competing against cis women 

McKinnon, who is not a medical doctor but refers to herself as “Dr.” because she has a Ph.D., and other trans activists point to the fact that the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA have ruled that female trans athletes have the right to compete -- now with no surgery and only reduced testosterone levels for one year. (Surgery and a two-year hormone reduction was the former guideline.) Yet the more I read and the less I see that scientifically backs up trans activists' assertions of fairness -- McKinnon goes so far as to say women who were born biologically male are actually at a disadvantage against cisgender women -- the stronger my hunch grows that the governing bodies may have just acquiesced out of pure exhaustion. (That the University Interscholastic League is allowing a trans boy taking testosterone to compete against cisgender girls should give you a hint at how funny this all smells.) Knowing that premier-level athletes are incredibly rare, let alone ones who happen to be transgender, it was probably just easier to give in than be harassed the way Navratilova and anyone else who doesn't immediately jump on board has been. To date there have been zero trans athletes who have competed in the Olympics and nothing notable in tennis in four decades -- the WTA has a similar policy to the IOC -- so it might behoove Navratilova to just be quiet since it’s a bit of a moot point.

Rachel McKinnon, center, became the first transgender woman to win a female cycling world title (women’s 35- to 44-year-old age category). Bronze medalist Jen Wagner-Assali, right, said the contest was not fair

Mind you, I don't say any of this glibly. I am not a doctor, either. Besides being an avid tennis fan, my only real stake in this is that I believe in LGBTQ equality and fairness. But from my own experience as a blogger and news editor I know that whenever I've tried to interact with trans activists on even fairly benign topics it has led to instant vitriol. Just yesterday when I tried to ask a trans journalist about her objection to Navratilova using Renee Richards's male name (the forbidden "deadnaming") while writing about her former coach's journey -- it was getting confusing when comparing Renee's results before and after transition -- instead of getting actual guidelines or input as to how to handle the situation in print, I was ganged up on and repeatedly insulted. (I was also told that all major news outlets now have a no-deadnaming policy in their stylebooks, but when I provided recent articles that mentioned Chelsea Manning's former identity from the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Associated Press, the person who chastised me went silent.) Then I was being “offensive” for pointing out McKinnon’s seeming self-doubt in the way she put words in others’ mouths. I finally (kindly) suggested to the group blasting me that as someone who has been involved in various forms of LGBTQ activism for more than three decades, I've found building allies -- rather than alienating them -- will get you a lot farther. Apparently these particular folks beg to differ. (Later that night I came to realize some other trans activists I had been engaging with had somehow gotten my Twitter account temporarily suspended, undoubtedly by disingenuously reporting one of my tweets.)

Laurel Hubbard, a transgender weightlifter from New Zealand, was another high-profile case

And after facing much resistance to her eligibility, Danish golder Mianne Bagger has found some modest success on the Ladies European Tour

Still, I remain committed to fairness -- so I accept the IOC, NCAA and WTA's guidelines, however they got there. But I’m not going to judge Martina Navratilova for standing by her convictions and refusing to cave. And just out of curiosity, could someone please point me to the actual medical research -- not just McKinnon's berating and blocking people online -- that says trans women are at no distinct physical advantage over cis women? I'm curious if my hunch is right. 

This article seems to be saying  "it depends who you ask." How’s that for science? Learn more HERE.

P.S.

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of all this is that Navratilova has come to the defense of Olympic 800 meters champion Caster Semenya ahead of next week's landmark hearing on proposed rules that aim to restrict testosterone levels in female athletes. Semenya is not transgender but suffers from hyperandrogenism, which causes her body to naturally produce higher-than-normal levels of testosterone. Read HERE.

Billie Jean King is also on board with Semenya. I suspect BJK would be in favor of trans women's inclusion, but probably more based on not wanting to stick her neck out during her later-in-life roll as an LGBTQ activist than anything else.

UPDATE:

Leave it to Pam Shriver to have the perfect rejoinder for Billie Jean King’ (understandably) predictable response.

Related: Hypocritical Athlete Ally drops Martina Navratilova from advisory board after 'transphobic' op-ed

Dr. Renee Richards Acting as Bruce Jenner's 'Sex-Change' Coach -- Report

I've been pointing out the increasing similarity in appearance between Bruce Jenner and Dr. Renee Richards, but now it's being reported that the Olympic gold medal decathlon winner is in fact consulting with Dr. Richards as his "sex-change coach." (The Spirit of '76 lives!) While the source is fairly dubious, the quotes attributed to the transgender tennis player via an anonymous source sound awfully close to what Renee has said about the transitioning process in the past: 

Richards — who was born Richard Raskind — has told Jenner that a sex change is “a serious, life-altering procedure and is not something to do unless you absolutely have no other choice,” an insider told Star. “She said someone should consider antidepressants first, because life could become an irreversible train-wreck if you’re not completely certain about having the surgery.”

I stand by my earlier prediction.

Pretty women

At 80, Renee Richards Reflects on Her Place in History

Reuters caught up with the legendary Renee Richards, who says she's still amazed she broke the transgender taboo:

"How could I have actually gone out there in front of thousands of people as this notorious transsexual and compete against young women?" Richards, 80, told the news agency by phone from New York state.  "I didn't know whether I was going to be shot at, or whether I was just going to be yelled at."

Still practicing ophthalmology, Richards doesn't like being called a trailblazer or role model, saying she was "only one of a lot of pioneers." "I was certainly the one in the world of sports," she said. "But there have been others. There have been great strides made by other courageous people."

Rumors that she's been "counseling" Bruce Jenner are completely false, by the way, but perhaps most surprising is that she had a third book out last year -- "Spy Night and Other Memories a Collection of Stories from Dick and Renee" -- that I've never even heard of!

Read the full article, including comments from Billie Jean King and a funny observations from Nancy Richey, HERE.

Order HERE.

Has the National Center for Lesbian Rights Ever Heard of Renee Richards?

The Wall Street Journal weighs in on the Bruce Jenner story, looking at the transition from a sports angle HERE -- but what an idiotic quote from Helen J. Carroll, the sports director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

“We’re all waiting for Bruce Jenner to say something. Sports hasn’t come to the forefront of [transgender] issues yet."

Huh????

Sports is the way the MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THE 20TH CENTURY first found out what being trans was about -- in a case that went all the way to the New York Supreme Court, which ruled in 1977 that Renee Richards had the right to compete in the women's draw at the U.S. Open -- and is the MOST HIGH-PROFILE transgender thing to ever happen ... and it was SPORTS-related!

What are you talking about, Helen?

For a time, everything about Renee was headline news -- even when it wasn't about her

Mack Beggs the Question: Where Do Trans Athletes Go From Here?

By now you've undoubtedly heard that Mack Beggs, a 17-year-old high school wrestler who is transitioning from female to male, took home gold in the 110-weight class of the Texas girls state championship. Beggs wanted to wrestle against other boys but the state refused to allow it, so he competed against people whose sex matches what was on his birth certificate. I'm gathering he chose to do this -- despite the fact that he's taking testosterone that undoubtedly gave him an unfair advantage -- to point out how ridiculous the state's policy is. (Some opponents complained about the doping, but the organization that governs school sports in Texas said the state's education code allows the use of a banned drug such as steroids if it "is prescribed by a medical practitioner for a valid medical purpose," which this obviously is.) 

But here's where things get less clear to me. Remember back in 2010 when Kye Allums became the first transgender man to compete in NCAA division one basketball? He competed in women's basketball. This was greeted with applause by Outsports and trans activists, only it seemed to fly in the face of everything the LGBT community is fighting for in wanting transmen to be treated just like cisgender men, who are neither eligible for nor welcomed in women's basketball. In Allums's case, he was allowed to play because he had not begun to undergo hormone therapy, per NCAA rules, but I'm still unclear why Allums would have even wanted to have competed against women in the first place, and why anyone would have thought this was a good thing. (Couldn't it be argued that this helped fuel Texas' decision against Beggs?)  

Moving forward, I can't help but think about what trans pioneer Renee Richards said about her career in tennis. Although she fought for and won the right to compete in professional events in the United States, she now adamantly believes the New York Supreme Court ruling was wrong, and that the only reason she didn't blow away the competition is because she was in her 40s (and a smoker!) when she joined the circuit -- and that if she had transitioned 20 years earlier it would have been ridiculous. (Richards is admittedly a bit of a crank, but I think she's in a much better position to weigh in on these things than nearly anyone else is.) Obviously the opponents from Richards's heyday who thought low-ranked men would all start transitioning so they could become top-ranked in the women's game were scaremongering idiots, just as Republicans who claim men will "pretend to be transgender" to assault women in public restrooms. But that's not the issue here. I'm wondering about about the actual transgender athletes of tomorrow -- and now today, like Mack Beggs. I don't think anyone is that worried that trans men will wind up with an unfair advantage over cisgender men. But what about the other way around? 

Runner Caster Semenya has faced intense scrutiny competing just as she was born. If her breaking records like there's no tomorrow has people crying foul, are we sure we would be comfortable if a (trans) women in a higher-profile sport did the same thing? And then there's the uncomfortable question about body parts. Richards had sex-reassignment surgery, but what if a transgender player opted not to -- would she still be welcome in her sport? (German tennis player Sarah Gronert was born with both male and female sex organs then had surgery and was cleared to compete on the women's tour, winning nine ITF titles. Some did not think it was fair.)  I'm excited that this issue is coming to the forefront. But given the disparate rulings and reactions to Richards, Semenya, Allums, Gronert and Beggs -- where even LGBT people aren't in unanimous agreement -- I can't help but wonder if we have thought this through to its natural conclusion ... like what if a transwoman became the next Serena Williams, or even a solid Top 10 player?

Caitlyn Jenner Courts Renee Richards

Renee Richards can deny having been in touch with Caitlyn Jenner all she wants, but the comparisons are inevitable. 

  The jocks turned wearers of frocks met back in 1987.

Smithsonian Adds LGBT History to Collection, Including Renee Richards' Tennis Racket

Exciting news from our nation's capital. The Associated Press reports that hundreds of photographs, papers and historical objects documenting the history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are being added to the Smithsonian Institution's collection Tuesday, including items from "Will and Grace." Show creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick along with NBC are donating objects to the National Museum of American History. The collection includes original scripts, casting ideas, political memorabilia surrounding the show and the series finale. The network agreed to donate props, including a pill bottle and flask, a sign from "Grace Adler Interior Design" and Will Truman's framed college diploma.

More exciting to me, however, is the inclusion of one of Renee Richards' tennis rackets. I'll be curious which one they pick. She used a number of Yamaha models -- including the YFG20 that I bought because of her -- and later switched to a PDP Open, a la Roscoe Tanner.

Full story HERE.

Let's Hear It for the Boy

My blogger pal Chexy has some thoughtful words about Chaz Bono -- and what his turn on "Dancing With the Stars" means -- worth checking out HERE.

As I told him, I can't even bring myself to watch that show -- I suffered through enough dancing to see my favorite stars in the "Solid Gold" era -- despite Kenny-bait contestants like Monica Seles and Belinda Carlisle! But having grown up in the tennis community during the Renee Richards "affair," it has been interesting to see how the public reaction to transsexualism has -- and hasn't -- changed over the years. And with that in mind, I echo Chexy's praise. Chaz's appearance on "Dancing With the Stars" will certainly go down in transhistory, just as Renee Richards' New York Supreme Court victory to play in the U.S. Open did in 1977.