As Kimberly Peirce’s biographical drama Boys don’t cry was released in 1999 and was hailed as one of the best films of the year; Hilary Swank won her first Oscar for her role as murdered trans man Brandon Teena.
While the film has been seen in recent years as another example of a Cis actor plays a trans character who is raped and murdered and although it won an Oscar for it, it is still a skillfully made film that highlights the evils and tragedies of transphobia and transphobic violence.
But what do young transsexuals think about the film? A young celebrity – 20 years old The Last of Us Star Bella Ramsey – saw the film and commented.
“I recently watched ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and realized that it wasn’t that long ago that transgender people were accepted,” Ramsey wrote in an Instagram post. “And I feel very privileged to live in this time of change where tolerance, learning, love and understanding are becoming more and more important.”
In 2023, the The Last of Us star came out as non-binaryand said their gender has “always been very fluid” and they use the “nonbinary” option when it is available on forms.
“If someone called me ‘she’ or ‘her’ I would think about it, but I knew it would be a little upsetting if someone called me ‘he’,” they said. “I’m just human.”
“Being gender fluid is not something I’m particularly fond of,” they added. “But when it comes to pronouns, I really don’t care.”
Season 2 of The Last of Us will be released in 2025 and includes the introduction of Isabella Merced in the role of Dina, who is initially friends with Ellie (Ramsey), but with whom the two soon enter into a relationship.
The new season also features Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, one of the main antagonists in the second game.
