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09/05/2007


Wachowski Brothers Now Wachowski Sister and Brother

Wachowskis

Via Cinematical comes news that one half of the filmmaking family team the Wachowski Brothers (V for Vendetta, The Matrix, Bound, the forthcoming Speed Racer), Larry Wachowski, has completed a sex change and is now Lana Wachowski:

"Interestingly enough, Lana will speak to the press about this -- which is rare for the Wachowskis since they're not ones to speak to the press about anything, let alone something this personal in nature. However, rumor has it that she will not openly speak about the sex change until after Speed Racer hits theaters on May 9. On top of that, sources say that Andy Wachowski will do all the press for the film as well for fear that the whole sex change thing could potentially harm the family-friendly film."

Above is a newly released photo of the team, and Dateline NBC will reportedly be doing Lana's first interview.

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Posted 5:10 PM EST by Andy in Film, News, Transgender | Permalink

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Comments

  1. Which one is Lana?

    Posted by: larry | Sep 5, 2007 5:16:52 PM


  2. V for Vagina

    (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

    Posted by: 24play | Sep 5, 2007 5:22:31 PM


  3. As a gay man, let me say this has NOTHING to do with the gay community. A man who is sexually attracted to women and turns his penis into a vagina has no connection to gay men. This is one of the reasons why it is so hard for mainstream, masculine gay men to come out of the closet... because they get lumped together with men who want to put on women's clothes.

    Posted by: Oh no you did'nt! | Sep 5, 2007 5:29:08 PM


  4. so effeminate gay men have an easier time coming out than "masculine" gay men? Just because you wear Abercrombie and go to the gym doen't make you "masculine". If it wasn't for queens who couldn't keep it to themselves, you would still be tapping your foot in bathroom stalls.......

    Posted by: busytimmy | Sep 5, 2007 5:33:54 PM


  5. Oh no you did'nt (sic)--Oh yes it does. I believe this story would fall under the T portion of LGBT.

    Posted by: basis4insanity | Sep 5, 2007 5:38:10 PM


  6. It's time to drop the "T" from LGBT. Let them have their own community. The only ones who would object... ARE THE TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE!!! Mainstream gay men have enough to deal with. Gays certainly don't need some guy who wants to cut off his own penis.

    Posted by: OH NO YOU DID'NT | Sep 5, 2007 5:48:24 PM


  7. As another gay man, let me say that gender identity and sexual orientation are most certainly related—if not biologically, then certainly in the realm of gender studies. I also imagine the experiences of coming out of the closet as gay and coming out of the closet as transgender are similar in many ways (although, I would imagine accepting your identity as transgender AND then choosing and undergoing gender reassignment is significantly more difficult).

    So sorry that seeing news of Lana's successful transition on Andy's blog scared your panties off, Oh No You Didn't. Of course, if you didn't yourself confuse being transgender with cross-dressing, your whole "How can we ever get the breeders to accept gay men, if they don't understand that this has nothing to do with being gay?!!" routine might be a tad more convincing. If a gay man doesn't understand the differences, how can we ever expect straights to?

    But enough discussion. Please pardon me while I take a moment to cry over all the "masculine gay men" who are all such big pussies that stories like Lana's will forever keep them from coming out.

    There, all cried out.

    Posted by: 24play | Sep 5, 2007 5:49:59 PM


  8. Sorry, Oh No You Did'nt (sic). Your sexuality is considered 'alternative' by the mainstream community. Thus whether you like it not, you will be grouped with everybody in the gay, lesbian, bi and transgender communities, whether you like it or not. This is not about how 'our' community defines itself, its how 'their' community defines you.

    You can either turn that on its head and become part of an an impowered group striving for the same rights and privledges.

    Or, if you dont like it, you can go back into the closet where you dont have to worry about having to be associated with some trannie.

    Posted by: Gregoire | Sep 5, 2007 5:54:02 PM


  9. Hey Oh No... this story would be relevant to the gay community if only due to the number of sci-fi weenies there are in fagdom. But I would tend to think the B's need to leave the LGBT fold too. They're only L/G part of the time, and have their own issues that are unconnected to LG issues. And why is it not GL instead of LG anyway, isn't it offensive to make the women go first, reinforcing sexism? Or is it L's being pushy and asserting themselves to list them first. You know, while we're at it, let's just get rid of LG too and just make "humanity"... that should be the ultimate goal anyway. Except for those trannies, they're just weird.

    Posted by: s. W. | Sep 5, 2007 5:54:55 PM


  10. Lana Wachowski is reportedly still dating a dominatrix well known in the LA S&M scene... which would effectively make her a lesbian.

    However, this story appeared on Digg last week and was widely dismissed as bogus. Mainly, it's written by a blogger who doesn't credit any sources. That picture is nearly two years old. And the part about Andy Wachowski doing all the press for Speed Racer is 100% untrue... the Wachowskis never do press for ANY of their movies. It's written in their contracts. Joel Silver, the producer of all their movies, has stated this numerous times.

    Posted by: crispy | Sep 5, 2007 5:56:51 PM


  11. I'd say this story has everything to do with the gay community, and I am saddened by 24Play's comment.

    Many of the news reports here at Towleroad remind us how dangerous it can be for anyone to live outside the parameters of what some people consider normal. When we come out of the closet, we remind the world that real life never fits into the rigid categories created by ignorance and fear. When we come out of the closet, we celebrate a life that can take its own shape.

    When Lana Wachowski steps forward and announces that the strict labels of "man" and "woman" don't apply to her, she also is celebrating how liberating it is to be truthful.

    Everyone who reads this blog is a little bit more free because she decided living honestly was better than living a lie. If one person hears about her story and changes a hateful opinion, then everyone--gay, straight, bi, trans, whatever--wins.

    Posted by: Brooklynite | Sep 5, 2007 6:04:02 PM


  12. Whoops... sorry, 24Play. I should have said I was saddened by Oh No You Didn't's comments. I got confused.

    Your comments rule.

    Posted by: Brooklynite | Sep 5, 2007 6:07:03 PM


  13. I stand corrected on one point... that picture is over 3 years old! It's from Wikipedia:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wachowskis.jpg

    The description reads: Personal photo taken at San Diego ComicCon 2004 by Charlie Meadows.

    Posted by: crispy | Sep 5, 2007 6:07:25 PM


  14. Transgendered men want to cut off their penises and wear womens' clothes. Gay men want to keep their penises and wear mens' clothes. Therefore, the two are not related.

    If you disagree, then go cut off your own penis... (or maybe you already have)

    Posted by: OH NO YOU DID'NT | Sep 5, 2007 6:10:13 PM


  15. Except, of course, for all those gay men who DO enjoy wearing women's clothes.

    Poor, poor Oh No You Didn't. Wants to think he's a masculine man but is scared to death by the very existence of anyone besides a biological woman who wants to wear women's clothing. I have to wonder does the sight of women in pants gives him hives?

    Anyway, Lana Wachowski has bigger balls than any of those "masculine men" you're so afraid will be forever lost to the closet. Since you're so intent on keeping your penis, Oh No, perhaps you should grow a pair yourself.

    Posted by: 24play | Sep 5, 2007 6:25:20 PM


  16. Why do some gay men want to wear women's clothing?

    Posted by: Michael W. | Sep 5, 2007 6:29:48 PM


  17. Costumes are fun and healthy, whether you're wearing a dress, butch leather gear or jock attire. there is a reason that we have a rainbow flag........ we should be more loving and accepting of all our brothers and sisters. no one should feel outcast from our community becuase they are butch, femme, trannie or a jock.

    Posted by: busytimmy | Sep 5, 2007 6:43:56 PM


  18. Bravo for her and thanks to Andy for reporting this.

    Posted by: Scott | Sep 5, 2007 6:56:53 PM


  19. We're all queers. How sad and pathetic that some queers think if they act butch, the mainstream straight world won't view you as a freak. You've ironically made yourselves into the biggest freaks of all.

    Posted by: Johnny | Sep 5, 2007 7:00:30 PM


  20. I think that the umbrella term is now LGBTRS - Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered Republic Senator. The average um 'lay' person can barely tell them apart.

    Posted by: Mike | Sep 5, 2007 7:08:30 PM


  21. Twenty bucks says that an IP trace on Did'nt takes you to a LCR.org address.

    Posted by: tservo | Sep 5, 2007 7:25:21 PM


  22. Sadly the transsexual fight is double that of the average gay guy. The same identity struggle and more account for a high rate of suicide among transsexuals that currently have very little support from the gay community or the world at large.

    ONYD opinion is just one of the many hurdles that they face on a daily basis.

    Maybe with the emergence of them on television and in the media this hideous basis can be avoided in the future.

    The W brothers story is however real and one of the reasons that they do not do publicity for their movies.

    Posted by: Br!on | Sep 5, 2007 8:26:10 PM


  23. Ummm.... transgendered don't cut off their penises, they use them to create a vagina, which takes more balls than any straight acting gay man or straight man has. Some transgenderd people don't consider themselves gay and some do. I think anyone that wants to be part of the gay community should be welcomed. We are all created equal!

    Posted by: Zeke | Sep 5, 2007 8:55:24 PM


  24. As oppresed minorities we should be more than welcoming to other oppresed minorities.

    Johnny

    BRAVO!!!! Though I would have worded it differently and refernced the "straight acting" crowd. The terms butch and fem are cool, it is the whole identitfying as "straight acting" that is crazy. Queer is queer and straight guys don't let guys suck their dicks or suck dicks in return.

    Posted by: NOT a log cabin repub :-) | Sep 5, 2007 10:16:37 PM


  25. As a member of the trans community myself, I'm glad to see such support for trans people on this board. We need to remember that we're all in it together; it's the drag queens and the gender variant that fought at Stonewall, and it's thanks to them that certain gay folk today can vote Republican, adopt kids, and condemn those more effeminate than themselves.

    Posted by: Lia | Sep 5, 2007 11:32:02 PM


  26. Of course, in the Wachowski world you can transform yourself into anything.

    Posted by: anon (gmail.com) | Sep 6, 2007 12:23:36 AM


  27. The term LGBT is meant to be inclusive. Those who believe that masculine gay men are a myth are not any better than those of you who disregard the trans-gendered folks. If for anything, our common struggle should serve us to see beyond our differences and celebrate our diversity. I wish Lana much success as I do wish the rest of you.

    Posted by: Rafael | Sep 6, 2007 12:56:54 AM


  28. sorry but i'm just too in love with my penis to ever say good-bye to it. who else am i gonna talk to when i'm lonely?

    Posted by: sean | Sep 6, 2007 1:12:53 AM


  29. I had a sex change once... didn't like it. Had it re-inverted

    Posted by: MAx Vicious | Sep 6, 2007 2:07:16 AM


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    Posted by: eric | Sep 6, 2007 3:42:27 AM


  31. I first read this article on Cinematical as well as the hateful, ignorant comments there. I thought I would find more enlightened comments here, but much to my surprise (and sadness), that was not the case.

    Might I suggest to those who clearly have no idea what a transgendered person is: watch the movie "Transamerica" or, even better, the documentary "Southern Comfort".

    Education. It's a wonderful thing.

    Posted by: Kirby | Sep 6, 2007 4:30:37 AM


  32. Two nights ago I was walking away from a cinema in Edinburgh, and overheard a young woman trying to tell her male companion the story of "Transamerica" (I think because they'd just seen Hairspray).

    HER: This guy is changing sex to be a woman..
    HIM: He's a ho mo sexual.
    HER: Yer that's right.

    Posted by: Mike | Sep 6, 2007 7:28:43 AM


  33. A point of clarification. Not all people who transition from one gender to another have gender re-assignment surgery. For example, some people who are born male do not have surgery on their genitals. However, they will undertake hormone therapy and may develop secondary female sexual characteristics, such as breasts. I had a trans person explan the distinctions to me this way:

    "Transgender" = everyone who identifies in as being other than the gender of their birth

    "Transsexual" = transgender people who have had gender re-assignment surgey.

    For most of us, these distinctions shouldn't mean much. But it does point out the bias we have towards duality and trying to categorize people.

    Chris

    Posted by: Chris in MN | Sep 6, 2007 9:02:38 AM


  34. The last thing us homosexuals should be doing is sitting around judging people and distancing ourselves in some sort of shameful fear. How cowardly is that.

    Are transgender people the same as plain ol' homosexuals? No. But they aren't bad, they're just different. We should be the last to become righteous and point our fingers at others, being so misunderstood ourselves.

    Good for Wachowski, I sincerely wish her happiness.

    Posted by: Wes | Sep 6, 2007 10:11:10 AM


  35. Some of the comments on here are discouraging. "Mainstream, masculine gay men"??? The definition of masculine is "a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to males or to objects classified as male." Does any of this have to do with the gay community? I don't know, but what I do know is that it shouldn't matter. Nothing annoys me more than people who label themselves as "straight-acting" or "masculine" gay men. These people tend to be emotional weaklings, and need to get out more.

    Posted by: Ian | Sep 6, 2007 1:29:54 PM


  36. Gay, lesbian and bisexual are "sexuality"-issues; whereas transgender, transexual, intersexual and transvestitism are "gender"-issues. "Being different" is not enough rationale to define a community...that implies a certain commonality to it's members. They should NOT all be addressed with the same broad-brush, I'll stick to the old formula of G/L with "bi" being-implied.

    Posted by: Ted B. (Charging Rhino) | Sep 6, 2007 1:38:32 PM


  37. Apparently this information is inaccurate, and Larry didn't have the surgery

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295909,00.html

    Posted by: Julia | Sep 7, 2007 12:24:57 AM


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