This essay is for Willow Catelyn Maclay. Willow’s one of my favorite writers, and has taught me so much about identity, about embracing and loving ambiguity in art, and about loving oneself.
A lot of beautiful writing has been written to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “The Matrix” as a seminal trans text and you should read all of it—there’s so much to be learned from how a movie evolves with us and vice versa. I didn’t love a Lilly and Lana Wachowski movie until “Jupiter Ascending” but I mourn their possible retirement from filmmaking. They helped so many people discover themselves. They are legends and icons. Like my friend Willow, the world is a better place as long as they’re creating in it.
To watch more of Scout Tafoya’s video essays from his series The Unloved, click here.