Intersectionality and queer experiences in “The Danish Girl” and “Boys Don’t Cry”

Abstract

This study employs queer theory alongside intersectionality frameworks to comparatively analyze transgender representations in The Danish Girl (2015) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999), addressing a critical issue that has received insufficient attention. The concern focuses on social attributes such as class, geography, and historical context, examined within gendered and queer frameworks, moving beyond an identity-centric approach. The approach to researching the subject combines the films' narrative and stylistic aspects through comparative textual analysis with semi-structured interviews conducted with trans-identified individuals and film scholars. The methodology's range enables both a close reading and critiques that are authentic and impact-centered. The films demonstrate Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity; however, the intersectional factors largely determine the way in which that theory applies. The Danish Girl illustrates how Lili Elbe, an upper-class trans woman in 1920s Copenhagen, is able to medically and artistically transition through the privileges of then-accessible upper-class social and medical customs and community. Boys Don’t Cry, in contrast, highlights the violence inflicted on Brandon Teena as a trans man, resulting from his working-class status and the rural, conservative context of 1990s Nebraska, compounded by other vulnerabilities. The contrast showcases the privileges and marginalisation stratified through intersectional social factors.