The Center for Equity and Inclusion hosts last Fem Film Friday

March 30, UW Tacoma’s Center for Equity and Inclusion hosted the last of their month long Fem Film Friday series with a showing of “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.”

Fem Film Fridays were held by the Center in honor of Women’s History Month. They showed a movie every Friday throughout March with the intention of hearing the stories of marginalized women. Some other films that were showed include “Pariah,” “Dolores” and “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.”

Event coordinator at the Center, Theo Calhoun, explained the importance of Fem Film Fridays.

“The point of Fem Film Fridays was to bring awareness of stories from women that have been historically left out and encourage discussion of intersectional feminism,” Calhoun said.

The movie was held at the Center in WCG 104, where students gathered to eat popcorn and watch “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson.”

Marsha P. Johnson was an African American gay liberation activist and self-identified drag queen. Her story highlights how people of color in the LGBTQ community have faced a unique position of marginalization.

After the movie ended, attendees and Center employees gathered around to discuss the film.

Hosts asked the group to share their initial reactions to the film, to which UWT junior and ethnic, gender and labor studies major Laura Davis responded.

“I’m thankful to live in Washington where people are a little bit more accepting of the LGBTQ community,” Davis said. “It’s unfortunate that whether you’re transgender or not, people will still judge others. It’s frustrating.”

The group discussed how mainstream media and society don’t always do a good job at representing people who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, and how the story of Marsha P. Johnson is not a well known one.

“It’s sad because I don’t hear about this kind of stuff; if it wasn’t for my class I’m taking now, I would have no idea,” Davis said.

“It’s Important to hear a variety of stories and experiences of people.”

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