Trans student kicked out of lead role of high school production of 'Oklahoma!' over gender policy

[SpankMe]

Texas high schools are entering into new territory of transphobia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/trans-student-kicked-lead-role-high-school-production-oklahoma-gender-rcna124153

Max Hightower's father said that just two weeks after his son got the role, the principal notified them about a new policy under which "only males can play males."

Max Hightower, a senior at Sherman High School, learned just last month that he landed the starring male role in the school’s production of “Oklahoma!” About two weeks after Max was cast, his family was notified by the school’s principal of a new policy about casting by gender, and Hightower, as well as other students, lost their roles in the production.

In Shakespeare's time, women's roles on stage were played by men and boys due to the social rules or some other standard practices at the time. That makes this episode more bizarre if not ironic.

I can at least understand the debate about trans women playing in women's sports. I'm not coming down on one side or the other on the sports question. I'm just saying I understand the concern.

But regarding theater arts - of all things - any restrictions relating to gender issues of any kind is pure assholery and willful oppression.

This principal can eat my cis male ass.

[FalloutShelter]

1. I hope the Hightowers have the ACLU on speed dial.

[Freethinker65]

2. Cuz only a born male could believably sing ""surrey with the fringe on top"".

[TwilightZone]

3. As noted, who says irony is dead?

This one is off the charts.

I sure wish these people would grow the hell up and join us in the 21st Century. Tacking on the policy after the fact is just cruel, which I suppose is the point.

[cactusfractal]

4. Ado Annie is cishet

And this is better than the censored film version...

?si=Y5fIAWJmh3CxhriM

[deurbano]

5. FFS, half of my daughter's musical theater roles (growing up) were male characters

because there were WAY more girls interested in musical theater than boys. In fact, it pissed me off that so many of the chosen musicals had a majority of the major parts designated male, given this reality. A boy who couldn't sing, dance or act had a much easier time getting a good part than a more talented girl, and so many of those more talented girls were relegated to lesser male or female roles.

[SpankMe]

6. Same thing at my sons' high school some years back

There were only three or four boys and something like 20 girls in the drama department this one year. And one of the boys was a stage manager/set/lighting guy. So, there were only 2 boys left for filling character roles.

So, girls had to fill many boys' roles in Our Town.

I just can't see restricting roles to match the gender of the character to the birth gender of the actor.

[Aristus]

7. I played Mr. MacAfee in a high school production of "Bye Bye, Birdie".

In the script, MacAfee has a daughter and a son. We had to make the son a second daughter instead because we didn't have enough guys to fill all the male roles. Me and the guy playing Conrad Birdie were the only ones who didn't have to double up on the male roles.