Jared Leto

Ok, a little late to the show with this, but sometimes thoughts take a long time to get from the mind to the consciousness, but here it is, more an after thought than anything.

Let me see if I understand it. Jared Leto gets the opportunity to play a drug addict, HIV-positive, pre-op transsexual in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. He is coached by a former draq queen who transitioned, and who was one of the characters in a movie about her boyfriend who was murdered.

After the movie he goes back to living as himself and his work as an actor/director and with his rock band. He wins an oscar for his performance for best supporting actor. He thanks the people who coached him and the transgender community for the opportunity to "represent" them.

And he wonders why many in the transgender community are not only not impressed, but don't like the role he played, which clearly was intended to be an exaggerated characterization of a transwoman, the fact he won the oscar, and then fakes being thankful.

For what? Really. He never was a transgender person. He studied them for a while, played a role and then forgot all about it, even made sure to tell people it was just a role. And he thinks the transgender community should be grateful to him?

The guy has balls, literally and figuratively. If he understood he could have asked for a more realistic role, found better coaches, talk to more real (trans)women, etc., but then it wouldn't even be enough because he just played a role.

He never really understood what transwomen think and feel and how they live, so why should they thank him for his character in the movie? But then he's not unlike many who like to pat themselves on the back not matter what they do, only because they did it, to thank everyone for appreciating his effort.

Sorry, I agree with the many in the view he set back transgender people more in the public mind than he helped them, and next time don't volunteer to help. You've done enough damage.