Movie opens gender dialogue in Staunton
Visulite presents 'Transamerica' and discussion
By David Royer/staff
droyer@newsleader.com

STAUNTON — Just showing the new Felicity Huffman film “Transamerica,” a story about a pre-surgical transsexual, would be edgy enough for most small towns. Yet moviegoers in Staunton jumped from the movie to real life Thursday, following the film with a discussion of living through gender dysphoria and sexual reassignment led by someone who knows her topic. The transition has been a blessing, Lisa Coles told the audience Coles, formerly Lisa Hartley, recently took the name of her husband, Ray Coles, a man she met in 2004. Before that, she was Bruce Hartley, a contractor and former lumberjack who moved to Staunton with his two sons in 1992. Wearing a floral print sun dress and fur jacket, Coles spoke to a crowded house at the Visulite Cinema. “Transamerica,” Coles said, presents an accurate description of the physical and emotional transformation experienced by many people who choose to undergo surgical procedures to change their given gender. She patiently answered questions from the audience about the reaction she got from her family and the community after her five-year transformation from male to female. Coles said her mother and sons have accepted her identity and, with a few exceptions, so has the community. She became a woman physically in 2003. Answering questions about her decision comes with the territory. “When you don’t know about something you’re scared of it,” she said. “The more people are educated about it, the easier it is for all of us.” Most moviegoers seemed more curious than scared. Following the film, Carol Turrentine of Middlebrook said she was surprised by the movie’s human quality. She praised the Visulite for bringing thought-provoking movies to town. “It’s not just about the technical part,” she said. “It’s about differences in people and families.” Despite the Valley’s socially conservative reputation, Sidney Bland of Harrisonburg, a women’s studies teacher at James Madison University who attended the movie, said he senses a mature, open-minded attitude toward differences in Staunton. The film and Coles’ question-and-answer session afterwards were a learning experience, he said. Coles, a Christian who said she believed God gave her the tools to fix her gender, said Thursday night’s turnout and the audience’s open-minded dialog were a testament to the community. “I’m real, I’m human, I’m a woman, and I’m a good person,” she said.

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