Theater Company Removes ‘Tranny’ Jokes from 'Shrek' Play After Complaint from 'Non-Binary' ‘Transdude’

ashley.rae | April 18, 2016
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(Image via: Facebook)

A theater company has removed the word “tranny” from its production of “Shrek: The Musical” after a member of the audience was offended by the “dehumanizing” term.

CBC News reports 20-year-old Ky Greyson, who refers to himself as an “aro/ace nb transdude,” took offense to the word “tranny” being used as a joke in reference to the cross-dressing Big Bad Wolf in the first act of the play at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre.

According to CBC News, upon hearing the word, Greyson stood up and walked out of the show. Greyson then emailed the theater’s general manager to facilitate a face-to-face meeting to explain why the term is allegedly offensive.

Greyson told CBC News, “It was really a good production, but I remember hearing the word used and the entire crowd bursting out laughing and just my heart dropping.”

Greyson said there were “very dehumanizing jokes with regards to not conforming to gender roles and being a masculine person femininely.”

During the meeting, Greyson and a “few supporters” gave the manager “insight into the root of these jokes, why the comedy of it hurts so much."

Jennie King, the spokesperson for Neptune Theatre, told CBC News, “We were upset to learn that one of our productions created a feeling of distress among members of the LGBTQ community in Halifax and changes were made immediately to remove content once we became aware of the situation.”

“Neptune has spoken and met with these members of the LGBTQ community to express our apologies and to learn from this experience,” she continued.

Greyson claims, “If we're teaching kids in the audience that if this is to be mocked, this is to be ridiculed, we're perpetuating self-hate in people who may be trans-women or trans-feminine people at a young age and also continuing this myth and misunderstanding of what trans people are.”

However, unlike Greyson (who according to Facebook likes to be called out on “problematic” behavior), many other trans activists believe the trans community should “reclaim” the word “tranny” as an act of empowerment.

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