[Taken from: http://www.californiaherps.com/films/snakefilms/SorcererAndWhiteSnake.html
Description: Two snake/human hybrids are depicted in this picture lounging in a bed of plants. Both snake/human hybrids appear to be young, Chinese women with long black hair. The green snake/human hybrid is laughing holding onto the white snake/human hybrid who is making a face.]
So! A couple months ago, I attended this series of workshops/community study called, “Through Thick and Thin” which was about fat queer women’s experiences. The culminating project for Through Thick and Thin was to make a video.
My video is a re-writing of a famous Chinese tale called the Legend of White Snake. The original story is more or less, about two snake spirits/demons named Green Snake and White Snake. White Snake falls in love with a human man named Xu Xian and eventually marries him. But shenanigans happen to try and divide their heterosexual union. Anyways. The story has numerous versions so I thought I could write my own. I felt connected to the potential queerness (femmeslash) of the story and felt it tied to my blood.The story posits Green Snake as a background, supporting character there to support White Snake’s heterosexual love. I find this interesting and reminds me a little bit of the role of the queer character in rom coms. The queer is present to be the Bestie of the protagonist there to often be the comic relief throwing down sass and one liners and to support the protagonist’s endeavors to procure heterosexual lovin’.
Why can’t the Green Snake find love? I’m chronically lonely and really felt with Green Snake. So I changed the focus to Green Snake and their queer desiring of White Snake. My version begins with how Green Snake is misunderstood (as is White Snake) but lacks the recognition of power of White Snake. Green Snake supports White Snake’s feelings towards a human even though they are in love with White Snake. And after the eventual rejection White Snake experiences from their human love interest, they realize what’s been there all along and reciprocate Green Snakes feelings. The main message I was hoping to convey was that there is value in marginalized bodies and experiences, and that maybe it’s not so bad being marginalized together sometimes. Ugh, I’m so idealistic sometimes…
I wanted a story that refused to back down from the fact that oppression exists, but regardless, ends on a happy moment. I recognize that this happy moment is one of romance, but it’s what I dream of. Regardless of the complicated nature of my sexual orientation, I dream of companionship. I want to be intimate with someone who feels right in my bones and warm in my heart. Yet I feel so ugly and undesirable sometimes being trans/queer/disabled/fat/mixed. I’d prefer someone who shared at least one of my experiences because as I quote in the vid, “we could be monsters, together”. I find value and resonance in being able to relate with another’s experiences… Is that too much to ask for?
I’m not pushing for any radical message. I just wanted to write something that represented how I felt and what I wanted to see. So that being said, here’s the video.
Bridging the Gap Between Identities 