"Continue That Conversation": Orange is the New Black Panel Discussion at GMU 3/5

by Chelsea Rugg, FAMS Program Coordinator

"Continue That Conversation": Orange is the New Black Panel Discussion at GMU 3/5
Ruby Corado

On Wednesday, 5 March 2014, Laverne Cox spoke to a packed HUB Ballroom, to ask and answer the question, “Ain’t I a Woman?” Before her presentation, a group of students, professors, and community members gathered for a panel discussion on the Netflix series in which Cox stars, Orange is the New Black, which chronicles the experiences of inmates and correctional officers in a women’s prison.

Moderated by Jessica Scarlata, an associate professor of English and Film & Media Studies, the panel considered how Orange is the New Black depicts the lives of prisoners who are women, trans, and people of color. Panelists included Leandrea Gilliam, Capacity Building & Training Manager for Metro TeenAids; Rachel Lewis, Assistant Professor for Women & Gender Studies; Giovanna Chesler, Director of Film & Video Studies, Associate Professor for Communication, and producer of the upcoming documentary, Out in the Night; Ruby Corado, transgender activist and Executive Director for Casa Ruby; and Tashia Harris, Program Coordinator for Women & Gender Studies.

Professor Scarlata opened the discussion by showing a scene from Orange is the New Black illustrating the struggle of Laverne Cox’s character, Sophia Burset, to obtain her hormone medication while in prison. The panelists took the opportunity to open the conversation to issues extending beyond the series, pointing out that 99% of trans women are jailed in male prisons, where they face discrimination, abuse, and assault. Professor Chesler noted that 50% of trans people of color will be incarcerated at some point in their lives, and that at least 1/3 of trans people are assaulted in prison. Professor Lewis called attention to the case of Victoria Arellano, a trans woman and immigrant from Mexico, who was held in a men’s facility. She died from complications of AIDS after being denied medication and treatment. Arrelano’s case serves as just one example of the institutionalized discrimination trans people experience.

Such prejudice manifests itself across multiple institutions as well as in interpersonal situations. Many trans people have trouble obtaining and keeping jobs and many also face discrimination within the US legal system, whether in the form of judges, juries, and police and other official forces. Leandrea Gilliam offered a personal story, recalling a time when she was called on to testify in court: when the opposing lawyers discovered she was trans, they used this to discredit her with the jury. Though she was not on trial, she was judged, a story that remains too common. 

The panelists went on to discuss how Orange is the New Black has raised awareness of the challenges trans people face in prisons. Ruby Corado commended Laverne Cox for “having the courage to use her gift to tell it like it is,” then added, “The show is creating a conversation around trans issues. There’s more than is shown… but it’s a good start.” Tashia Harris underlined the importance of ongoing discussion: “Visibility matters, but there needs to be a way to continue that conversation.”

When asked how to do that at GMU, the panelists advised the audience to challenge one’s own perceptions of gender identity, norms, and bias, to research the topic on the Internet, and to be willing to talk about trans issues. “Keep trying to have the conversation in different spaces with different people,” said Harris. 

Ric Chollar, Associate Director of LGBTQ Resources at GMU, summed up the event by saying, “The full panel brought voices, identities, histories, and critical questions that are very seldom visible at Mason. The room was overflowing with participants, many of whom were trans and gender nonconforming folks who do not often feel included in Mason programming.” The panel, he added, helped participants “deepen their awareness and understanding of Orange is the New Black, with both its uniquely effective and also problematic elements, and more importantly, assisting participants to better understand our prison-industrial system and its impact on marginalized groups, particularly trans women of color.”

Cast of Orange is the New Black

The Orange is the New Black panel was organized by University Life and Amena Johnson of LGBTQ Resources. It was cosponsored by multiple offices and programs at GMU, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Resources, African & African American Studies, Film & Media Studies, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education, and Women & Gender Studies.