Trap Door by Micha Cárdenas
Recent years have seen a paradoxical rise in the portrayal of trans identity in popular culture and art. Although trans visibility is hailed as a sign of a liberal society, it has coincided with a political moment characterized by increased violence against trans people (particularly trans women of colour) and the repression of trans rights under civil law. These inconsistencies are addressed by Trap Door.
The essays, discussions, and dossiers included here explore a variety of interrelated topics, including beauty, performativity, activism, and police brutality. They demonstrate how trans individuals are frequently given “doors”—entrances to visibility and recognition—that are essential “traps,” accommodating trans bodies and communities only to the extent that they conform to prevailing norms.
Trap Door by Micha Cárdenas
Amazon.com
The book makes assumptions about a third concept, the trapdoor, which is neither an entrance nor an exit but rather a hidden pathway heading somewhere else. Trap Door starts a discussion that encompasses trans culture and goes beyond it, demonstrating the importance of these topics for anybody interested in the morality of the popular culture. I consider Trap Door to be the starting point for all of the ideas that we have been discussing with respect to the other four works. It’s lovely. There are many interesting images and witty words in it. Given that it is an anthology, it is evident that it lacks a cogent storyline.
