The Danish Girl, the biopic of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe, is to be screened at the White House as part of an event honouring “champions of change” in the LGBT community, it has been announced.
White House LGBT Artists Champions of Change is intended to shore up the White House’s support for LGBT awareness, and The Danish Girl will show alongside episodes of award-winning TV series Transparent, featuring Jeffrey Tambor as a transgender father. Nine designated “champions” – who include activists Pidgeon Pagonis and Fiona Dawson, artist LJ Roberts and poet Joanna Hoffman – will also be highlighted.
The Danish Girl, which stars Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, and is directed by Tom Hooper, chronicles key events in the life of Elbe – formerly known as Einar Wegener – who is one of the first people known to have undergone sex reassignment surgery. The film has, however, drawn some flak for failing to find a significant role for a transgender actor, despite director Hooper acknowledging the film industry has “a problem” with the issue.
The Champions of Change event is due to take place on 23 November, shortly after the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating victims of transphobic murders, which falls three days earlier.
