GLAAD protests transgender film planned for Tribeca Film Festival

GLAAD protests film at Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK — The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is calling on the Tribeca Film Festival to pull a transgender comedy from its lineup.

The film, “Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives,” pays homage to exploitation films and follows a group of transgender women who are beaten and then seek revenge. It’s to screen at Tribeca in April.

GLAAD alleges the film misrepresents the lives of transgender women and claims the characters are caricatures “written as drag queens.” The organization also objected to the use of the word “trannies” in the title.

Director Israel Luna and producer Toni Miller released a joint statement in response, saying they were surprised by GLAAD’s announcement and that they gave a copy of the film to GLAAD in February.

In a statement, Tribeca said it is “proud of its ongoing commitment to bring diverse voices and stories to its audiences.”