Thalia’s HBO Documentary ‘Quinceañera’ Shows A Whole Different Side Of The Tradition

When we look at the twenty-first century it could give us the illusion that we have advanced in a deeper cultural aspect. Seeing that the rights of transgender people have progressed, at least superficially. In early 2017, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to play trans series on open television in Doubt. In November, Danica Roem became the first openly transgender worker elected to the Virginia legislature.

As we have progressively advanced in the last year, we also have to bear in mind that there is still a long way to go. We need to make the world aware.

HBO taking the lead

The new HBO documentary: Quinceañera Story, is a reminder of that. The project is based on four parts. An idea of the famous couple composed by record producer Tommy Mottola and the singer Thalia pointing four different teenagers.

In Tuesday’s premiere, we saw Zoey, a 15 years old high school student, Part Mexican, and American, who is trans. While the episode is broadcast, we see how she prepares for her big day. Through this process, it becomes difficult, since the patriarchal culture based on tradition, as Latins might have difficulties with this issue.

Part of being a quinceañera

Zoey at her young age is very wise. She’s also like an ordinary, affectionate, clumsy teenager, attracted to boys, makeup, and the film Grease. At the beginning of the episode, Zoey’s mother, Ophelia explains a bit about the Latin culture and this tradition. A quinceañera must celebrate the journey from becoming a girl to women. For Zoey, who was born as a man, the meaning of the celebration takes on a double meaning.

This gives a twist to the dynamics, because seeing a mother with Mexican roots who can speak so loosely about this issue of Zoey’s transition, is a very big thing. Since Latin American culture is based on religion and the gender. Ophelia says that for her, there was a time when Zoey’s identity clicked for her: “The day she told me ‘Do you think God made a mistake when handing out bodies?'” Recalls Ophelia. “She was 5 years old.” That moment was very emotional, it made her cry. We can all appreciate in the chapter the level of acceptance in Zoey’s Latin family.

Learning to accept the transition

In the episode, we also know James. An ACLU lawyer who represented the case against the Los Angeles school system for sex discrimination in his school when he was younger. The lawyer became Zoey’s godfather. James stopped a moment in Zoe’s house before going through the transition playing with Barbies “I had to pull myself together emotionally because as a Little boy, my mother saw me once playing with dolls in the front yard at a friend’s house” he tells. “And she said it’s fine for you to play with dolls, but I think you ought to do it in the backyard so people don’t see you. So for me to see a mother allowing Zoey to be playing pre-transition there in the open…”

Then, we talk about the different traditions that are part of this tradition that proved to be a bit complicated for Zoey. The first thing is the presence of “The Doll” which is a gift that her grandmother gives to the quinceañera to symbolize the last doll in a woman’s life. When Zoey sees her doll for the first time with a large chest poking out from the top of a sweetheart neckline, she pokes at the doll’s “boobies” and says “I don’t have those!” But she just laughs it off; at just 15, Zoey is used to shrugging her shoulders to the customs of her culture and seeing no problem in simply adapting them for herself.

Así o más divertido!!! 😂 #TamosLocasPalCaraaaa Reviviendo junto a @thalia una de las tradiciones hispanas mas emocionantes en la vida de una mujer!!!! Los 15 #Quinceañera una producción que saldrá a partir de mañana martes 19 en #HBO dirigida por #thalia y producida por @tommymottola no se lo pierdan #quinceañera #eterna #AQuinceañeraStory

A post shared by Lili Estefan (@liliestefan) on Dec 18, 2017 at 7:49pm PST

Fighting for the reward

Then there is the quinceañera court. Very similar to a bridal party, except this time, the birthday girl makes up a group of friends to make some steps of dances. Which are part of your grand entrance to the party. Finding guys to join his court is a notorious challenge for Zoey. Admit that already the idea of dating is very difficult as finding friends who support it. “All children this age are afraid to love me,” she says, “because they fear being considered homosexual.” In the end, she fulfills the mission and arms her court.

We see how Zoey goes through different challenges. Facing each and every one of them with her family, showing the world through this new series that everything is possible if you strive to achieve it. She has her magical day at the end. We see how she is able to fulfill this traditional festival as another simple girl being able to honor her roots and cultural traditions while she also creates her own.