You're right, it's not something to be celebrated but what it is is part of the "horror" genre. In saying that it is against the transgendered is akin to saying these films are against women, against men, against blacks (they always die first in these things) against teens having sex, against Santa Clause (my goodness people threw a FIT when Santa turned out to be a slasher killer!), etc., etc.
The American slasher/horror films of the 70s and 80s were "politically incorrect" and if you asked me, began the politically correct movement. Many people seeing it didn't even KNOW what a transgender was at that time, or that they were part of the world(I'm included) and it generated interest for people to find out more (As well as never go to camp again!). Not everyone took away from that that transgendered/transsexual people were raving maniacs, but there is nothing you can do to stop the uneducated, even when trying to reeducate.
Someone or some group got offended by what was in these films -- i.e. -- stop making fun of handicapped kids, stop with the gratuitous sex onscreen between two young unmarried persons, stop showing Santa and the Easter Bunny as children holiday serial killers (two very fictitious concepts to begin with!), no more hockey player masks because my kids think The Chicago Blackhawks are out to kill them, my kid wont fall asleep, the Catholic Church wants to come to my home without my permission and Exorcise my kid, I can't send my kid to Europe to stay at cheap Hostels any more, stop naming streets-I live on Elm or Maple street and now no one comes to my house!!, etc., etc. Come on!!!!
There is depravity and horror in almost everything, and Hollywood took the opportunity to develop it; and yes it tapped into the chill, the fear, the scare and it is at expense of some community. (goodness, I can't see a deer today without crying about Bambi's mom!).
Sure some films were extremely gratuitous and some made particular groups and communities look bad, but the main thing is -- ya don't have to go see it. If no one goes or ever pay attention --or most importantly BRING attention to it -- the film wont get spotlighted. Don't mistake it for dying because in this day and time, films NEVER die. Audiences find their ways to it.
And Filmmakers are savvy - if it weren't for the dreaded "Sleepaway Camp", you wouldn't have had "The Crying Game" and other films showing the opposites of this-- the equality, love and brilliance of transgenders -- and everybody else.
Just remember this for watching films too: "For every force, there is a counter force. For every negative there is a positive. For every action there is a reaction. For every cause there is an effect". Entertainment runs on these concepts; and will exploit anybody and anything if it can predict generating a profit. And if it doesn't think so and some other way it did make a profit, entertainment will always capitalize on it.
without a Prime Directive how can you boldly go where no man has gone before?
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