The Gender Problem ‘Tootsie’ Can’t Dress Up

AMERICAN THEATRE: When David Yazbek and Robert Horn’s new musical Tootsie opened on Broadway a few weeks ago to mostly rave reviews (all written by cisgender critics), New York magazine’s Sara Holdren was one of the only critics to call out the dated gender politics of the show, based on the 1982 film. I was shocked, however, that none of the critics noticed the larger problem: the show’s entire premise is transphobic. Although there are no trans characters in the musical, trans people are the butt of every joke, a silent specter of mockery, as the whole musical revolves around a never-ending “man in a dress” joke, a trope that’s rooted in transmisogyny (hatred of trans women).