Faculty of Art

Experimental Animation

Mya Van Dyk

The D Word

The D Word is a short 2D animated film that explores the internal conflict of accepting lesbian identity, navigating the friction between internalized homophobia and self-acceptance. The animation follows a butch lesbian as she is handed a religious pamphlet which spontaneously transforms into her Catholic-school-going younger self who confronts her with homophobic comments until they find mutual acceptance. The title, The D Word, makes reference to both the popular lesbian series The L Word and the popular lesbian slur “Dyke”. This work was made to navigate personal and authentic queer stories in a creative and comedic mannerThis project was directly inspired by my own experiences. As a lesbian who grew up in a very small religious town, I had a long journey of self-acceptance and working through internalized homophobia. Many lines of the younger butch are pulled directly from things I said as a child or things my friends believed growing up. Through my time in Toronto, I have lived near Yonge and Dundas square and Kensington Market, two hot spots for sidewalk religious preachers. I was constantly bombarded with pushy, screaming voices shoving pamphlets in my face and saying vaguely or directly homophobic comments. I read through every pamphlet I was given, and often found myself reflecting on my past experiences with religion and repression; this was the catalyst for the film. This work was made to navigate personal and authentic queer stories in a creative and comedic manner. Throughout my life I’ve searched for media that reflects my queer experience. Over the course of my life, as queer people have become more accepted, their representation in the media still lacks in quantity and depth. Butch and masculine lesbians are severely underrepresented or portrayed poorly, and most lesbian representation is often directed at or made palatable for straight and male audiences. I strived to make a film that shared an entertaining, lighthearted, and genuine story to create the representation I have always wanted to see.

“A butch lesbian is accosted by a manifestation of their Catholic-school-going, homophobic, younger self.”