Samantha Bee Highlights A Harrowing Transgender Western Tale

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 7, 2021 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | September 7, 2021 |

I don’t usually seek out Westerns for the same reason I haven’t gotten through more than one episode of Mad Men. When certain time periods are adapted, often ones where minorities and people of color are reduced to stereotypes for the sake of “accuracy,” I find that unpalatable. There are Westerns I like. I also enjoy it when a Western-style is applied to a modern story. This is all to say that a recent segment on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee was right up my alley!

The Tenacious Unicorn Ranch in Colorado was created to be a safe haven for trans people. A place where those who are transitioning can go and feel safe and supported. On its face, it is a great idea, and it gets even better when you see how gorgeous the place is. Midwestern America can be truly stunning when you aren’t concerned with the rampant bigotry and lemme tell ya, there is plenty of that.

Unfortunately, it should come as no surprise that the ranch has faced opposition from locals. Two people even sneaked onto the ranch late one night in body armor. Luckily, the trespassers were forced off the land by the owners. In a wonderful twist, the trans people were the good people with guns that the far-right often promotes as a reason to arm every American citizen with an AR-15. My thoughts on gun ownership aside, it’s incredible that these people were able to defend themselves.

This is my kind of Western. A story of people trying to live in peace and raise alpacas. That peace is threatened and they fight back. Doesn’t get any better than that.