Brothers Who Created 'The Matrix' Are Now Sisters

The Wachowski brothers who produced and directed films such as “V for Vendetta” and “The Matrix” saga are now sisters.

Lilly Wachowski, formerly Andy, came out as transgender in a statement published to the Windy City Times in March.

But it wasn’t because that’s when she planned to come out. According to Wachowski, who’s sister Lana (formerly Larry) came out as a transgender woman a few years ago, the openness came by force.

A reporter from the Daily Mail - the largest United Kingdom-based news service - came to her door one afternoon and demanded she talk about the transition, Lilly wrote in the statement.

“I find talking about my art frustratingly tedious and talking about myself a wholly mortifying experience,” Lilly wrote. “I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. You know, when you're living as an out transgender person it's … kind of difficult to hide. I just wanted—needed some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable.”

But the reporter’s presence forced her to come out. Not because of the mere interview request, but because of who he was representing.

Lilly explained that The Daily Mail is the same publication that “demonized” elementary school teacher Lucy Meadows for her transition a few years back. The news outlet claimed Meadows is "not only trapped in the wrong body, he's in the wrong job."

Three months after that Daily Mail article came out, Meadows committed suicide.

“And now here they were, at my front door, almost as if to say— ‘There's another one! Let's drag 'em out in the open so we can all have a look!’ Lilly wrote.

The Wachowskis were born in Chicago during the 1960s and went on to direct a number of films, including ‘The Matrix’ series which had theaters packed from 1999 to 2003. “Speed Racers” and “V for Vendetta” were other popular works directed by the pair.

In the Windy City Times letter, Lilly partially explained the specific difficulties facing transgender individuals.

“Being transgender is not easy,” she said. “We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. This means when you're transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you.”

She did call herself one of the “lucky ones.”

“Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. And many do not survive...Attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the goddamn bathroom. The so-called bathroom bills that are popping up all over this country do not keep children safe, they force trans people into using bathrooms where they can be beaten and or murdered. We are not predators, we are prey.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons