How Ace Ventura Mocked a Trans Woman: Lois Einhorn Deserved Better

I Denied Lois Einhorn’s Humanity — And I Can’t Ignore Her Cry Any Longer

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After recently writing an article about Hollywood’s trans villains, I realized I had done exactly what others had done to Buffalo Bill. I denied Lois Einhorn’s humanity.

In that piece, I explored how Hollywood’s depictions of trans-coded villains, tragic figures, and cruel jokes shaped my own understanding of gender — and delayed my coming out. I focused on The Silence of the Lambs and its infamous antagonist, Buffalo Bill, whose real name was Jame Gumb.

Gumb was a serial killer who targeted women, and their gender nonconformity was framed as something grotesque. Though the film had Hannibal Lecter explicitly state, “Billy is not a real transsexual,” it still used queerness as a source of horror — showing Gumb tucking their genitals, dancing in front of the mirror, and obsessing over transformation. The message was clear: Gumb’s dysphoria, their rejection by society, and their attempts at self-actualization weren’t just part of their identity — they were what made them monstrous.

I fought to reclaim Gumb, to show that their suffering, their dysphoria, and their rejection weren’t the makings of a monster, but the unraveling of someone who…