Port Authority

Interestingly, Wye is a femme queen and an admired winner of the “face category,” alike Indya Moore’s Angel in Pose (but again, though not a sex worker), and in a relationship with a Evan Peter’s white-cis-man character coming to term with his love for her, who is slightly echoing Paul in Port Authority. The big exception is, one of these guys have an understanding or knowledge of his lover identity, and the other like another inge-dude Jon Snow, “knows nothing…”( But he really should know better – especially when it comes to who he falls in love with!)
Despite this major character flaw, Paul is quite realistic, and Whitehead brings a palpable awkwardness and confusion to him. Fionn, previously seen in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, or Dunkirk, seems to be forging a solid, interesting career for himself, and, with Port Authority, he shows another facet of his capacity to play vulnerable people.

Paul is still figuring out who he is, and he has a lot of baggage to carry, explaining why he is always on the defensive or looking for troubles. He is anxious, or scared of Lee male toxicity and his friends’ judgments, or worse after he witnesses them betting a queer boy.

“…his idea of what it means to be a man will be shattered as he will see his own identity redefined.”

In the end, his idea of what it means to be a man will be shattered as he will see his own identity redefined.

Paul can change because of Wye, who not only acts as his romantic interest but is a “voice of reason” of sorts (in fact, Wyer and her “house Mother McQueen” are the only wise voices of the movie.) Leyna Bloom also brings a fair amount of tenderness to the film with a soft yet great presence, and natural grace. The model turned actress was actually the first trans WOC to play a major role in a film competing at the Cannes Film Festival, and she truly is the heart and highlight of the film. Leyna is also a former professional dancer (but had to drop due to gender-discriminatory practice) and a recognized trans model who has appeared in magazines worldwide. As a matter of fact, she brought a lot of authenticity to the project as her own life could have been an inspiration for the film. She faced similar predicaments than the ones from our protagonist when she first came to NYC to make it, but her skills and abilities enabled her to make a name for herself in the ballroom scene, like Wye.