Most films on homosexuality and sexual identity approach these subjects with great seriousness, either through the subject of AIDS or existential approaches to a person who has run into a dead end. However, The Iron Ladies challenges prejudice against transsexuals and transvestites through humor. A gay character who goes by the name, ′Tootsie′ ; transvestite players; a lesbian coach called ′Tomboy′, and the sole heterosexual come together as a team to compete in the national volleyball tournament. Their weapon is their powerful spike, but it is petty problems such as not being able to put on make up or being dragged off by their parents that ruin their play. A few players show their resistance towards these characters by raising the issue of their qualifications as volleyball players, but the crowds are more than pleased to see their charming movements. Through endless trials and tribulations, they finally win first place. This film is bases on a true story that happened in 1996. There are currently quite a few people who have undergone operation to change their sex. It was the filmmaker′s intentions to change the general attitude towards them that inspired this film. (Yu Hyun-Mi)