Since the first brick was thrown at the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City sparking the movement of equality, there has been a continuous presence of supporters in the efforts to bring justice and educate others about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.
One group that often falls in the shadows of gay rights and is often incredibly misunderstood is transgender men and women. Their personal obstacles go beyond the surface of sexual orientation but coming to terms with their epiphany of accepting their true gender identity in a less than understanding society that often depicts them negatively in the media. Their stories have seldom been brought to light until now.
In the Eastern Michigan University Student Center Auditorium on Thursday, there will be a screening of the documentary “TRANS” from 7:30-10:30 p.m. presented by EMU’s Psychology Department and minor in human sexuality. Following the film will be a Q-and-A session with producer Mark Schoen.
“TRANS,” directed by Chris Arnold, is a documentary that emotionally and honestly depicts the inspirational journey and obstacles of the men, women and children making the transition and beginning to feel comfortable in their own skin. It touches on controversial issues like sexual assault, injustice, hate crimes and startling statistics, such as how 41 percent of transgender individuals commit suicide.
The trailer opened with Danann, a 7-year-old MTF (male-to-female) who knew at 2 she immediately identified herself as a girl, a revelation that took her mother by surprise.
“[At] about 4 years old, she talked about cutting off her penis,” Danann’s mother said in the trailer. “And that concerned me, concerned me a lot.”
A woman from the trailer said, “I get to meet some of the most
bravest people I’ve ever met in my life because they are willing to confront the fact that they could potentially lose everything to be true to themselves.”
In an interview with PhillyGayCalendar.com during the 2012 QFest film festival, Schoen spoke about the country’s most powerful rights movements and the hopes of sparking support to educate and promote awareness for the transgender community.
“When it comes to education, if you look at different minority groups there were leaders who promoted education,” Schoen said. “The civil rights movement had Martin Luther King Jr., the gay rights movement had Harvey Milk. We don’t have a real leader so we need to get out there on a grass root level and do some serious education, and that’s what this film is about.”
Seating will be limited, but to reserve a seat call 734-487-1155 or email Pamela Landau at plandau@emich.edu. This event is LBC approved and free to the public. To view the trailer, go to TransTheMovie.com.