Documentaries, Shows, Films, Interviews, and Games.

The synopsis is as follows: “A 45 year-old Xicane trans man returns to his hometown, Albuquerque, New Mexico in search of the origin of a secret code he learned when he identified as a young dyke in the 1980s. The Whistle tells the story of a secret code created by and shared among young lesbians in 1970s & 80s Albuquerque, New Mexico as a means of self-identification and finding community.” You can view the trailer, and purchase/rent the film, here.

This is an absolutely gorgeous documentary! I highly recommend watching it. I adore the solidarity between StormMiguel Florez, the trans male director and interviewee seen throughout the film, and older lesbian women. I love the fact that the women seem to completely accept his identity, happily sharing memories with him and acknowledging his trans male adulthood alongside his lesbian-identified youth. This documentary is a beautiful, touching example of LGBT+ solidarity. Photographs, yearbooks, stories, and nostalgia is shared among the interviewees as they recall their teenhoods.

The only parts of the documentary that I found upsetting were discussions of bigotry, harassment, anti-LGBT+ violence, hate crimes, and the worsening experiences of LGBT+ people in America. Overall though, this is an utterly beautiful and wholesome film that left me feeling hopeful.

Theo Germaine, a White American trans actor, is the star of this short film. The plot is as follows: "Persuaded by a friend to come to the bar and perform, Levi, a transmasculine drag performer, finds himself in a compromising situation when he is outed by another jealous drag queen." You can watch the trailer, and find more information, here.

This is a wonderful, relaxed conversation between 73 year-old FTM pioneer Jamison Green and 31 year-old Jaden Fields. I adore this video. I could watch it over and over again. I wish it was longer! I get the sense that a lot of conversation was cut to make the interview shorter and more digestible, which I think is a genuine shame. This is a precious piece of FTM history.

Jamison Green, a White American bisexual trans man, speaks of his experience as an older man, and the transition from a largely stealth FTM community to a more open community and the complicated feelings that accompany such a change. Jaden Fields, identified as a trans man and a Black femme transboi on various social media profiles, talks about discovering his community and overcoming trauma.

I am really, really eager to view this documentary, but I can’t find it anywhere. If you have any information on that front, and especially if you know of any links to the full film, please get in contact!

The trailer, and more information, can be found here. The synopsis is as follows: "Iran is the only country in the region to recognise trans people (any other LGBQ+ identity is banned). Both Shervin and Saman offer a glimpse into what life is like for trans youth, who despite loving and supportive parents are forced to live covert lives, shy away from their neighbours and even consider emigration, in order to be who they truly are. One of the many heartrending scenes in this documentary features one of the boys, fully clothed on the beach and yearning to go swimming, while the other shouts at his parents, asking whether his father is also forced to wear a headscarf. This is Not Me is a detailed depiction of the legal and social labyrinth that promises a slim aperture of freedom."

Saeed Gholipour, the director, said the following about this documentary: "What drew me to this issue was the community's ignorance of the transgender community. Many trans people in Iran have fallen victim to traditional thinking and have been murdered or expelled from society... The lack of culture about trans people encouraged me to make a film about their lives, and after three years of filming the lives of Saman and Sherwin, I portrayed the process of their lives."

You can read my full review here. Murray Hill, a comedian who began performing as a drag king in the mid nineties, stars as a recurring character named Fred Rococo. The series itself is a comedy that has been very well received, and does a wonderful job of humanising both cis men and trans men.

An actor named CG (they/them) plays a non-binary person named Shar, who is in a relationship with a trans woman named Ruthie. This Queer as Folk reimagining takes a while to find its footing (there are only 8 episodes and I didn’t find it compelling until episode 4), perhaps explaining why it was cancelled. However, Shar offers good representation for trans viewers regardless of the show's overall writing issues. They and Ruthie conceive twins together, which Shar carries, and the first episode involves them giving birth. From that point onwards they struggle with parenthood, the dysphoria of breastfeeding, and domestic expectations. They are a drummer in a punk band, have awesome fashion sense, and are sexually confident with their girlfriend. They’re not the most likeable character towards the end of the season, purely for plot reasons that don’t relate to their trans identity, but I really wish the show hadn’t been cancelled so we could’ve seen more of Shar. I love their masculinity, sexual energy, and passion, even if I was frustrated by aspects of their storyline.

One of the most disappointing things about this show was the inexplicable and uncharacteristic ableism in episode 7, especially considering how progressive and affirming earlier episodes were. Where episode 4 features several wonderful sex scenes that include disabled people, episode 7 features condescending and needlessly cruel comments about the ability of Julian (a man with cerebral palsy) to shave himself. The comments alone are one thing, but the fact that they're glossed over in episode 8 is the really shitty part. If there had been a season 2, I genuinely don't know how the writers ever would've been able to walk back the protagonist's comments and make him the good guy again.

Viewers should expect plentiful reclaimed slurs, comments which could be offensive (depending on who you are), hard drug use, alcohol use and abuse, confronting gun violence, death, deadnaming, PTSD, infidelty, and gore. It's also very sexual, with numerous explicit sex scenes.

I watched this show without even viewing a trailer, so I was utterly unprepared a plot twist inspired by the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. If you have any trauma related to firearms, or the Pulse shooting in particular, proceed with extreme caution.

This lovely animated short film is watchable here, as long as you are located in the USA or have a VPN. Bret Parker, who worked as an animator in The Incredibles and Finding Nemo (among others), directed this film based on her wife's gender non-conforming childhood; her wife is named Pete Barma and uses they/them pronouns. In this interview, Parker explains that Pete is intended to be both "both personal and universal", with themes that are relatable for many different LGBT+ demographics. That absolutely comes across in the film itself. The central character is relatable for trans guys, non-binary people, butches, and others.

The central plot is that Pete wants to play Little League Baseball with the boys, but is not allowed to. Pete's mother advocates for this to happen, and initially things are fantastic, until spectators at a game notice the flowery pattern of Pete's underwear through their white baseball trousers. The film starts with Pete being affirmed and accepted by neighbours and friends, but they are yelled at and demeaned by players' parents who yell, "Get out of there, little girl!" and other equally mature comments. An older Pete, narrating the memory of their childhood, remarks, "I guess what I hadn't known is that the world outside my cul-de-sac wasn't ready for me to be Pete yet. But I didn't know how to be anything else."

After the game, an opposing player approaches them and simply says, "Hey, Pete. Good game." Pete's coach, who initially didn't allow them to join Little League, keeps them in the team. Pete's teammates praise their performance during the game, and the film ends on a happy note. The overall message, which I found quite lovely, is that allies can come from unexpected places, and there are many good people who support and affirm gender-diverse folks.

As the short film is set in the 70s, it depicts a mother standing up for her gender non-conforming child the only way she can, proudly saying, "That's my daughter," when irate spectators are demanding to know "Whose kid is that?" In this interview, Parker says, "It was important for us to represent the time period and, for Pete and mom, the understanding of any language around trans or non-binary children did not exist in 1975. Mom instinctively understood and supported Pete’s chosen identity but, for her, Pete was still her daughter. That was not separate from her acceptance of Pete’s choices to play ball, present like a boy, and just be Pete. But at that time in the world, both Pete and mom understood that the choices were limited. Therefore, she defended Pete in the only way she knew how to at the time. This incredible defence, love, and support, combined with the complexity of not understanding what it meant to be trans, informed the rest of Pete’s life and identity."

Zach Barack, a trans actor, stars as Barney, a gay trans boy and the protagonist of Dead End: Paranormal Park. This show is groundbreaking in that respect! It's a light, childish, humorous animated series which reminds me of Gravity Falls. Miss Coco Peru, a drag queen I've adored for a long time, voices the show's fabulous antagonist Pauline. The show has a talking dog, demons, cartoon-typical antics, and found family themes. Beyond Zach, there are heaps of LGBT+ characters and people of colour.

My review is based on season 1, and I haven't yet watched season 2. Based on everything I've seen though, this is a very sweet option for people who enjoy animated shows and want lighthearted representation. Through Zach's parents and grandmother, the show tackles transphobia and abandonment themes, but in a very sweet way.

Luca Scarpelli, the first openly trans man to be included as part of a main Queer Eye cast, reportedly offers "heartwarming one-on-one moments" and "life-altering lessons about self-acceptance", as described by this article. He also has his own Youtube channel here.

In this documentary short, a non-binary person named Stevie Hancox-Monk talks about their decision to have top surgery. They discuss their dysphoria, which has been present from a young age, and say how excited they are to finally have a flat chest. They talk about their post-op clothes wishlist, which is comprised of shirts that they currently do not feel comfortable wearing. They also stand in front of a mirror, topless, and react to what they see. “I guess I want to share my experience,” they explain, “I want people to see how hard it is. Not so they can feel sad, but so they can understand what it’s like [and] understand why this kind of healthcare is important”. Viewers should proceed with caution because, at one point, Stevie says that they have previously tried to damage their chest and have experienced intense mental anguish and anger. After surgery, they cry with happiness and say, “It feels right, y’know? Which is so cool. It’s just so cool. I’m really, really happy.”

This is a Spanish show about a sixteen year-old trans boy, played by trans actor Ander Puig. The synopsis is as follows: "Joel, a 16-year-old trans boy, begins stage high school in a new institute where nobody knows him. He has been traveling for a few months and, with the passing he has, he can present himself to his teammates just as he has always seen himself. However, the concealment of his transition process will conflict with the drama teacher's demand of him, who asks her students to remove all their masks in order to get into the skin of their characters. Joel is afraid of not being accepted and also of losing the interest of Ona, a classmate, with whom he has fallen in love at first sight."

Although you may need a VPN, this show can be watched here. Thank you to Marvin for reaching out with this recommendation!

This is a sweet little film, which I watched here. The synopsis is as follows: "When Jude ends up unexpectedly living at home in their thirties, they must deal with a lovingly opinionated Jewish mother who doesn’t quite get the whole “trans thing.” Shot in the dog days of quarantine during a picturesque Vermont summer, Monsieur Le Butch is a tender comedy about the line between the stories we tell ourselves and the stories that get told about us."

Overall, this film isn't nearly as bad as the internet's knee-jerk reaction would suggest, even if I did predict the killer's identity very quickly. Memes comparing it to Morbius, in terms of quality, are unfair. I say that because They/Them tackles some seriously impactful subjects and does so successfully, even if the cheesier scenes do prompt the occasional eye-roll. Potential viewers should be aware that They/Them is set in a conversion camp and the filmmakers, to their credit, did not at all minimise the horrific reality of anti-gay conversion torture.

Some of the most confronting scenes in this movie include the forced outing and misgendering/deadnaming of a trans woman, the electroshock torture of a gay man following him being tricked into sex, and the sexual harassment of a lesbian by a female camp leader. The camp therapist is a cruel and accurate portrayal of transphobic/lesbophobic women who use a twisted combination of anti-lesbian and anti-trans bigotry to insist that AFAB trans people are just deluded lesbians. In an awful so-called therapy session, the therapist uses the d-slur to psychologically torment Jordan, a non-binary person who has been forced to attend the camp by their parents.

In this video review, members of the trans community criticise the film as being very, very bad. Personally, I don't think They/Them is that bad. It's confronting, as it ought to be if LGBT+ conversion therapy is being realistically tackled, and it's cheesy... but I have watched plenty of cishet slasher films that are much worse.

As someone who experiences second-hand embarrassment and hates Pink, I had to mute a scene where the LGBT+ camp attendees sing "Fucking Perfect" and launch into an impromptu dance session. However, I did appreciate the characters' joy and unity, and how much that positivity irritated the camp leader. Given Pink's history of glorifying abuse (the film clip for "Please Don't Leave Me" is horrific), I wish the filmmakers had chosen a different artist for this moment of cheer. But I know some people love Pink, so whatever.

All in all, this movie isn't as bad as the internet led me to believe it would be. However, filmmakers definitely chose the wrong ending, and the dramatic pacing was off.

Mack Bayda, a White trans actor, plays a young trans man named Malcolm. After being kicked out of his home by his father, he is taken in by Otto (the protagonist, played by Tom Hanks). From the sounds of things, this is a feel-good movie that features a trans man as a side character, rather than trans experiences being the main plot. From what I've read, this film tackles themes including suicide, depression, and death, so you should proceed with caution. But it seems to be well-received by most viewers.

In this Spanish show, Ander Puig (a trans actor) plays Nico Fernández de Velasco Viveros, a young trans man. Reportedly, his storyline involves relationships with women, gender-affirmation surgery, and struggles with dysphoria and insecurity. The show's overall synopsis is as follows: "When three working-class teens enrol in an exclusive private school in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder." The show reportedly deals with a lot of heavy themes. Nico is introduced in season 6. You can watch the season trailer here.

Thank you to Marvin for reaching out with this recommendation!