Southern Comfort

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Available Summary:

"Southern Comfort is a 2001 documentary film about the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a trans man. Eads, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, was turned down for treatment by a dozen doctors out of fear that treating such a patient would hurt their reputations. By the time Eads received treatment, the cancer was too advanced to save his life." -Wikipedia.

Jack's Summary:

Robert Eads was a transsexual man who died of ovarian cancer, after being denied cancer treatment by transphobic doctors. This documentary follows him in his final year of life, and is both heartbreaking and beautiful in its honesty. Robert’s friends and partner are all interviewed, along with his parents and other members of the community. Relationships, sex, transitioning, parenthood, and family are all explored.

The DVD has an extra interview where Eads reveals that he wasn't allowed to attend a trans medical centre because he was a trans man. Specifically, his male appearance would "embarrass" the trans women in attendance. Despite the fact that he had cancer and desperately needed care, he was not welcome because trans men were considered too rare and unsightly to warrant inclusion. This example of historical FTM-specific discrimination is typically not acknowledged when people discuss Eads's death.

NOTE: Outdated views on surgery.

Bottom surgery options have improved a great deal since Southern Comfort was filmed, and many trans men (and AFAB gender-diverse people) have undergone satisfactory operations. Top to Bottom, a book published by Finlay Games about his phalloplasty journey, is worth a read if you are looking for a realistic and more modern take on often-stigmatised female-to-male bottom surgery. Mastectomy options, for the purposes of a transition or gender affirmation, have also improved a lot as well, in many countries.