Four Trans Kids in Mid-America
Following Kansas City youth of different ages over fi ve years
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
A new documentary fi lm
explores the lives of
transgender kids at different
stages in their lives,
examining how they navigate their
everyday lives while transitioning.
“Transhood” follows the stories
of four trans kids in Kansas City,
beginning at ages four, seven, 12,
and 15. The documentary was
fi lmed over the course of fi ve years,
starting in 2014, and watches as
the kids redefi ne their “coming
of age” as the face the challenges
they encounter.
Director Sharon Liese, a Kansas
City resident, learned about a
transgender youth support group
in her area in 2013.
“Living in the middle of the
country, it was a surprise but I
was happy that there was support
available for this community right
where I live,” she explained. “I got
in touch with them, went to the
support group, and fell in love with
the families. I was impressed with
how they’re navigating this. There
is not a lot of trans representation
in media, so I knew I had to tell
their stories.”
The documentary follows fouryear
0ld Phoenix, seven-yearold
Avery, 12-year-old Jay, and
15-year-old Leena. As the years
pass, each kid fi nds their own
path in a conservative part of the
country. While they face traditional
growing pains like acne, breakups,
and sibling rivalries, they are
also faced with body dysphoria,
threats of violence, and making
life-altering decisions their cisgender
peers do not face.
For Liese, fi lming over a time
lapse was crucial to telling this
story.
“We wanted to tell a story that
was told over time,” said Liese. “The
time lapse component was important.
In 2014, people were just
beginning to tell stories of trans
people and youth, but it was shortlived,
a snapshot of their lives. I
like a longitudinal approach and
to see these kids’ experiences.”
“Sharon brought us a sizzle reel
Jay, one of four trans youths profi led in “Transhood,” receiving his new amended birth certifi cate
documenting his male gender identity.
with two of the four cast members
and we were riveted,” said Sasha
Alpert, a producer on “Transhood.”
“It was so well done and we were
particularly drawn to the kids. The
fact that they were not from the
coast was interesting. The struggles
that these families had to deal
with was not known to me.”
The documentary later caught
the eye of Kimberly Reed, a fi lm
director known for her documentary
“Prodigal Sons,” about her
trip to a high school reunion in
Montana and hopes for a reconciliation
there with a long-estranged
adopted brother. As a transgender
woman, Reed recognized how helpful
“Transhood” could be for trans
kids to watch. In time, she signed
on as an executive producer.
“I wish that I had been able to
see this fi lm when I was young,”
said Reed. “When I made the fi lm
‘Prodigal Sons,’ I did Q&A’s all over
the world and one of the most common
questions I got was from parents
of trans kids who didn’t know
which way to turn or fi nd resources.
They sought advice from me,
but it was very clear that if there
were a fi lm out there that depicted
the lives of trans kids and everything
HBO
they were going through —
their triumphs and their defeats —
that would be a really good portrait
for them to refer to.”
Though the documentary was
fi lmed over fi ve years, Liese was
able to fi lm key moments in the
kids’ lives because she is a Kansas
City resident. Her proximity gives
“Transhood” a more intimate look
at the everyday lives of these kids
— and as a result, some of the kids’
most diffi cult moments are caught
on camera.
“Whenever something was going
on, she was able to head over there
and fi lm it,” said Alpert. “You end
up getting more intimate moments
than a producer from New York fl ying
in for six days. The access was
incredible. There were so many key
moments that we only knew the
day before that they were going to
happen.”
“In the edits that I saw, it was
clear that Sharon’s patient footage
would be able to tell a complex story
like that,” said Reed. “I usually
quote Roger Ebert when he says
that fi lms are empathy machines.
That’s what fi lm does best, to see
the world through someone else’s
eyes, especially when trans people
STREAMING CINEMA
and trans kids are misunderstood
and, frankly, being used as social
wedge issues.”
Liese, Reed ,and Alpert agree
that in “Transhood” telling the
stories of kids was paramount,
emphasizing that they know more
about who they are than adults do
much of the time.
“Young kids up until teens go
through so much change, particularly
in how they feel and their outlook
on life,” said Alpert. “There is
so much evolution and change as
the kids get older. Adults usually
self-actualize. Kids are struggling
and stretching, trying things out
and fi guring things out, and are
usually more daring than adults.”
“Our kids were so in touch with
who they were that some adults
don’t get,” added Liese.
“These kids know who they are
at a very young age, and they are
very certain about gender identity,”
said Reed. ”To force them to be a
gender they are not is cruel, and it’s
bad policy, talking about the level
of laws that are affecting these everyday
lives. And it’s also bad parenting
to force them into a gender
that they are clearly aren’t.”
The documentary airs on HBO
the day before Transgender Awareness
Week, which begins November
13 and culminates on November 20
with Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Following the premiere of
“Transhood,” HBO will air a Q&A
that discusses the documentary
as well as looks at where the cast
is now.
The talk will be moderated by a
member of GLSEN, which works to
end discrimination, harassment,
and bullying based on sexual
orientation, gender identity, and
gender expression in K-12 school
and on whose board Reed sits.
HBO will also host a landing page
of resources for the LGBTQ community,
including links to support
organizations and resources for
transgender individuals.
“It’s important to know that we
take the responsibility of telling
stories about trans youth very
➤ TRANSHOOD, continued on p.24
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