In a new video, Trans Youth, 10 British activists reflect on the stigma they experience because they identify as transgender. One explains,
“It’s most hurtful to me when people say, ‘You’re never gonna be a real girl.’ Because, obviously, I know I am. I know I’m a girl.”
Another adds,
“The fact that I’m trans, and the fact that my past will eventually come up later down the line, completely puts me off dating.”
London and New York-based advocacy group Shape History produced the video in with transgender activist, actor and film director Jake Graf. It came out on Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes members of the trans community who have been murdered or otherwise targeted because of their gender identity.
Graf, who previously explored trans themes in his short films X-Why & Brace, told the Huffington Post that he hopes the clip will
“become a valuable resource for trans youth for many years to come.
As someone who grew up without any positive trans role models, I had long wanted to give a voice and platform to the new wave of brave, inspiring and visible young trans voices and activists.“
One of the activists who appears, Harrison Williams, says,
“With the rise of knowledge of trans issues in recent years comes a newfound misunderstanding and transphobia. I hope this video can enlighten the cisgender population into understanding that the trans youth in particular are just as loving and flawed as everybody else.”
(Photo, YouTube, via Huffington Post)
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