Published on: 11/19/21
Author: Alexis Krohn

We’re another week into June, the traditional month when LGBTQ+ folk celebrate Pride. Not all Pride celebrations occur in June - for example, Nashville’s Pride parade is in September, and Phoenix in November. But most of the biggest action is in June, such as in San Francisco and New York City, where Pride parades were first held. 

During Pride, I (Alexis) write a lot about LGBTQ+ issues. And I also learn a lot. For instance, I finally watched Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen. When it first debuted in 2020, I’d heard about it through a few channels, but never got around to watching it. I advise: don’t make the same mistake I did. 

Disclosure is an amazing documentary about the history of Trans Lives on Screen, but it also goes beyond and discusses the many biases and phobias that trans folk experience. It outlines the broad history of trans folk within the past century in America, and also explores some of our many difficulties and triumphs. It goes so far beyond the screen. 

With a trans director (Sam Feder) and a trans executive producer (Laverne Cox), it is an excellent example of the powerful storytelling which can unfold when people from marginalized groups are allowed to tell their own stories. Drawing upon interviews from a diverse cast of actors, directors, historians, and more, Disclosure shows the complicated nuances and sometimes conflicting feelings that trans people have about our representations, our history, our future, and our present. 

I and many of my transgender siblings cried for various parts of the film; I also know cisgender people who cried. It’s a moving, informative film. At Calico, we talk about adjusting your media diet, exposing yourself to complex representation of a variety of people. If you’re looking to learn more about the lives of transgender folk, to counter the dominant narratives peddled by those in power, I highly recommend giving this your full attention: Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen.