Ruben Goldsbrough
Real life people
To produce a good film you must first completely understand what your film is about, for me the main topic of my film is about being transgender, so I should too now learn and understand what it is like to be a transgendered person.
Real life people with real life storys, transgendered people are just normal people living out normal lifes. But alot of people dont seem to see it that way. This next part of my reasearch is going to be primary focusing on Transgendered people and what its like to live as a transgendered person in 2015.
'My transgender child'
A channel 4 orginal documentary
Starting with my "My Transgendered child". A 45 minuete long documentary about 2 British familes with 7 year olds born as the wrong gender.
(First aired Tuesday 6th October 2015)
Coincidentally Channel 4 are going to be showing a new documentary each week about transgendered people and the stuggels they face.
Born in the wrong body season
This was a very sensitively handled documentart that follows the lives of Paddy and George. 2 of the youngest transgendered people within the UK.
"Four time as many children have identified as transgender in the last 5 years, but for anyone who thinks the shift has been encouraged by parents or a more liberal approach to sexuality. Born in the wrong body sought to put that stereotype squarely to bed"
The independent, written by Daisy Wyatt published 7th oct 2015
Paddy
At the age of 5 Paddy told her parents that was no longer wanted to be a boy and that she felt like a girl! Though both parents seem very supportive now it took some time for her father to accept that his son wanted to be daddy's little girl. Paddy is the younger in a family of 8 with 4 older brothers, as a result Paddy was teased by her brother and her father about being a gir. Something that her father is now very ashamed by.
Before we even meet Paddy her parents are interviews in her room, showing poster and her wardrobe filled with lovely pink, glittery tops and skirts. Her mother accently misgenders her daughter. She then appoliges explaining that one of the hardest things to ajust to the change of pronouns.
They also states the importance of supporting Paddy because they dont want her resorting to self harm in her teenage years. Which is something I'm need to explore more.
Though Paddy lives as a girl in her day to day life but when attending school she still dresses as a boy out of fear of being buillied by other children even though most already know about her situation and her parents encouragement. Hopfully she'll be more confident when the new school year begins.
Paddy comes across as the sweatest little girl regardless of others negative oppions. Also to be so sure of herself at such a young age is so inspireing. I just hope that she gained the confidence to dress in the correct uniform sooner rather than later as no little girl should be forced to dress as a little boy.
George
George also 7 is not as talkative as Paddy but maybe even more determin.
Born as a twin George refuse to be friends with his twin sister as he assuates her with being a girl himself. Which as you can imagen has become a problem with her family as his mother isnt able to spend equal amounts of timewith both children which as a result has made his sister feel rejected and unwanted
Which is awful but understandable given the age of the George but something that will hopfully be fixed with age. George unlike Paddy has no issue dressing as a boy to school. What little boy would be happy wearing a skirt to school? But Sadly Paddy's fear was Georges reality and as a result was foced to move school after being teased by the other children in his class. When asked by his mother how that made him feel George drew a picture of a broken heart. Something that I personal found really emotional.Being raiced by a single mother George has no real male romodles in his life to look up to.
This is when he meets nick a local firefighter and fitness buff who we learn is also transgender. Though a little shy at first he soon takes Nick as almost an older brother with the episode ending with the both of them at the firestation Nick works at playing with a fire hose and the fire trucks.
Nick
Georges story was really touching, maybe because it a little closer to home than Paddy's story. George is pretty local to me and I'm hoping to get in contact with his mother but this is proving to be more difficult than imagines.
(update: After several weeks of trying to get in contact with Georges mum I've given up the hunt)
All in all I thought channel 4 did an amazing job with this documentary and delt with the topic brilliantly due to the nature of the topic anyway its something that needs to be approched with care, espellaly when it comes to children.
I found a really great artical's/review about this documentary which will be listed and linked below:
-Radio times (click here)
-The Independent (click here)
My Trans Story
A Seris of short films directed/filmed and edited by lewis Hancox and fox fisher
Produced by alana avery for all about trans in collaboration with my genderation
Lewis (25) who is an old friend of mine and Fox (34) are both proud transman, film makers and the founders of My Genderation. Together with help from Alana Avery they have produced 8 short films that are around 3 minuetes long interviewing trans people of all differant ages from all walks of live. From a 10 year old boy to two proud trans people surving in the royle navy.
Kia
Kai is a nine year old boy from Cheltenham with his mum, like any nine year old boy he likes skateboarding, scootering, football and well all the things you'd expect a young boy to enjoy. For a long as he can remember Kai has always been a boy and speaks about always pushing away dresses away when his mum tried to get him to wear them when he was younger.
He never liked girl stuff and just wanted to play with boys. He speaks about his mum misgendering him when people just assumed that he was a little boy, only to be told that he was biologicly female. Unlike Paddy and George al Kai's friends at school know all about him and remain to support him because they're his firends. Which i found really touching after seeing the stuggles Paddy and George had gone though. His mum is so supportive and just continued to help Kia throught out the whole interview. Kia's mum came out to his family and where incredable supportive.
AS THEY SHOULD BE!! Kia has always been a boy as far as his mother is concerned, putting it down to 'a little trouble in mummy's belly'. Which is the nicest way any parent has even spoken about it. She had a feeling hat he was transgender but wanted to wait until he came to her to talk about it. Kia is now on hormone blockers, which will stop him from going though pubity meaning that he wont have to have chest surgury on his chest when he gets older. This will also save him alot of hassel during his teenage years.
CJ
This is CJ, they are a 23 year old underground worker from Brickston, London. CJ is gender queer which means that they don't identify with being wither male or female. Meaning that they use the title 'MX' in offical documentation. (e.g Drivers licences, passport ect) Something i had noidea was possable, but never the less amazing!
Being gender queer pronouns become a little cofusing so instead of the typical he/him/his or she/her/hers you instead us they/them/theres as they are genderless pronouns.
Having just undergone chest surgery to remove the breast tissue in there chest CJ has a bit more of a battle ahead of him as the NHS dont normally allow such surgury until the indiviual has been on hormone replacement for atleast 12 months. But with CJ not going though replacement theropy it was alot harder to get approved.
CJ attends the MMC LGBT friendly church in Camden town. This is the first time I've ever come across anyone in the situation who has still been comfortable with church visits as the word of God doesnt approve of homosexuality never mind being gender queer!
To me this is a beautiful thing, people should still be allowed to worship in a church together reguardless of gender or sexuality. Hopefully this is something that will become the norm in the next few years with the recent legalation of gay marrage in churches.
Gemma + Ben
Gemma (MTF) and Ben (FTM) are both currently surving in the Royle Navy.
Gemma
Gemma is the technical support cell adminatrator at the RAS Middletone, this role is a completly IT basiced but she is incharge of the base and the admin. Gemma wanted to join the navy from a young age, mainly because 'its the Navy, its going to make a man out of me' she jokes.
She began to transition in 2009 and started HRT (hormone replacement therapy) in 2010 where she decided to take a break before returning to the same job, at the same desk with the same people. She states that her transition has been increadle smooth thanks to all the support given to her by the navy.
Ben
Ben is a survivel equiment engineer, his job is to fix and make sure that all the equiment is safe and always ready for use. Ben only began to transition lare last year and though it came as a bit of a shock to some but again everyone again has been incredablely surportive of him. Since transioning he admit to acually being better at his job now because he's more confortable by being allowed to be himself, he hopes to one day be able to join the crew and see the world one day. But h'es taking each year as it comes.
Gemma and ben are the best of firends and find alot of comfort in know that they can always go to each other in reguards to talking about anything be that trans stuff or thing to do with the navy. Unlike the USA the UK military have proven to be a supportive and safe place for Gemma and Ben.
Nicole
Nicole is an aspiring trans model and actress.
We quickly learn that Nicole is a hard working woman on a mission. Having recently undergoing lower surgery she has yet to slow down to give herself some time to heal and adresses how quickly everything changed for her bith phycally and mentally.
Nicole loves the linelight and has recently has serveral audition for televison roles.
She talks about how she thought about leaving and starting up again somewhere elses where no one would know her, but she didnt want to have to do that. The town she lives in now supports her and cares for her which is a completly different stroy from when she was buillied and having her life threatened by other people in her year at school.
Nicole is now a easily reconisable transwoman within the comminity and has been featured cover girl in serveral trans magazines. As far as the modeling industy is concerned she hasnt been in it long enough to be in it yet. But she intends on working on her portfolio in of breaking through to main stream modeling withing the next few years.