☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].
Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud.
Broadcast in 2020 on HBO, the documentary Transhood by Sharon Liese follows the lives of four transgender children over five years in Kansas City, Missouri. It provides an intimate look into their families, highlighting both the support and tension provided by parents and other family members. Sharon Liese is a documentary filmmaker and producer noted for her series on crimes committed by women, Pink Collar Crimes, but she has long been interested in long-form documentaries and coming-of-age stories. In 2008, she produced High School Confidential, which followed a dozen teenage girls from a Kansas City school for four years.
Transhood starts in 2014, when most of the children have begun their social transition. Twelve-year-old Jay, the son of a single mother, and fifteen-year-old Leena both receive their first puberty blocker injections. At only seven years old, Avery is already actively advocating for the visibility and rights of young transgender individuals in the United States, as her appearance on the cover of National Geographic attests. Meanwhile, four-year-old Phoenix identifies as "girl-boy," meaning "a boy who wants to be a girl." (sic) (11:15). Phoenix roleplays as a mother, sister, queen, and princess, yet asserts his male identity to those around him.
The primary themes of Transhood revolve around transition, safety in educational environments, romantic relationships, and transgender activism, as detailed in HBO’s discussion guide. Sharon Liese also explores how the approach of puberty—such as the development or absence of breasts or body hair—exposes these young individuals to anticipatory gender dysphoria. Concerned about the onset of puberty, Avery declares during a doctor’s visit, "I just wanna stay a kid." (26:59). Therefore, Transhood highlights the positive effects of gender-affirming care services such as manicures, hairstyling, or surgery.
Through her longitudinal research, Sharon Liese adeptly connects political events to the personal realm, evident in scenes related to Trump’s election, the "Bathroom Bill" that regulates bathroom access in schools for transgender individuals, and the backlash Avery faces after her National Geographic feature. The documentary shows how these transphobic policies and behaviours amplify the stress levels of transgender youth, leading to consequences such as Avery’s withdrawal from the public eye.
The documentary’s lack of attention to intersectional issues, particularly the nuances of racialization, is a significant gap; the four families are White (or White-passing), and there is no explicit representation of Black, Indigenous, or immigrant transgender individuals. Nevertheless, the documentary’s value lies in the director’s prolonged commitment to these transgender youth, enabling her to document significant shifts over time, such as Phoenix’s reversion to a masculine gender identity and expression, and Jay’s physical changes following his testosterone injections.
Reference:
Director/creator: Sharon Liese
Title: Transhood
Release Date: 2020This documentary is available on Crave.