Growing Up Trans (2015)
This 84-minute documentary by PBS Frontline about transgender teens does many things well. The film follows a half dozen pre-puberty adolescents and their parents, allowing them to tell their own stories in their own words, without any prompts from a narrator. What emerges is a very complex set of circumstances that deserves our unconditional compassion and support. The film avoids being sanguine or politically-correct, especially about the difficult choices of medical treatments — puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and sexual reassignment surgeries, and the collateral problems that often accompany transgendering — bullying, loneliness, sleeplessness, suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. You can watch this powerful movie online for free at Frontline, including additional material like other videos, chat rooms, and reader comments with further stories.
