Bill Donohue, president of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Catholic League, devoted almost 650 words on the group’s website to smearing Renee Nicole Good – the queer wife and mother who was fatally shot in the head by ICE agent Jonathan Ross while she was driving away from him.
Donahue called Good a “professional left-wing zealot who rejected every tenet of civil disobedience,” echoing the current administration’s repeated propaganda that anti-ICE protestors are paid “agitators.” He was reacting to a statement from the public policy arm of the Presbyterian Church, which compared Good to Martin Luther King Jr., saying her “life and death echo” his “same moral call.”
Donahue called the comparison “obscene” and said it “dishonored” King. He incorrectly claimed that Good “ran her car into an ICE agent,” despite video evidence proving otherwise.
“Renee Good was the complete antithesis of what King stood for,” Donahue ranted, claiming she “taunted, harassed and stalked” ICE agents and “trained others to do the same.”
Donahue then traced Good’s actions protesting ICE, denigrating her queer identity (calling her wife her “female lover”) and seeming to imply that she had it coming.
“Both carried whistles, the purpose of which was to alert illegal aliens that ICE agents were in the vicinity, thus obstructing the pursuit of justice,” he wrote. He then claimed that Ross had acted rationally in shooting Good as she drove away because he was traumatized from a previous incident where he had been dragged by a car.
“No one can blame him for not wanting to endure the same experience again, which explains why he acted so quickly to defend himself. Anyone in his shoes would have done the same.”
He also argued that Good was guilty of assault and battery.
“Renee Good’s blood is on the hands of the anti-ICE agitators,” he concluded. “They are itching for a confrontation, and they have no interest in following the nonviolent model of Martin Luther King. Indeed, they have more in common with violent street gangs than they do practitioners of King’s philosophy and activism.”
The Catholic League is vehemently anti-LGBTQ+, with posts on its site endlessly praising the president; claiming that trans inclusion is “the greatest child abuse scandal of our day”; and decrying “the queering of America” as “a culturally induced condition” that “serves no legitimate interest.”
Donahue’s denigration of Good is in line with the administration’s messaging on her death. Donald Trump often claims that liberal protestors are “professional agitators” to discredit them, not as a statement of fact. Last week, he accused Good herself of being one. He referred to her wife, Becca Good, as her “friend” and said that they were both “highly disrespectful of law enforcement.”
“They were harassing, they were following for days and for hours, and I think frankly, they were professional agitators. And I’d like to find out- We are going to find out who’s paying for it, with their brand-new signs and all their [inaudible],” Trump said. There is no reason to believe that the Goods were paid for anything related to what happened.
Trump also posted on Truth Social after the killing and called Good “very disorderly,” saying that she “viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” which contradicts multiple videos shot of the interaction.
Out Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) has compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Nazis. She is part of a small group of Congress members who plan to introduce an impeachment resolution against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, who has called Good a “domestic terrorist.”
While DHS claims that ICE agents use aggressive tactics against people who stalk and obstruct their law enforcement activities, Craig said, “I don’t think any city in America, or any state in America has ever seen this type of lawless behavior by federal law enforcement.”
“Every American should be outraged. Every Minnesotan should be outraged, and at the same time, we should continue to peacefully protest what’s happening,” Craig told Cabrera. “I’ve never seen such an out-of-control agency.”
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In a backyard in central Florida, there’s a rowdy wrestling match going on.
But there are no alligators here (as far as anyone can tell) — just dozens of trans people ready to watch their friends wrestle each other in an inflatable pool full of lube. Some wear neon fringe or gold lamé bodysuits, an homage to the high camp pro wrestlers of old. People embrace and kiss and cheer on their friends. Some even brought signs. There’s cotton candy and drag performances and sunshine, and so much laughter.
The hosts of this party of the summer, known as Lubor Day, are the Swamp Bois, a transmasc collective in the Tampa Bay area who, alongside transfem sister collective Doll Dynasty, are building transformative spaces for trans Floridians in a time and place that has been legislatively hostile to trans people.
Swamp Bois and Doll Dynasty are both rooted in a belief that joy, play, and social connection are essential to mutual aid and caring for a community.
“Let the haters hate,” J, an organizer with Swamp Bois who requested a pseudonym for privacy reasons, tells LGBTQ Nation. “We wrestle alligators and survive.”
In a number of studies and polls over the past decade, Florida has ranked in the top five of states with the highest trans population, highlighting a need for connection and collaboration among communities, especially amidst political attacks on trans existence both locally and nationally. J says Swamp Bois formed out of the success stories of other community-building and mutual aid initiatives in Florida and across the country, including Transmasc Seattle, Transmasc Orlando, and Brooklyn’s Tboy Picnic.
A group began envisioning Swamp Bois in late 2024, and by January 2025, they hosted the first event, a meetup complete with a sheet cake featuring the image of an alligator in front of a frosted trans flag. From the jump, Swamp Bois built a community and administrative manual to intentionally define the group, its focus, and some safety protocols. Leaders also hosted a town hall to ensure everyone who wanted to participate could be heard.
Swamp Bois and Doll Dynasty frequently collaborate. One of Swamp Bois’ initial pillars, J says, was around healthcare access. Swamp Bois initially planned to award two scholarships this month to help cover the costs of gender-affirming surgery, one to a transmasc person and one to a transfem person. Doll Dynasty has raised about as much as Swamp Bois has towards these scholarships. “It’s become a beautiful joint process, and one that’s going to expand a lot in the coming years,” J says.
Space for joy
When Doll Dynasty founder Unity Jalal first came out, she found that at most events, she would be one of the only trans women there, even amongst the Tampa Bay area’s thriving queer community.
She tells LGBTQ Nation the experience made it easier for her to internalize the media’s negative messaging about trans women and the talking points often repeated, even on the left, about the life expectancy for trans women of color.
“I’m like, ‘Geez, I’m just gonna f**kin’ die,’” she says. “It was only once I started finding people and finding community that I realized that’s not an accurate narrative.”
She eventually found a group of close transfem friends. Then, in 2023, the Florida legislature passed Senate Bill 254, which outright banned gender-affirming care for minors and placed heavy restrictions on adults seeking gender-affirming care, as nurse practitioners were now banned from prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Most of the trans people Jalal knew who were financially able left the state. Her entire friend group left for the relative safety of Maryland and asked her to go with them. Jalal said no.
“We’re here, and we have the ability to build something together to support this community and fight for us,” she says. “I’m not leaving.”
As she began to explore the queer scene, she found thriving events in the lesbian community, as well as a wellspring of new organizations for transmasc Floridians. But no one was creating similar spaces exclusively for trans women.
There were plenty of support groups, Jalal says, and while these gatherings are important, she wanted to build something other than a space to vent. She wanted to create something fun, where transfeminine people could be centered and unapologetically feminine. She began talking with a few friends about her vision, which led to a steering committee, which in turn led her to call J to learn more about how she could replicate Swamp Bois’s work for transfems.
In May, Doll Dynasty hosted its first event, a gathering exclusively for trans women and transfeminine people where guests were encouraged to dress up and connect over food. More than 40 people showed up.
“We were the standard, the center,” Jalal says. “For all the talk I hear about centering trans women of color, and how we’re the front of the movement, I rarely see us. And when I walked into that room and everyone there was like me, I was like, ‘Wow, this is different.’ This is special.”
It’s not charity, it’s family
By combining mutual aid with joy and play, J hopes the trans people who attend events with Doll Dynasty and Swamp Bois not only experience affirmation and community but also empowerment and tools to take into their everyday lives.
“Play means a lot of people get to engage with their inner child and inner child healing,” they say. “With events like Lubor Day or a beach day, or going to a park and doing crafts together, we’re finding different ways to hit all those intersections in a way that feels supportive and accessible.”
Building relationships through play and social events is essential, Jalal says, not just for combating the isolation many trans people experience, but for exploring and building a relationship with their own identities.
“How do you deal with a part of yourself that is inherently social and inherently about how you exist in the social context of the world when you have no social connections?” she says. “Existing with any social constructs — race, socioeconomic identity, sexual identity — none of that happens alone.”
“The people we want to take care of and live our lives with, the people we want to go to the doctor’s office with — that’s not charity, that’s family,” Jalal says. “You don’t have that without Lubor Day, without the picnics and days like that. Without those social connections, there is no mutual aid.”
Centering play and joy as a core component of mutual aid makes it easier to prioritize sustainability and safety, J says. Everyone at a gathering has different needs and comes to the space with different experiences, but by keeping joy top of mind, it becomes natural to consider things like health and safety, especially accessibility and sustainability (to stave off leadership burnout). One of the core safety tools Swamp Bois uses is the “Swamplight,” a system developed from Transmasc Seattle’s stoplight code that marks which events and spaces are transmasc-only and which are open to partners, loved ones, and allies.
Some Swamp Bois and Doll Dynasty events are purely mutual aid-focused, like Swamp Bois’ binder recycling program or Doll Dynasty’s participation in a gender-affirming resource fair. Many are purely about connecting and having fun, like an ice skating outing or a nature walk to explore Florida wildlife (including gators).
But many combine the two threads seamlessly, like an affirming clothing swap in the park on a sunny day, complete with ice cream, dogs, and a partnership with an outside organization to ensure any additional clothes find good homes. There’s also Swamp Bois’ 2026 calendar, where members put on their most elegant fits and elaborate makeup, giving their best poses for a photoshoot to support the surgery fund.
The one that stands out, naturally, is Lubor Day, which raised more than $1,400 for the gender-affirming surgery fund, and where J says the full spectrum of human emotion was on display.
“So often, we have trauma and experience and many other things that force us to put our walls up and shut down,” they say. “When I looked around that day, I saw people laughing their asses off. I saw people screaming and roaring and lifting their friends up in the air and throwing them down.”
People cried, too, during the drag performances, in particular during a 10-minute Ethel Cain number. The shared vulnerability, he says, will stay with him.
“It’s so rare we feel the safety and connection to show up in spaces where we are allowing our bodies vulnerability, skin to skin contact with one another, even to have fewer pieces of clothing, to embrace our sexuality, to embrace feeling ourselves in those moments,” J says. “Those are things that are often taken from us, especially as trans people. Our own autonomy, our ability to decide what we want to wear, our ability to show up, those are often taken from us. It was the gift of reclamation and joy.”
Go outside
Following the massive success of Lubor Day, Doll Dynasty and Swamp Bois collaborated on a Halloween party, complete with a Gomez and Morticia Addams-themed invitation. In addition to the two organizations, a host of other orgs and creatives supported the event, including drag performers, DJs and the Tampa Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who helped hand out raffle tickets in their full nun regalia. Dozens of trans Floridians showed up in elaborate costumes to dance, mingle, make friendship bracelets, laugh, and be together.
“Everyone felt so safe to get freaky with it and dress up,” Jalal says. “I got so many messages from people who were like, ‘I don’t really go outside or go to these types of things. I never feel safe. Can I come to this?’ And I’m able to say, ‘This is for us. You’re safe here.’”
With the help of ticket sales and raffles, the party raised $1,000 for the gender-affirming care fund.
As J works alongside other Swamp Bois leaders to strengthen the community, they draw inspiration from queer and trans ancestors like bell hooks and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. They also connect with other leaders from across the state and country. He says other trans people across the country looking to replicate the work of Swamp Bois and Doll Dynasty should use the tools that exist for them and seek out those who have come before.
“We’re not just going to magically adapt and get all these tools at once, especially as young trans people,” they say. “What you can do is be an open vessel to learning and making mistakes as you go, and what comes out of that will be beautiful.”
Jalal’s advice to her fellow trans people seeking community, especially in politically hostile areas, can be summarized in two words: Go outside.
“It’s hard, it’s risky, it feels dangerous, but go to that meetup you wouldn’t normally go to,” she says. “Go to all the little Pride events and queer things. It’s critical that we connect with each other.”
In 2026 and beyond, Swamp Bois and Doll Dynasty are looking forward to “a lot more lovin’ and a lot more fightin’,” as J puts it, focusing on goals both short-term (exciting programming for Trans Day of Visibility in March, twice as many grant funds for gender affirming care by early 2027) and long-term (connection and liberation). Swamp Bois is also working to deepen relationships and collaborations with trans organizations across Florida and the broader South. Their online server currently welcomes about 200 members from across the state.
“That collaboration across miles, across our state and across the South is a very vital building block, not just of our survival but our ability to thrive,” J says. “We have to look out for one another.”
The national narrative around the experiences of queer and trans people in the South, especially in Florida, remains a dismal one. Jalal says it still hurts her to see advisories urging trans people to avoid the South, and to avoid Florida altogether.
“We’re out here, we’re thriving,” she says. “There’s a lot of stuff that sucks, but there wouldn’t be so much effort to take us down a peg if we weren’t doing so well. And we are. We’re finding love. We’re always winning.”
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Oil-rich Venezuela once ranked as one of the wealthiest economies in the world, but it experienced an economic collapse that has resulted in widespread poverty.
While the country has recently made headlines because of the U.S. president’s recent invasion and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, its LGBTQ+ community has long suffered — mostly out of the media spotlight — from a lack of legal protections.
While consensual same-sex relations between adults are legal in Venezuela, same-sex couples have been persecuted in the country based on vague “decency” and “lewd conduct” ordinances. Venezuela doesn’t offer legalized same-sex marriage. Article 77 of Venezuela’s 1999 Constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, thereby excluding same-sex marriage.
In 2003, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that the government may introduce measures providing economic benefits to same-sex couples. The court, however, stopped short of saying that the government was required to do so under the law. In 2008, the court said that the country’s constitution neither prohibits nor requires government recognition of same-sex marriages.
In January 2015, same-sex marriage advocates filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Tribunal of Justice challenging Article 44 of the country’s Civil Code, which states that marriage is only legally valid between a man and a woman. But even though the court announced on April 28, 2016, that it would hear oral arguments in the case, it has taken no further action on the case since, not even issuing an official ruling.
Venezuela does recognize “stable unions” (similar to common law marriages in the U.S.) between different-sex couples who cohabitate and intend to have children, but legal recognition of these unions hasn’t been extended to same-sex couples.
Anti-discrimination protections and legal gaps
While Venezuela offers legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, banking, and housing, the country only prohibits discrimination based on gender identity for housing and banking.
Because the country neither collects nor releases official statistics on its LGBTQ+ citizens, queer Venezuelans remain invisible and unheeded in official government reports on how various policies affect them. Numerous LGBTQ+ Venezuelans have said that they experience harassment at work and at the hands of police, who accuse queer individuals of soliciting sex work or carrying/selling drugs.
A 2015 report from the LGBTI Network of Venezuela said that, because the country’s anti-discrimination laws lack any enforcement mechanisms, such discrimination rarely gets punished. As a result, queer Venezuelans “constantly live situations of discrimination, threats, and attacks against their moral, psychological, or physical integrity, and still lack legal protection, which makes them defenseless citizens in an atmosphere of alarming growth of homophobia and transphobia.”
In May 2016, Venezuela’s National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution establishing May 17 as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, to raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, oppression, and harassment. However, in 2016, the country’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice suspended the resolution.
Nevertheless, in March 2023, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice overturned Section 565 of the Military Justice Code, which banned “sexual acts against nature” and criminalized consensual same-sex relations between military members.
Transgender rights and legal recognition
Venezuela doesn’t legally recognize the gender identity of trans individuals.
In September 2016, Venezuela’s Administrative Service of Identification and Migration Affairs (SAIME) announced that it would take action to assist a group of transgender people in obtaining new identity cards with gender markers and a photograph that matches their gender identity.
SAIME said that individual applications for such changes would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and would require copies of birth certificates and reports from psychiatric and psychological specialists that affirm the longevity and truthfulness of the person’s trans identity. However, it’s unclear if SAIME ever actually issued these changed identity documents.
A 2021 news report from Reuters noted that Tamara Adrian, Venezuela’s first out trans deputy, has fought in court since May 2004 for new government-issued identification cards and passports for trans people, but the court has never issued a ruling on the matter.
Family rights, adoption, and parental recognition
In December 2016, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that children born to same-sex couples could be registered with the surnames of both parents, regardless of biological relation. The tribunal based its ruling on Article 75 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which mandates state protection for all families without discrimination.
However, the country’s food distribution program doesn’t include same-gender families, and joint adoption for same-sex couples is not legally permitted. Nevertheless, female same-sex couples are allowed to access services for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Health care realities, including HIV and gender-affirming care access
Venezuelans have severely limited access to healthcare due to a collapsed public system, widespread shortages of medicines, supplies, and personnel, and decaying infrastructure, leaving millions lacking basic services for chronic and preventable diseases, and forcing many to rely on often inadequate private care or humanitarian aid.
HIV healthcare in Venezuela
HIV healthcare in Venezuela is severely compromised by economic and political crises, leading to major shortages of antiretroviral drugs (ART), treatment interruptions, and a weakened health system. For example, the Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation has reported a shortage of 80% of medical supplies, leaving both public and private clinics vulnerable to acute shortages of medical supplies and medicines, even for routine treatments.
As a result, some HIV-positive Venezuelans and natives seeking gender-affirming care must seek such healthcare abroad, with the help of international aid and non-government organizations.
As of 2022, the country has an HIV prevalence rate of an estimated 35.8% among transgender Venezuelans and 23.3% among Venezuelan men who have sex with men, compared with a prevalence rate of around 0.5% for the country’s total population, according to The Borgen Project.
Researchers in a 2025 study said there’s a significant and concerning deterioration in HIV-related research output from within Venezuela over the last decade.
While public reports haven’t shown that Venezuela restricts entry to or exit from its borders based on a person’s HIV status, Article 8 of the country’s Law on Migration and Aliens, on inadmissibility, states that foreigners can be denied entry if “they suffer from infectious or contagious diseases or others that compromise public health.”
Gender-affirming healthcare in Venezuela
Gender-affirming healthcare in Venezuela is extremely limited, with hormone therapy and other essential services largely unavailable in the public system, forcing many to seek care privately or abroad. Virtually no public hospitals or clinics provide free or accessible hormone therapy or comprehensive care, according to a 2019 report in El Universal.
Social climate, violence, and stigma
Venezuelan attitudes towards LGBTQ+ are in transition, with younger Venezuelans generally supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people. However, this trend coexists alongside an atmosphere of anti-LGBTQ+ government repression, harassment, and violence against queer people.
A 2023 poll by the Equilibrium Center for Economic Development (Equilibrium CenDE) found that 76% of Venezuelans support LGBTQ+ people being open about their sexual orientation and gender identity, 55% of Venezuelans supported same-sex marriage (while 32% oppose it), 48% supported adoption by LGBTQ+ couples (while 39% oppose it), and only 49% felt that queer people should publicly display their affection towards one another.
The same poll found that 33% of Venezuelans think that LGBTQ+ people choose to be queer, and 13% believe LGBTQ+ identities result from past trauma — neither perception is true. Such views may be fostered by the fact that educational institutions don’t allow discussions on LGBTQ+ issues or discourse on sexuality in the country
LGBTQ+ activists in the country have faced systematic government attacks that have resulted in illegal searches, arbitrary arrests, and violence, according to a 2024 Washington Blade report. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights denounced Venezuela’s treatment of queer civil rights activist as a case of “state terrorism.”
Approximately 48% of LGBTQ+ Venezuelans have experienced discrimination or violence and 31% had chronic health conditions due to limited healthcare access or discrimination and revictimization by healthcare professionals, a 2023 analysis by the national LGBTQ+ organization Unión Afirmativa.
“In this context of oppression and violence, Venezuela’s LGBTIQ+ community continues to face monumental challenges in its struggle for equality and justice, while the government appears increasingly authoritarian and repressive,” one activist told The Washington Blade.
LGBTQ+ activism and community resilience
Despite conservative political pressure, LGBTQ+ activists in the country’s capital of Caracas continue to hold an annual LGBTQ+ Pride event, with over 50,000 attendees in recent years. The participants have demanded legal recognition of transgender people, legalized same-sex marriage, parental rights for same-sex couples, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the government’s social programs and policies, especially regarding healthcare.
Unión Afirmativa remains the nation’s largest pro-LGBTQ+ organization, appealing to legislators and judicial officials for increased queer civil rights. International groups like The Cyrus R. Vance Center have also advocated for increased LGBTQ+ rights in Venezuela.
However, many LGBTQ+ Venezuelans, particularly trans individuals, emigrate to nearby Chile and Peru for refuge, community, and safety.
How Venezuela compares regionally
Venezuela lags behind many South American nations in LGBTQ+ rights, lacking national anti-discrimination laws, same-sex marriage, and legal gender recognition, and offering weak protections against systemic anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, and poor access to healthcare, especially compared to regional leaders like Colombia or Brazil, which have stronger legal frameworks and policies to protect queer civil rights.
The country currently ranks ninth among South American countries in LGBTQ+ rights, according to Equaldex. Activists have blamed the conservative influence of the military and evangelical churches for the government’s inaction on implementing more queer civil rights.
The next steps for equality in Venezuela
Improving LGBTQ+ rights in Venezuela would require a combination of legislative reform, the active enforcement of existing protections, and a shift in societal attitudes to counter ingrained discrimination.
Such reforms could occur under new and committed leadership, but would require the political will and government support to provide greater legal equality to LGBTQ+ people while fostering greater social awareness and acceptance of queer people and their lived experiences.
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A gay former employee of the Pittsburgh Steelers is suing the NFL team for alleged sexist and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.
As The Advocate reports, Chelsea Zahn filed a lawsuit against the Steelers last week, claiming she experienced “multiple incidents of discrimination and a hostile work environment” based on both her sex and sexual orientation while she was employed by the team from 2013 to 2024.
According to the January 13 complaint, the Steelers violated Zahn’s constitutional right “to be free from illegal, invidious and damaging discrimination in her employment” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Equal Pay Act.
“Pittsburgh is Steelers town. We are very proud of our team,” Zahn’s attorney Joel Sansone, told The Advocate. “We can’t have them treating our citizens like this simply because they’re different.”
Zahn alleges that the Steelers paid female employees less than their male counter parts for the same or similar work during her time with the team. She claims that prior to her promotion to corporate sales manager in 2022, she was denied promotions twice and told that she was “too young” and lacked experience, while less qualified and less experienced male employees were promoted instead. When she was promoted, Zahn alleges she was offered a lower salary than her male colleagues.
According to the complaint, Zahn’s co-workers became aware that she is gay after she was promoted in 2022, and she alleges that she was consequently treated less favorably than her straight male colleagues. She claims her superiors made her cover for straight male co-worker at work events and was told to do so because she did not have children. She alleges that this treatment “was motivated by the fact that Plaintiff does not conform to the gender stereotypes of a heterosexual woman.”
Zahn resigned from her role with the Steelers in September 2024. Sansone told The Advocate that the hostility Zahn experienced because of her sexuality spurred her decision to resign.
“Management ignored her request for some sort of remedial action,” Sansone said. “The conditions were so intolerable that anybody would feel compelled to leave.”
Despite securing the most new sponsorship business of any corporate sales manager during the 2024 sales season, according to the complaint, Zahn was informed in February 2025 that Steelers president and owner Arthur J. Rooney II had decided not to pay her the entirety of the more than $100,000 in bonuses and commissions she had earned. Zahn alleges this was in retaliation for her prior complaints about her treatment during her employment.
To date, Zahn has received a check for less than half of what she is owed, which she has not cashed, according to the lawsuit.
“What I’m hoping for is that the Steelers recognize that they made a mistake here and step up to the plate,” Sansone told The Advocate. “Or step up to the line of scrimmage, I guess you’d say, and do what’s right.”
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Emmy-winner and former Saturday Night Live head writer Harper Steele will produce a documentary about the suicide crisis among trans masculine young people.
Set to have its world premiere at the Berlinale film festival next month, the film reportedly explores the vulnerability of the transmasculine community by weaving together Bean and Rozos’ own experiences as well as delving into the high-profile suicides of Blake Brockington and Kyler Prescott.
“Homecoming king Blake Brockington and the soft-spoken Kyler Prescott were poets, musicians, and community advocates,” a plot synopsis of the film reads, according to THR. “This film traces their joys and challenges, their tragic deaths and resulting media attention, and the larger aftermath within their communities.”
Transgender youth activist Brockington died by suicide in 2015 after receiving national media attention as the first openly transgender boy to be named homecoming king in North Carolina. Prior to his death, Brockington had reportedly signaled that he’d experienced depression and suicidal ideation.
Fourteen-year-old Prescott also died by suicide in 2015, just weeks after he was treated for suicidal thoughts and self-inflicted wounds at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego’s youth psychiatry unit. His mother later sued the hospital, alleging staff had repeatedly misgendered her son, further traumatizing him.
According to the film’s synopsis, What Will I Become? will examine “why the transmasculine community is particularly vulnerable to living briefly and dying quietly” and explore “resources that affirm trans boys and the LGBTQIA2S+ community to provide an understanding of suicide-prevention practices.”
“We made this film for people who internalized feeling like a burden, people who had not seen a model for who they wanted to become, and believed the world was better off without them,” Bean and Rozos said, according to THR.
Producer Drew Dickler noted that the film’s crew is made up almost entirely of people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community and/or have been directly impacted by suicide.
“This film does not sensationalize loss or flatten trans lives into tragedy,” Dickler said. “It insists on community and accountability at a moment when trans youth are being erased and abandoned by systems meant to protect them. We are proud to provide a community resource for this moment and also hope to engage people who might not think this film is for them.”
“As someone who’s been steeped in trans culture for more than a decade, this film was an education,” Steele told THR. “As trans people come under increasing attack from all directions it is essential to show the harm transphobia enacts on the community but equally important to show is the joy they can never take away. What Will I Become? achieves both.”
Editor’s note: This article mentions suicide. If you need to talk to someone now, call the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860. It’s staffed by trans people, for trans people. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for LGBTQ youth at 1-866-488-7386. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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Connexion
