Film Analysis: Growing Up Trans

What is the central point of the documentary?

The central point of the documentary is the examination of the difficult decisions made by the families of transgender teens over whether to medically intervene in their sexual development plus it also focuses on the intimate struggles and choices these transgender kids have to personally face. Kids who feel they were born in the wrong body now don’t have to go through the puberty of their biological sex with the help of medication that was once administered to kids starting at the age of 17, is now accessible to kids as young as the age of thirteen.

What is the social problem the film addresses?

The film addresses a couple of social issues, being transgender and the inequality transgender children face due to their sexual orientation. Many transgender people regularly face transphobic harassment and inequality due to lack of public understanding of transgender people. Those who are in a minority group by sexual orientation face high levels of discrimination, often without the legal protection enjoyed by other minorities. There is also health and medical concerns these children have to think of.

What role does the family have in constructing gender?

The definition of a family has changed greatly because of cultural and social changes across the world. “Family…socializes children, it provides emotional and practical support for its members, it helps regulate sexual activity and sexual reproduction, and it provides its members with a social identity” (Social Problems: Continuity and Change, 2010)). Parents in a direct manner communicate their own beliefs about gender by providing guidance, instruction, and training to their children. They tend to also reinforce sex-typed behaviors by encouraging their children to get involved in gender-stereotypical activities. 

The rise of values such as individualism and democracy has affected the structure of modern family greatly with the occurrence of major difference between traditional and non-traditional family. Even though both set of the family share likenesses in terms of concept of care and love, they have major differences in terms of size, gender roles, and legal structures. In a traditional family, the mother was responsible for process of childcare and development, while the father’s main responsibility was to bring in the essential food supplies. However, in a modern family, both the parents are busy working and earning the amount to meet the demands of life. 

How does this film both challenge the gender binary and also reproduce gender stereotypes?

This film brings out transgender feelings with the society’s construction of gender demand conformity by adhering to either male or female. This film brings out the concept of transgender being treated as sexuality. Transgender binary forces the aligning of transgender person to either be female or male. The society's view on transgender kids has impacted their relationship in the community. Growing children tend to be affected by how they are viewed in the community. These children face a lot of challenges during their growth, with behaviors of others, changing the way they behave in the community (Rogan, 2019).

Provide a specific example from the film.

Kyle Catrambone, age 13, identifies as a boy, struggles with depression, has had thoughts of hurting himself, cutting himself, or even killing himself as he says, and came close to doing it twice. Very scary to think that at such an early age he is already thinking of suicide. His mind had been set in that he couldn’t live in his body anymore. Arial, also 13, identifies as a girl.  Arial talks about her feelings on the transition that her body was undergoing and is thinks is horrible if she has to go through puberty and develop into a man.

How might families and schools better support kids “growing up trans”?

Children who are transgender need a lot of attention, both emotionally and physically. As they grow, especially into adolescence, their bodies tend to grow, making an impact on their physical appearance, which will also impact their emotions. Transgender kids need attention and care from their families to overcome negative emotions. Both the child and the families of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth often have to seek therapy for assistance in understanding, supporting, accepting their child. They need to be loved and help in getting medical care, if needed and with proper family support it will mitigate the difficulty and struggles transgender kids go through and will help save children’s lives. Schools can also help by treating transgender kids equally without any form of bias, which in return will make them feel equal and part of society.

Has there been any conversation about these issues in your former schools and/or communities?

Issues of transgender have become common in today's society. However, when I was in school, I don’t recall ever speaking or hearing of transgenderism. I do know of someone who transitioned, my children’s cousin.  She was born a male and became female, she knew at an early age she wanted to be a female. She told her mother first about her feelings but hid it from her father for quite some time because she thought he wouldn’t accept her since he is the typical “Mexican macho man”. Her mother was always there for support, however, she didn’t ask them for any advice or opinion. She is only 23 and began transitioning at the age of 18.

Does this film offer any new insights and/or questions?

This film shows the true emotions and the reality of children who are actually going through this. The documentary takes a powerful look at the new generation, who explore the medical possibilities, the struggles and the choices transgender kids and their parents have to face today. This film shows us the efforts the medical team does in dealing with young, transgender kids, especially concerning the use of new therapeutic options. The field of medicine is changing with the introduction of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones especially for young children under the age of 18.

References

• Common issues regarding the gender roles in a family. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.prokerala.com/relationships/family/gender-roles-in-family.htm
• Green, J. (2012). Why Parents of Transgender Children Are Faced With a Difficult Decision -- New York Magazine - Nymag. Retrieved from               https://nymag.com/news/features/transgender-children-2012-6/
• Hill, Irma. (2016). PBS Frontline 2015 Growing up Trans. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_dLKCaEkzw&feature=youtu.be
• Rogan, M. (2019). Growing Up Trans. Retrieved from https://thewalrus.ca/growing-up-trans/
• Sexuality. (2012). Global Social Problems. Retrieved from https://soc202.wordpress.com/module-2-global-economic-inequalities/module-4-gender-inequalities/module-4-part4/
• Social Problems: Continuity and Change. (2010). University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing.