Hi! I'm @sydneybaloue, a trans writer, artist and archivist! I'm here to talk about DISCLOSURE, a great documentary from the amazing director @SamFederFilm! It is a must watch for folks looking to support trans stories and it’s just a super funny and fun to watch!!! (thread)

DISCLOSURE is an unprecedented look at transgender representation in film and TV that goes deep into how the media has shaped the public’s perception of what it means to be transgender.

One thing I love about this movie is the breadth of shows/movies/etc it goes through. And the perfect balance of seriousness and levity the movie has. A masterpiece!

The doc starts off with a reminder of the real stakes of what it means to be visible as a trans person in media and in the world. Writer/activist Tiq Milan ( @mrmilan) and actress/activist Laverne Cox ( @lavernecox) say it best when they talk about the impact of trans visibility.

Trans visibility matters! “According to a study from @GLAAD 80% of Americans don’t actually personally know someone who is transgender. So, most of the information that people get about who transgender people are, what our lives are and about, comes from the media.”

That says so much about the responsibility the media has to get it right! It makes you wonder why trans stories have always been ones where death, rape, murder are constant themes and harm is more often than not the doom of the trans character?

One example that hit home for me was the mention of Max on THE L WORD. I was a huge fan of the series when it first debuted in 2004 when I was a cute, baby butch queer lesbian before transitioning. (I heavily identified with Bette Porter in my pantsuit days!)

But the representation of trans-masculinity on THE L WORD through Max was awful, suggesting trans masc people are traitors to feminism or become jerks if we start testosterone. Being in the LGBTQ+ soup doesn’t always mean there is a direct link towards allyship or understanding.

There’s always room for growth and learning. And at the end of the day, all of this should be proof that the industry should just hire more trans folks to tell our own stories, so we can actually share our own authentic perspectives.

The brilliance of Jen Richards ( @SmartAssJen) is one of the best parts of the doc. She beautifully sums up the issue of representation: MORE. We need more series/movies/etc so we can stop putting so much emphasis on every little project that comes out w/a trans person. Amen, Jen!

One of my fav parts of DISCLOSURE is that trans masculinity has an equal space in discussing trans stories and trans masc folks are not made invisible.

I think a lot about the TV moments DISCLOSURE highlights that go beyond TV series and movies and remind us of all the times we saw trans folks on pulpy talk shows like JERRY SPRINGER, JENNY JONES or MAURY.

I think back to those days when I’d be sick at home from school, looking at the “geek to chic” episodes or questioning the gender of trans folks on TV.

DISCLOSURE is so good at reminding us of these moments as little stellar points of when we first saw a trans person on TV. I think about what it meant for me as a 90’s kid, unaware of my soon-to-be trans identity and think about the message I received about who I was.

If the media was more respectful towards trans people back then, what would it be like to be a trans person today? Would it be easier for us to be in the world? Would we finally get our flowers?

The moment the doc talks about ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK made me jump out of my seat because I remember when there were just rumors about the show’s debut and the excitement in the queer community at the time.

To hear Laverne talk about the way the show was described as a “web series” before it became one of the most iconic TV shows of all time is also just a total kiki.

Laverne’s impact on representation goes beyond words and it was amazing to see a black trans woman get an interesting backstory and be a recurring character on such an amazing show then. More proof that the industry can do better by us!

More than just contemporary recognition, I was *living* for the emphasis on historical references like Christine Jorgensen, a major trans trailblazer and one of the first out transgender public figures in US history and Sylvia Rivera, major trans activist in New York.

Trans folks have always been here. When artist/producer Zackery Drucker talks about the importance of queer and trans elders, like “Flawless Sabrina,” who is featured in “The Queen,” a doc about a female impersonation contest in the 1960s, it also touched me.

THE QUEEN shows the early days of drag competition that birthed the ballroom scene as captured in PARIS IS BURNING, another *super* important movie for me where I saw black and brown LGBTQ+ people living their lives and having fun.

Like many people in the ballroom scene, 10 years ago that was my entry point to seeing myself and with its complexities, the representation of people like me and my friends in the past meant so much. It showed that I have a place in this world.

To think I went on to do oral histories of the community, become a writer/producer on LEGENDARY and make history as the first trans guy to win grand prize for voguing at NYC’s biggest ball in 2019, The Latex Ball, is a testament to the power of seeing my community on the screen.

Because ultimately, Emmy Award-winning director Yance Ford ( @yford) sums it up best:

We have to be able to see ourselves living full lives in the past, the present and the future. Because the reality is that trans lives are still at risk today and there is a *ton* of work to do.

DISCLOSURE definitely opens the door to a lot of conversations and is already a classic, not only for film schools and gender studies students, but also to any trans person who has to think about who they are in the world.

I’m so glad Sam Feder made this beautiful film and that trans people actually got to talk about themselves and what they think instead of how the media thinks about us. It felt like one small step for trans folks today and a giant leap for all those to come in the future.