The oldest among the bunch is Leena, a redheaded teenager with dreams of becoming a Victoria's Secret model. Transhood is filmed in director Sharon Liese's hometown of Kansas. Also included is Avery, who was already quoted in the media at the age of 7 and appeared on the cover of National Geographic, among others. Transhood is fixated on transition, and therefore preoccupied with time, or at least that seems to be its intention. In one video in response to the HBO documentary "Transhood," which in part profiled Jackson and Avery, Walsh said that parents supporting their trans children is a "deranged" form of "child abuse." Trans activist Eli Erlick was the first to make the connection between Lynn and Walsh, and posted about it in a Twitter thread on Monday to warn . What I have realized, and where my mind goes is that you just got to walk your walk. Over time, I became increasing uncomfortable with myself as a boy, to the point of disliking myself as Walt and adopting a secret female name at age 13. Every parent reading this should immediately stop and go watch HBOs Transhood (2020) documentary. Parents may also find that some therapists are not on their side. Liese also follows Avery, who was 7 when filming began, as she sits for a portrait for the cover of National Geographics 2017 Gender Revolution issue and faces the pressure that comes with media attention. But unlike their cisgender peers, they navigate body dysphoria, hormone treatments, threats of violence, and the weight . Ultimately, particularly as children enter their midteens, they may become more emboldened to leave behind families and disconnect from parentsparents who, in some cases, have wanted nothing more than to make their children happy and whole. For younger, more rambunctious subjects like Avery (7 at the beginning of filming in 2014) and the gender-fluid Phoenix (4), the camera often has to chase them, making it difficult to capture in a cohesive way how they personally explore their gender identity. My thoughts constantly revolved around how I could become a female. To be clear, Olson is not leading a studyshes conducting an experiment on vulnerable children. November 12, 2020. W hat is happening is described in a documentary entitled Transhood, released last November 12. Leenas mom Cathy said her daughter, who was born male, began articulating that she wanted to dress as a girl when she was about 3 years old. Such is the case with HBO's new documentary Transhood, which follows four transgender individuals Leena, Phoenix, Avery, . HBO unveiled a new trailer for Transhood on Friday, three weeks ahead of its premiere, introducing viewers to Jay, Avery, Leena and Phoenix, who range in age from 4 to 15 at the film's start . Sarcastic seven-year-old Avery, via her mothers political activism, soon becomes a literal poster child for trans rights. Avery, Jay, and Leena, at puberty, each chose to undergo some degree of gender-affirmative medical transition as well. Coming out to loved ones was what changed the discussion for same-sex marriage, but Transhood suggests that for transgender people and their families, it's only the painful start. I am a libertarian, and with that being said, I believe that a consenting adult should be able to do whatever he or she chooses with their own body. In a film segment posted to Twitter byMatt Walshof The Daily Wire, one of the kids featured in the film a 12-year-old named Avery expresses regret concerning the promotion of his book about his life at an LGBT youth event in the nations capital. As is the case with children who identify as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth, Phoenix had a social transition before puberty, changing aspects of his identity like pronouns and clothing. All rights reserved | News Punch. None of the children have a childhood I would wish for my children; I . Ive done too much in this world to ruin my life enough and now everyone in this world is going to know if I sell my book, its going to get on the news along with me for, like, the 50th time at this point, and its just going to make my life worse., Averys mother: A couple years ago you wanted people to know. As scenes from Transhood have circulated on social media, critics have called for a boycott and equated the film's troubling content to child abuse. The film follows the four subjects who are ages 15 (Leena), 13 (Jay), 7 (Avery), and 4 (Phoenix) when we first meet them in the documentary. Transhood (2020) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. These organizations also stress the importance of supportive parenting and social environments, as Leena and Jay experienced, when making decisions about their healthcare from their families and medical professionals. "I've known Leena since the day she was born and have taken care of her since she was two months old so I've seen lots of changes," her grandmother told TODAY. The Transhood trailer glosses over the tension in the four families caused by the transgender claims. This documentary glorifies child exploitation and indoctrination in the name of acceptance and tolerance. It has taken me years to adequately assess the full range of consequences inflicted by grandmas gender grooming. Benjamin Franklins proverb, Lifes tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late, sums up my feelings now at 80 years of age when I reflect on how I, a reasonable man, became a willing participant in body-mutilating surgeries because a so-called gender specialist said that was the treatment I needed. There are other people hurting. And he should immediately have his medical license revoked for lying to a child, encouraging him to permanently mutilate his sex organs. "Is it difficult to be different? When they do reach adolescence, receiving gender-affirming care is often life-saving for the young . These parents battlethe quiet seduction of their children by transgender activists on Instagram, HBO, and other social media channels, andthey get little recognition from commercial culture. They still battle first breakups and unwanted step-parents like anyone else. Transhood ended their coverage at five years, but I havent seen the big media documentary sharing the real-life stories from people at 10, 15, and 20 years after they go down this path. However, unlike most teens who may lazily envisage a life of shallow glamour, Leena studies up on cosmetology, catwalk techniques and trends in the fashion industry. LEENA SNOUBAR. Thats how big this problem has become. These children deserve far, far better. ButTranshood producer, Liese, told Time: Let the [children] lead you can never go wrong by affirming your child., EntertainmentHealthPoliticshealthcareTransgender. We just want them to understand our journey and respect us enough to allow us to do our own thing. The book talks about a boy who made himself a dress and asserts the nonsensical notion that there are all sorts of ways to be a boy. I tried to play football, ride dirt bikes, shoot BB guns but none of that stuff she cared for. Her light-heartedness initially masks her overwhelming sense of corporeal imprisonment. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital I just want to stay a kid., In another scene, 15-year-old Leena discusses a classmate, a boy, who broke up with her. An intimate look at growing up as a transgender child, HBO Max's new documentary Transhood is both eye-opening and emotional. Why is that suddenly not on the news, Mom? Cmo es Transhood, el documental de HBO que sigue de cerca a cuatro chicos trans . All Rights Reserved. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. 15-year-old Leena, a transgender girl with designs on a Victoria's Secret modeling career and reassignment . Phoenixs parentdivorce, partly over their disagreedment with their childs claims, while other parents get praise for their advocacy. He is based in New York City and his favorite film is Pretty Woman.. Unfortunately, this kind of unconditional love is more uncommon than not. Westernjournal.com reports: I find myself angered by the trans communitys continual push to normalize the sexualization of children. And so yes, it did take a little longer for me., There are always going to be haters because people can be in the dark where they don't know anything about it.". All rights reserved. For Transgender Awareness Week, TODAY Parents talked with Leenas family about raising their transgender daughter, what they want people to learn from their story and how they deal with haters. Sharon Liese directs Transhood, a documentary that chronicles the lives of four young people and their families as they grow up transgender in the politically and religiously . I think Leena's story was my favorite. Their pathos, however, doesnt always localize where youd expect. IE 11 is not supported. Following the families over several years allowed Liese to see the young people as they grew up and experienced different triumphs and challenges. '", Every single family that goes through this has a different experience, Cathy said. My web site, sexchangeregret.com, has many real-life examples of the results of changing genders taken from the headlines and from the letters I receive on a steady basis. Leena's family requested that their last names be withheld to protect their privacy. As well as hoping that more trans and non-binary youth see themselves represented onscreen in Transhood, Liese also wants the film to show parents and others how to be allies and support people through transition. They do not. Children are not born in the wrong body. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. 20. Children lack the maturity to consent to medical interventions. Jay, 12; Avery, 7; Leena, 15; and Phoenix, 4. However, at least one scene should serve as a warning to any parent thinking of allowing their child to transition. Republicans Should Investigate, Cori Bush Married Her Unlicensed Security Guard While Calling To Defund Police, Questioning Bidens Ukraine Policy Doesnt Make You An Isolationist. On Thursday, November 12, HBO premiered the documentary film Transhood, following the lives of four children and adolescents who "identify" (or whose parents have said they identify) as transgender. While their parents are supportive at first, once Phoenix de-transitions and begins identifying as a boy, their mother does a complete 180, calling transgender identity a mental disorder.. Avery at one point says, Why do I have to grow up? A video clip from the HBO documentary "Transhood" ignited major backlash as disturbed social media users expressed anger and dismay at a young boy being encouraged to publicly announce his . We Have A Lifestyle Crisis, Every Bite Of Processed Food Is Killing You: Study, NYT Contributor Is Terrified Of New Childhood Obesity Guidelines For All The Wrong Reasons, Black History Month Is Lackluster When Elites Obsess Over Race All Year Long, Why Did The IRS Let Biden Off The Hook For His Sketchy Tax Filings? My first few years after surgery were exhilarating, but unhappiness steadily grew until I decide to detransition back to life as Walt around eight years later. As a Kansas City native, Liese knows the midwestern city well and was able to deeply embed with the four families she followed. An upcoming pro-transgender documentary entitled "Transhood" follows the story of four children in Kansas City and their journey as activists for the transgender community. In many, many cases, they are very wrong. Walt Heyer is an accomplished author and public speaker with a passion for mentoring individuals whose lives have been torn apart by unnecessary gender-change surgery. Viewers follow Leena, 15 when filming began, and her family as they navigate her later adolescence, the disappointments of her first relationship and her goal to have gender confirmation surgery when she turns 19. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. In fact, a great amount of research shows transgender treatments are medically harmful to children. A new documentary film explores the lives of transgender kids at different stages in their lives and how they are navigating their everyday lives while Movies. We already have evidence beyond common sense and life experience that shows transgendering children is child abuse. Before the divorce, the family is seen joyfully encouraging toddler Phoenix to publicly declare their gender at the pulpit of a local LGBTQ-friendly church. The secret crossdressing game with grandma went on for about two years and ended abruptly when my mom and dad learned about it. The youngest subject in the film, Phoenix, is just four years old when filming began. Even over five years, observations about them remain shallow. There are many exceptions to this, of course;some trans children have suffered abuses at the hands of their families. The purple dress marked ground zero, the onset of my desire to eradicate Walt. Youre a rainbow, she replies. Transhood Review: Five Years Pass as Transgender Kids Grow Up, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/movies/transhood-review.html, Leena is one of the subjects of the documentary Transhood.. A young boy ("girl") tells his mom that the LGBT activism she's forcing him to do is "ruining his life." Ive done too much in this world. Absolutely, it is, I ain't gonna lie at all, but still the bottom line is you tell your kid, 'Hey, hit the dishes. Its not cut and dry, she says. Theyre children featured in a documentary on HBO. But, as one states, Id rather have a healthy son than a suicidal daughter.. Sadly, too many of them dont end well, as indie documentaries have shown. It premieres Thursday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. But over the years, we realized it wasn't., I honestly thought that we just had a flamboyant gay boy, she added. By sharing personal realities of how gender expression is . The documentary Transhood is years in the making as it follows four transgender youths for five years of their young lives. The good Lord puts all the kinds of people on this Earth, and we have to learn to accept them and live with them and love them., Alexander Kacala is a reporter and editor atTODAY Digitaland NBC OUT. The film follows four families in Kansas City, Missouri, all of which include a child who identifies as transgender. Today, watching this documentary, I marvel at how the events of my childhood groomed me into believing that identifying as the opposite sex was the solution to my gender confusion. Leena is the subject of a new documentary that profiles the experiences of four transgender children and teenagers in the Kansas City area. We need to stop pretending that doctors have scientific backing for their recommendations to transition children socially and medically. For 4-year-olds, the process of change is purely social - which also has a huge impact. Four kids face typical growing pains like acne, sibling rivalry, divorcing parents, crushes, and breakups. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can unsubscribe any time. Scene from HBO's pro-trans documentary. To which he responds, Yeah, I did, but that was a really stupid silly mistake, and now I dont.. Grandpa was often out for hours at a time, towing cars. She helped me stand on a small stool for fittings and hemming. Transhood. Looking back on the film now, a year since filming ended, Jay feels he has changed a lot. Follow. Its the parents here Im more worried about. r/LeenaSofia: Subreddit dedicated to the fitness model Leena Sofia Hkkinen Press J to jump to the feed. In less than a decade, the Democratic party, the media, the entertainment industry, and much of academia have thrown their weight behind . Fortunately, I finally woke up from the delusion, got sober, worked through the pain of childhood with several capable psychologists. Today I have organized the " CEO meet NEOM new joiners " event. But some trans children may co-opt the language of abuseto describe a home life where their gender choice was not embraced, either in part or at all. According to GLAAD, only 20% of Americans say they personally know someone who is transgender. Children, on the other hand, do not have fully developed brains and are not capable of making such a life-altering decision. Her ruddy-faced dad, who wouldn't look out of place in a beer commercial, emerges . All rights reserved. Equipped with more information about transitioning online, some teens may feelmore empowered than ever to strike out on their own, perhaps maintaining the belief their parents dont love them. The kids and their families are generally open about the challenges of growing up transgender and how it . Directed by Sharon Liese, it follows four children who identify as . . Phoenixs entire wardrobe is draped in rainbow. We're really not trying to change people's minds Leena said. It will enlighten, depress, and alarm you all at once, and its the best way to understand the crisis thats happening with so many of Americas children. Transhood accomplishes the opposite of what it set out to do. My grandparents lived on the outskirts of Los Angeles in a little shack behind an automobile junkyard. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Study: Obesity Raises Risk Of Early Death By 90 Percent, Liberal Misery: How the Hateful Left Sucks Joy Out of Everything and Everyone, 6 Ways The Censorship Complex Silences Speech It Doesnt Want You To Say Or Hear, American College Of OB-GYNs Bans Pro-Life Doctors From Conference After They Show Up, Passing The Equal Rights Amendment Would Hurt Low-Income Women The Most, Making Tiger Woods Apologize For Teasing Justin Thomas Is Ridiculous, Black History Month Is Lackluster When Elites Obsess Over Race All Year Long, Why Did The IRS Let Biden Off The Hook For His Sketchy Tax Filings? Studies show that children are not born with gender dysphoria. Another scene shows a mother visibly coaxing her son who no . Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. You don't have to like us. Its the parents here Im more worried about. Clips from a new HBO documentary on transgender children are making the rounds on social media. T he fight to legalize same-sex marriage in America was a decades-long culture war. Much later, we witness the kids regretful mom slowly harden to the idea that her child was ever nonconforming at all, blaming her exs previous influence as Phoenix starts to assume a more masculine presentation. ", How Teddy Geiger is blazing trails for LGBTQ musicians. The film raises controversial questions about parents' motives and secondary gains from an identity as a trans family. Ive lived this madness from a young age, and know that twisting childrens minds to the point of questioning or hating who they are is child abuse. Its worth repeating that these arent random people I found on Tik Tok. Ive done too much in this. Though it will no doubt draw ire from some, Transhood a new HBO documentary that premieres tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PTreally just wants viewers to know that transgender kids . Part of the films goal is to frame these kids as just kids: rowdy, hyper, moody. The youngest subject in the film, Phoenix, is just four years old when filming began. People are being hurt. It was definitely the hardest thing I think, to come out to her during the film, and that was the first person I ever told, he says. Of course, most parents of teenagers have heard the youve ruined my life line. Theres no good guidelines other than when you want to when it comes to disclosure. Here is just some of it. Still, by far the most compelling family is Phoenixs. Avery, a male who lives his life as a girl, blasted his far-left activist mother in an upcoming pro-transgender documentary entitled "Transhood.". Font Size. Slinky, fashionable and self-involved, Leena is an endearingly average teenage girl. Phoenix at 4 is seen identifying as a "girl-boy.". Avery, a male who lives his life as a girl, blasted his far-left activist mother in an upcoming pro-transgender documentary entitled "Transhood.". I just dont want to even have a book. 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