Special Guests Gabe Silverman and Producer Jamie Coughlin Attending
In TransMilitary, a documentary feature from Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, we are confronted with the startling fact that there are around 15,500 troops that identify as transgender currently serving in the U.S. armed forces, and they face constant risk of prejudice, cruelty and discharge. While the 2011 repeal of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Act allowed for LGBQ communities to openly serve, transgender troops were still barred from the same freedom due to the fact that the law included only orientation and not gender identity.
TransMilitary follows four service members, the hardships and their determination to stand up against discriminatory agendas. The project itself was a response to the continued injustice shown transgender troops, and led to the lifting of the ban on June 30th, 2016. Despite this success, President Trump’s attempt to ban transgender troops from the military a year later highlights the persevering struggle by these service members and makes one thing undoubtedly clear—the fight continues.
Director Biography
Director Gabriel Silverman is a journalist whose work has been recognized with more than a dozen awards including an Edward R. Murrow Award for his investigative film work, and two News & Documentary Emmy nominations. Silverman is the co-founder of SideXSide Studios and a 2017 IFP Lab fellow.
Co-Director Fiona Dawson is an LGBTQ advocate, Emmy-nominated multimedia producer, and IFP Documentary Lab Fellow. Dawson was honored by The White House for her work as an LGBTQ Artist Champion of Change in 2015. She served on the Board of Directors for HRC and NLGJA.
Press
"An affecting and, despite present circumstances, hopeful doc." - Hollywood Reporter
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