Love And Unity Are The Themes In New Documentary About Transgender Youth

The Trevor Project's "Learn with Love" features a reunion between a conservative Texas man and his grandchild, who is trans, after more than five years.
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By amplifying the experiences of transgender youth and their families, the creator of a new documentary hopes to “demonstrate that change, evolution and transformation is possible,” even at a time when the LGBTQ community is facing a profusion of legislative challenges across the U.S.

Produced by the Trevor Project and directed by Megan Stowe, “Learn with Love” profiles three young people ― Kaiden, Skyler and Lyndon ― as they reflect on how their relationships with the adults in their lives shifted after they began to embrace their trans identities.

Among the film’s more poignant scenes is an on-camera reunion between Skyler and her grandfather Tom Morrison. Prior to their interview, the pair hadn’t seen each other in more than five years.

“I talked with several other parents and grandparents and heard all kinds of stories: ‘Oh, it’s just a phase. It’s just a phase.’ And so I didn’t really accept it as the truth, or as the absolute truth,” Morrison, who lives in Texas and describes himself as “very conservative,” says in the film. “[But] we are more important together than we are separately.”

Watch the trailer for “Learn with Love” below.

The release of “Learn with Love” comes amid a troubling surge in anti-transgender policies across many states. On Monday, Utah became the first state to ban gender-affirming care for trans people under the age of 18.

The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, meanwhile, found that nearly 20% of trans and nonbinary youth have attempted suicide in the past year.

Stowe, who is the Trevor Project’s vice president of brand and content, told HuffPost that she doesn’t anticipate “Learn with Love” will prompt audiences to “change their entire belief system” regarding LGBTQ rights. Nonetheless, she’s hopeful it will allow viewers to “feel connected to the trans community on a human-to-human level.”

“A huge part of the problem is that many people don’t know or understand trans experiences; fewer than 1 in 3 adults (29%) say they personally know someone who is trans,” she said in an email. “I hope that viewers are moved to stop and think, and perhaps begin the process of relearning, just like the adults in this film.”

According to Stowe, “Learn with Love” is the first installment in a planned series of documentaries that aim to “uplift the most marginalized groups of young people.”

“The LGBTQ community is not a monolith,” she said, “and we will continue to share stories that illuminate a diverse spectrum of life experiences and identities ― especially those who hold multiple marginalized identities.”

You can watch “Learn with Love” in full here.

If you or someone you know needs help, dial 988 or call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also get support via text by visiting suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.

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