I am Trans

Inspired by a trip to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Gunner Scott, the exective director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, decided to create a forum for trans people to share their stories. It would be the beginning of the “I Am: Trans People Speak” website.

The multimedia project features dozens of videos and essays of female-to-male, male-to-female and transitioning members of the trans community in the Boston area. “Many representations of transgender people are not the best,” Jesse Begenyi, the director of the videos, tells Edge Boston. “Using the videos as a tool, we wanted others to meet these people, so people feel more passionate about transgender issues.”

Each of the videos introduces viewers to real people, with details about their careers, religion, sexuality and relationships within the community. Many of the folks featured also discuss their own experiences making the transition. Videos have also been introduced for holidays and certain themes, like Mother’s Day in which one women talked about being a parent.

Expect to see many more videos added to the site as the crew hears from people around the country. We’d encourage members of the trans community in Philly to consider reaching out to the site. They accept video submissions, as well as photo journals and written essays. Click here for the application form.

Here’s one example of a video: