All language subtitles for T C S01E04 1080p WEB h264-EDITH_track3_[eng]

We have parents starving
to feed their children.

Enough is enough!

Salmon farming is a fucking
environmental catastrophe.

If we don't stand together,

we cannot have
this country we want.

[chanting]

In today's world,
everybody wants

their voice to be heard.

Do not think
this will not affect you.

But when the people
in power don't listen...

The lies that are being put out
now is purely out of hatred.

...you need to come together

to make real change.

So don't walk past here
with your noses up.

In this global series,

we will follow a team
of international activists.

You have to speak out,
you have to use your voice.

You have to be courageous,
and you have to be brave.

Nobody should be
abandoned to die.

[speaking Spanish]

We can save many lives
if we act

not through hatred,
violence, or division.

These activists will
inspire and revolutionize

the work
of local campaigners...

Now we face
a threat, extinction

of everything
we know and love.

...who are struggling
to make a difference

in their own communities...

It is black people
who are being murdered

by a system that
doesn't care enough

- about them.
- Y'all ready? Y'all ready?

...as they work
together to see if they can

shine a light on injustice

and transform
their lives for good.

This work is super-important.
It's really life or death.

So... good luck.

Stand up, fight back!

In this episode...

we'll explore how anti-trans
and -queer sentiment

is spreading across the world
like wildfire.

MAN: Sick fucks!

[speaking foreign language]

Right-wing governments are

pushing through
radical laws,

endangering the lives
of LGBTQI people.

And in the U.S.,
queer rights are

deeply dividing the country.

God decides what you are
when you are born.

You're either a boy,
or you're a girl!

She is real!
She is real!

But none more so
than in the birthplace

of the civil rights movement

in the southern state
of Alabama.

If you're queer in the South,
it's almost like

you have to have
your guard up at all times.

It's not your journey,
so let her be...

who they are.

But can the team
of Changemakers...

Let's do it,
let's get to it.

...help this community

find their voice?

Stand up, fight back!

[applause]

ZURIEL: Make sure
they spaced out, also.

I was gonna say,
we do-- we need to leave

a little walk space, though.

The Knights
and Orchids Society

is the only Black queer-led
organization in Alabama.

So, how you want
these balloons?

We can just throw 'em
all around the room.

- Okay.
- It's become

a safe haven
for Black queer people,

like 19-year-old
grassroots activists

Zuriel and Daquon,

who started working at TKO
18 months ago.

- Can I do that?
- You can do what you want.

Ahh, absolutely.

Hey, my name's Daquon,

I'm 19.

[laughing]

Uh...

hey, my name's Daquon, I'm 19.

I'm from Montgomery, Alabama,

and I identify
as gender-nonconforming.

Gender-nonconforming
simply just means, like,

not conforming
to society's gender roles.

Even though I was born,

like, you know, male,

that doesn't necessarily mean
that I have to be

100% masculine,
because somedays you might

get a little masculine,
and then other days

you might get
a little feminine.

And some days you might get
a little mixture of both.

Zuriel transitioned
18 months ago by way of

puberty blockers
and hormone treatment.

Hey, you guys,
my name is Zuriel,

I'm a girl
of trans experience.

Okay, so this is
what I looked like then.

And this is
what I look like now.

ZURIEL:
Being trans in Alabama

can be very isolating.

There's a lot of haters.

I can't even walk
around the corner

without somebody
saying, "Oh,

stop it,
you're playing pretend."

I try not to let that
bring me down,

because I know who I am.

- Hey.
- Hey, you look so pretty.

Once a month, TKO puts on

an open mic night
for the local queer community

to share their experiences.

And we really wanna
thank y'all so much

for coming out tonight
for our open mic.

Y'all turn up, turn up,
turn up, turn up!

A lot of times,
in the queer experience,

we're forced to, like,
create our own families.

- Where my women at?
- ♪ Aah, aah

So, we have
this thing called, like,

"chosen family,"
and it's simply just that.

It's the people that you
choose,

and it's people
that's in your circle

who love you and support you,
and that's what TKO is.

But thank y'all so much!

Thank y'all
for coming out tonight, okay?

[cheering]

In Daquon
and Zuriel's home state

of Alabama,
they've recently passed

the most anti-trans laws
in the U.S.

for under-19's.

There is a ban
on all classroom discussion

of sexual orientation
or gender identity.

It's illegal
for any young trans person

to physically transition
from one sex to another.

And the law also criminalizes

the use of hormone treatment,

leaving many young trans
people with nowhere to turn.

As part of their job at TKO,

Daquon and Zuriel visit
vulnerable trans people

who are having difficulty
accessing gender-affirming
care.

Including hormone treatment.

- Girl, you look good.
- You look good.

- Look at this hair.
- I know...

Today, Zuriel is visiting
Shawn,

a care worker living
in a rural town

in northwest Alabama.

SHAWN:
Girl, my town is small.

You will not believe
how small this is.

Without any access
to medically-approved

hormone treatment,
Shawn was forced

to find
her health care elsewhere.

People around here are
so country, so hillbilly,

- so close-minded...
- Mm-hm.

...that,
as an actual trans person,

you really can't get the care
that you need around here

because they just
don't really get it.

So...

How did you get
your estrogen?

Not with a doctor,
but through, um,

an actual drug dealer.

So...

I was getting my estrogen
off the street,

but I didn't realize
that the actual hormones

was actually doing damage
to my body.

- Right.
- I did not know

about testosterone blockers,
I didn't know about

testing my blood,
I didn't know about nothing.

I was very, like,
high and low emotionally,

and also gaining muscle
at the same time.

I feel like...
people need to understand

that you're born
in the wrong body.

What do you think
you struggle with the most?

It's a lot of times
when people look at me

and be like,
"We don't know what you are,"

and they're like,
"That's a man!"

- That's horrible.
- It's like,

I'm just being myself.

I cried about it a lot,
because I didn't have

anybody to really
talk to about it.

That's something
that I've...

struggled with.

♪

A lot.
So-So, yeah.

Give me a hug.

- Come on, give me...
- Okay, okay.

Seeing my sister Shawn going
through all the struggles

that she's been going through,
trying to get

gender-affirming care,
it makes me sick

that the government is trying
to take that away from her.

It's okay, girl.

People have to understand
that this is a lifeline

for people like her,
like me,

and other trans people.

Zuriel and Daquon are new
to the world of activism.

So, to help them find
their voices,

Trinice McNally
from the Changemakers team

has been drafted in
to offer them

guidance and support.

I stand for all things just,

for marginalized people.

I am a Black queer feminist.

I support specifically
LGBTQ+ students,

non-binary students,
because those voices

are never heard.

You actually have
to speak out,

you have to be courageous,
and you have to be brave

in order to shift anything,
because if you don't do that,

nothing will change.

♪

Trinice is heading
to Alabama,

and over the next three
weeks, she'll be working
directly

with Daquon and Zuriel
on the ground.

DAQUON:
Let's put one more right here.

I'm super excited to meet
Daquon and Zuriel.

I really wanna support them in
helping them ground themselves

in staying the course, because
this work is exhausting,

and sometimes
it can kick our ass

in really fucked-up ways.

And I wanna ensure that
they have some tools, right,

to take care of themselves
and each other.

ZURIEL: I'm very excited
to meet Trinice.

I'm hoping Trinice will
be able to help me

with feeling empowered.

I can learn things
from other Black women.

I'm not really sure
what to expect out of it.

But... I'm hoping

she'll be able to help us
stand up for our rights

and have our voices heard.

- We ate that, we ate that...
- Period.

It's really difficult
growing up queer

and-or trans in the South,

because this is
literally the Bible Belt.

They call it that
for a reason.

What the Bible says is
what the Bible says,

and you do not deviate.

People really believe, right,

that queer people are
going to hell,

so I'm hoping
that Daquon and Zuriel

will really help
and move the needle forward

and become more relentless
in their fight.

- Hey!
- Hey!

- Hey!
- Hey, y'all.

Oh, my gosh,
it's good to meet y'all.

- It's good to meet you, too.
- Hey!

- Mmm, I'm a hugger.
- I'm a hugger, too.

So, I'm just so excited.
Y'all are so gorgeous.

- Thank you!
- I'm in love.

I'm in love!

I'm excited,
and I love the wall.

You got Mother Marsha.

DAQUON: Yeah, we couldn't have
a wall without Marsha.

- Right, like, come on.
- How do you, 'cause she's,

like, she's perfectly
in the center.

- Right.
- To me, these are the people

that I look to.
I'm loving it, I mean,

I just wanna support your work,
learn about your work.

See what's really going on,
and, like, let's get to it.

Okay, let's go.

I'm super-excited.

I hope I'll be able
to help them

to understand that
this is a long-term fight.

They may not know it,
but a lot of people's

livelihoods depends
on their actions.

So, can y'all tell me
about what's been happening

on the ground here
in Alabama?

You know, the ban
on gender-affirming care

if you're under the age of 19.

We're viewed
as adults at 18,

- Right.
- So, like, even...

- By your state laws.
- DAQUON: Right.

So it just--
it doesn't make sense to me.

Do your local officials
even engage with y'all at all?

It's no engagement at all,

and it's bringing harm

to everybody that's queer.

DAQUON: I feel like,
for a lot of our, like...

younger trans peers,
they're kind of just, like,

in a stuck position,
you know?

Um...

So what you're
telling me is that,

if you are at the stage
when you are ready

to transition and get access
to medication, you can't.

- It's now illegal.
- Yeah.

And there's
nowhere you can go?

- No.
- Wow.

Alabama...

y'all got work to do.

The impact
of these anti-queer

and anti-trans laws is
immeasurable.

We're going to continue
to see the decimation

and the erasure
of Black queer and trans youth.

And I think they've been
very carefully

and strategically
masterminded, right,

to ensure that children
do not ever access

their self-determination.

It's not just
trans health rights

which are under attack
but their lives too.

In 2019,

the violent murder
of a trans woman

on the outskirts
of Montgomery, Alabama,

shook the entire
queer community.

DAQUON: Dana Martin,
she was a 31-year-old

Black trans woman,

and she was
literally just...

killed for being trans.

The life expectancy
of a Black trans woman

is literally 35.

I'm Black, I'm a woman,
and I'm trans,

so I don't feel safe
on the streets of Alabama.

If I have to carry
pepper spray or a taser.

You know,
I really have to watch out

for anything.

♪

It's been two days

since Trinice arrived
in Alabama.

TRINICE:
Good morning, hey, y'all.

And she's keen to update

her fellow Changemakers
from across the globe

on what's been happening
on the ground.

How's it going in Alabama?
What've you learned so far?

So, Alabama is
a very interesting place.

I'm not surprised
at all, right,

by some of
the tensions, right,

that folks have, right?
Some of the obstacles

that they've been able
to move through.

This is, like, the Bible Belt
capital of the U.S.

Yeah, I cannot help
thinking about

the history of Montgomery,
Alabama, that we all studied

on Martin Luther King
and everything.

This is the birthplace of the
civil rights movement, right?

But queer folks are largely
erased from the narrative.

The state doesn't
acknowledge LGBTQ people

and gender-expansive people.

So, I've been thinking
about how young people

are being impacted
by these bills.

But fundamentally
they don't actually believe

that trans kids should
even access care.

Access to health care is
a human right,

so it is violating
a basic human right.

So, that's the problem.

♪

Growing up was hard.

I come from a family
where we are heavy religious,

like, a lot
of my family members

had, like, higher positions
in the church,

and people wouldn't
say things to me directly,

but, like, I would hear...

"If you're gay,
you're gonna go to hell,

you're gonna burn
in a pit of fire."

It led to
a lot of confusion,

so I was always
thinking, like,

what's wrong with me?

[music]

TRAINER:
I want you to block

- the view of the face--
- All right.

Do it just a little bit.
Yeah, up.

To get a better understanding

of Daquon's life
outside TKO,

Trinice has come to meet him
and his older brother
Frederick

at their regular
self-defense class.

But your hands should
always be about there

if I'm in this close,
does this make sense?

If you're queer in the South,
it's almost like

you have to have
your guard up at all times.

You can actually block
my strike coming in

from the outside, right?

Boom, exactly, there you go.

Because you never know
how people are gonna react

or be towards you,
due to your queerness.

- [thumping]
- You don't have to-- look,

you show me what you got now,
I just-- I hope

people know,
"Don't play with Daquon."

[laughter]
He's not the one

that you play with.
Do you feel like

you need to be taking
self-defense classes

for any particular reason?

I mean, you never know
when you might have to...

defend yourself.

Especially with him
being a queer person.

That could be anytime,
anywhere, any place.

TRINICE: And how did
you end up talking to Daquon

about, like, being queer?

He told me, what...

- freshman year?
- Yeah.

Yeah, freshman year
of high school.

Was he the first person
you told?

- Yeah, yeah.
- Oh...

so you've always been,
like, that person.

- Yeah.
- Like, that safety person.

- Yeah.
- Oh, wow.

And what about
your mom's relationship?

Like, how did
your mom react?

He actually didn't
tell her yet.

I feel like my mom's kind of,
like, a wild card in that
sense.

Um, you don't know, like,
what you will get from her.

My relationship
with my mom...

is... it's kind of iffy.

Like, I always knew

her viewpoints
on queer people,

but we never
really spoke on it.

I want my mom
to just, you know...

just say "I support you,"
like, you know, like...

like, not even just
in my queerness,

just in my life,
in my existence, you know?

And, like, I love you,
and things of that nature, so.

INTERVIEWER: Does she never
say she loves you?

She does, but I feel,
like, I mean...

if I'm being honest, no.

Can we skip?

TRINICE: I'm so glad
that your brother is, like,

here with you and, like,
rooting for you

and loving on you
and to ensure

that you do have
what you need, so...

- [laughter]
- ...I'll see you again.

I'll see you soon.

DAQUON:
See you later, be safe!

TRINICE: I think
what upsets me most

about homophobia
and transphobia,

especially
from Black communities,

is that we have seemed
to turn a blind eye,

right, like,
on our own people.

So I find it really odd
and, like, hypocritical

that we find room

to create even more
marginalization,

right, for people,
because they may not

exist in the same ways we do.

- VOICE: Hi!
- Hey!

How you doing?

And Zuriel,
more than anyone,

knows what it's like to be
ostracized for being
different.

I always wanted a top like
this.

Being in a body
you don't love is

very... trapping.

It's like
you're living in a prison

that you can't get out of.

It's horrible.

When I started to transition,
I kind of kept it quiet,

because I knew
the judgment around it.

And around
the age of me turning 19,

my mother, she used to say,
"That's not how God made you,

you will never be a woman."

She kicked me out.
"Get your shit, you can go."

I had nowhere to go.
I was frightened

by other people having
the same reaction

of me being trans.

It put me in...

a mental state where...

I would never wanna
go back again, like, ever.

Across the United States,

one in three
transgender people

have experienced
homelessness.

Hello!

Today, Trinice has come

to meet Zuriel
and her Aunt Mary,

who offered her
a place to stay,

when she had
nowhere else to go.

My Aunt Mary,
she heard what happened,

and, of course,
she had to bring me in.

I was just scared for her,
so I was, like,

opened up my home to her,
"you come here."

- Just come--
- For safety.

Just get off the streets
or whatever.

- Get-Get here.
- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.
- It's-- always just been

there for her,
I mean, it's my heart.

It just really hurts me

that her mom not being
accepting of it,

you know,
it's not your journey,

so what makes you
so mad about it?

Let her be whoever.

- Be who they are.
- Mm-hmm.

Just love them, you know?
Don't make it hard for them.

What was something you would
say you're most proud of,

of Zuriel on her journey?

- Don't you make me cry!
- [laughing]

- Just being her.
- Just being brave,

to do it,
because it is hard,

I know, for her.

Because with the things
that's going on in the world.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

I'm just so proud of her.
I love her.

- That's beautiful.
- [laughing]

- Sorry, my baby.
- [laughing]

TRINICE:
So seeing Zuriel struggle

helps me to understand,
even deeper,

the level, right,
of what it means

to be Black
and to be trans

and to be walking
around Alabama.

Okay, evening wear!

Aunt Mary is absolutely
Zuriel's lifeline.

She really has been
supporting Zuriel

and her gender
and around her sexuality

and around her queerness
and around her life.

She has protected her,
and that's what love

and care really looks like.

- Yeah, I am feeling good.
- You look great.

- Thank you.
- TRINICE: But I really worry

what will happen
to folks like Zuriel,

if people do not want
to accept them

as trans women.

What happens to young people
who never even get

the opportunity, right,

to get access
to the care they need?

They never live up
to their full potential.

They never get to see the world
that they're trying to build.

Right, so really
what's happening, I think,

politically,
the conservative way.

They wanna ensure
that we don't exist.

Trinice is heading
to the state capital

to meet Neil Rafferty.

He is Alabama's only
openly-gay politician.

For the last three years,
he's been fighting

an uphill battle
with the Republicans

and their
anti-trans health bill.

It's totally undermining
access to health care

that is scientifically
evidence-based

and has been used
for 30 years.

TRINICE: I know that
he's been doing a lot of work

to support LGBTQ folks
on the ground,

so I really wanna talk to him
about next steps,

understanding the bill,
and how are we gonna

turn this around?

- Hi.
- Hi.

- How are you?
- I'm good.

- My name is Trinice.
- Hey, Neil Rafferty.

Would you like to head on
down to the chamber?

- Yeah, I would love to.
- Got some seats here.

- A lot of 'em.
- [laughter]

So, what exactly are
we up against?

There's a dearth
of knowledge

when it comes
to the trans community,

and they're trying
to fill the vacuum

of that dearth of knowledge
with misinformation.

- Mm-hmm.
- And with hate and bigotry.

Yeah.

They're just trying to do
the shock and awe campaign,

where they were
talking about, like,

permanent mutilation,
and the fact is,

is no permanent procedures
or, uh, or surgery

is done on any minor.

The first step is
to let them know that,

you know, you're not weird,
you're... just different.

- Yes.
- And that's okay.

Helping them understand
the dysphoria...

And it's not
pushing them in any way,

they are much so guiding
that conversation,

with being actually
pulled back sometimes

by the-- by the doctors
that are experienced

and actually know
what they're doing,

when they're treating
these patients.

It's always done
very slowly,

with a lot
of mental health support.

It's really just,
like, a lot

of misinformation
and folks who are

unwilling, right,
to learn and take the time.

But it's so despicable
because it's misinformation

about an already
very vulnerable--

A vulnerable community
that typically

doesn't have
autonomy anyway--

- Right.
- --to make decisions about

- their own life or bodies.
- Right.

Yeah.

It's scary.

How do you think
we can mobilize people?

What should they be doing?
Who should they be talking to?

Probably the most
important part

that the community,
the grassroots can do--

- Yeah.
- --is try to show

that the narrative that's
being spewed is not fact,

it's not based
in reality at all.

We gotta fight back.

Now is not the time
to give up, not at all.

- Yeah, it's just begun.
- Right.

Trinice checks in
with the Changemakers team

to update them
on what she's discovered.

Really, what Alabama is
trying to do,

they're trying
to erase trans children.

So, it's like--
it's at this crossroads.

I'm curious to hear, like,
what y'all thoughts are.

What we need is
to engage people

in a conversation

to talk about
this huge problem,

and the complexity
involving legislation.

Unfortunately,
the bills are passed, y'all?

Right, so at
the community level,

there's nothing they can do in
terms of changing the policy,

but we know that the power is
always in the people.

So, for me,
the first element is...

having something
actual and tangible

that people can read.

I think that people are
going to need something

to walk away with,
so we're thinking about

a public place, somewhere
that community members

would frequent.

Hey, y'all.

I feel like I haven't seen
y'all in a little bit.

Yeah, for real.

So, I actually had
a really good call

with the Changemakers.

So, they had some dope ideas.

First one was, let's canvas.

Right, let's go
into a public space

that we can meet
with all kinds of people

and to be able to have
a conversation with them

about the bills
and about how they understand

what's happening
in the state of Alabama,

and we need to develop
a one-pager that

breaks down these bills
and what they actually mean.

So I really need y'all
to get on it.

I need you to start thinking
about who are your members

that you can call on, so we can
get this thing moving.

- All right.
- Cool, let's get to it.

Daquon and Zuriel have

no previous experience
of public activism

in Alabama.

We don't have
a whole lot of time.

So Trinice must ensure

they are both
thoroughly prepared.

I'm preparing a script for you,

so when
we're canvassing, right,

and in conversation
with community members,

you know what to say.
All right, let's practice.

I'm gonna be
the very difficult person,

because you're going
to meet a difficult person.

- Yeah.
- You get what I'm saying?

- All right, let's try.
- Hey... my name's Daquon.

- That's nice.
- And we're trying

to let everybody know about

the three bills that Kay Ivey,
the governor of Alabama,

signed into law
earlier this year.

- Are you aware of them?
- No.

One of those bills being...

SB18...

uh... wait, 800...

wait...
SB...

- Pause.
- ...under the age of 19.

Yeah, I'm just--
I'm just

uninterested already.
'Cause that's how people are.

Uninterested.
Try again.

Young trans people,

access to gender-affirming
care.

- Trans people?
- Yeah.

Oh, shit,
I don't know what to say.

This is why
we're role-playing, right?

'Cause you know
that's gonna happen, right?

- Yeah.
- Like, trans people?

I don't give a fuck
about no trans people.

People are not nice
all the time.

And you gotta know
how to respond to them.

- [laughing]
- Thing is, people don't care

- about jargon, because...
- Uh-huh.

...you're gonna meet
somebody that is uninterested

in what you're saying, they're
more interested in how you
look.

So, you gotta be able to move
through all the difficulty.

ZURIEL: I'm very excited
about activism

because, you know,
it's different,

I don't think a lot of people
down here do stuff like that,

so... I am pretty sure
it's gonna be very interesting.

Gonna be like, "Oh, my God,
what's going on?"

INTERVIEWER: So you're
a bit nervous as well?

Yes.
Very nervous.

TRINICE: People are gonna
question your integrity.

They're gonna literally
question your value.

Like, why Black and queer?

And you gotta be able to say
why Black and queer.

Right, so we gotta practice

all the potential outcomes
that could happen.

- BOTH: Yeah.
- All right, let's start again.

♪

We can move this one...

Daquon and Zuriel are
preparing

to canvas
at a local shopping mall.

They've put together
a one-page leaflet

about Alabama's
anti-trans health laws,

which they're hoping to hand
out to members of the
public.

Oh, my gosh.

They came out
really good, for real.

Ooh!

Hey!
Hey!

They've invited
their trans friends

Shawn and Jeilani along
to help out.

Mm-hmm, how y'all doing?

Aah!

[overlapping cheers]

- [laughing]
- TRINICE: How's it going?

DAQUON: Good!

So, I have
a bit of bad news.

So, it looks
like this mall has

officially asked us
not to come.

As soon as we mentioned that
we're working with LGBTQ youth,

we were, like,
immediately told no

and to not come
on the premises.

It's blatant homophobia
and transphobia to me.

It's not surprising.

Not with--
Not with Alabama.

We all know that
they kind of does things

in a very passive-
aggressive way,

so this is not
really surprising.

Do y'all think--
still think we should go to--

just maybe go
to another mall?

- Yes.
- Yes.

- Do y'all still wanna canvas?
- ALL: Yes.

- The message is still...
- All right.

We need to go then.

♪

ZURIEL: It's important
that we're doing this.

Even with all the hate
that we might receive.

People need to know this.

DAQUON: You don't really know
what you're gonna get

from other people
in the South.

It most definitely
could go wrong, um...

but being an activist is

simply just like being
a voice for your community

and standing up
for what you know is right,

regardless of what
other people have to say.

- Everybody feeling good?
- [all agreeing]

Take, like, one or two
one-pages, a couple

candy canes, and tell 'em
what you're about.

- All right.
- Let's do it.

Let's start talking to folks.

Okay, hmm.

Uh...

hey, you guys,
I would like to stop you

in your tracks
for a sec if you're--

wanted to tell you about this,
or are you good?

- No, thanks.
- Okay, you're good.

- Y'all have a nice one.
- Hey, sir, can I stop you

- in your tracks-- okay.
- Okay.

DAQUON:
Let's ask him.

Um, so my name's Daquon.

I'm a prep navigator
for TKO Society.

- What is this?
- A one-pager about

the anti-trans legislation

that went into effect
earlier this year.

One of those bills
being the ban

on gender-affirming care
for trans kids.

I grew up, where I'm,
like, 38 years old,

so I grew up in the,
like, '90s for real.

I don't know if I can fully
support what you're saying,

because I think
it's a slippery slope,

in my opinion.

That's probably
why I wouldn't support it,

you know what I'm saying?
If that makes sense.

♪

DAQUON: It's not rhetoric
that we haven't heard before.

Down here, like, you know,
so it's just like,

I feel like that's a rhetoric
that a lot of people have.

He, like, saw queerness,
and I think he's--

because of, you know,
how he grew up or whatever,

he's very resistant.

- It's okay.
- I'm just like, well, okay.

And they will,
but they heard you,

and they can remember
what you said,

even if they don't like it.

And that means
we're generating conversation.

- Exactly.
- Right.

That's how change happens.

Hey-ho.

You actually have to speak out.
You have to use your voice.

You have to be courageous,
and you have to be brave

in order to shift anything,
because if you don't do that,

if nothing is
interrupted, right,

nothing will change.

A lot of people forget,
like, you know,

gender-affirming care is
health care.

And it's life-saving.

We already,
as a community,

have higher rates of, like,
depression and anxiety,

so without
gender-affirming care,

those rates are going
to rise, you know?

- I'm not educated enough--
- Right.

Um, so I'm gonna go home
and tell my family about this.

[laughing]

Would you like a candy cane?

Sure.
Thank you.

You have a nice one.

It's like, all the bills
and how it's--

- it's affecting us.
- The bills aren't

being passed by, like,

the people
that it's gonna effect.

- Thank you.
- Equality for all.

I don't want children
taking drugs off the streets.

I want them to be able
to get their drugs

from a doctor, not getting them
the way that I did.

So, we need to fight
these actual things.

- Change will happen.
- Exactly.

It's gonna happen.

And I wish you guys
the best of luck.

I'll definitely be sure
to check y'all out.

Everyone deserves
to be loved,

so I love what y'all are
doing, thank you.

No, thank you.

I think everybody should
be treated equally.

I always have.

All right,
you have a nice one.

You gotta stand up
for what you believe in.

Yes, thank you for having
a conversation with me, okay?

How y'all feel like that went?

[overlapping chatter]

We got a mix
of different people,

most definitely,
but, like,

we most definitely still got,
like, the word out

about everything, and, like,
we did some educating today.

So, bring it in, y'all,
that was real good.

[all cheering]

So, overall
I feel really proud.

This is our first time
canvassing.

And it is not easy at all.

At first, I noticed
that folks were, like,

a little shy or kind of
got a little disappointed

that folks didn't
want to interact,

and I saw them push through,

but every conversation
that you have is

a step towards progress

and a step towards
moving forward.

[all cheering]

[phone ringing]

- Hey.
- Hey!

What's been up?

I was calling you

so I could help you out
with some things.

- What's going on?
- Um...

so pretty much
I decided that

I want to have
a conversation with my mom.

Um... it's a conversation
that needs to be had.

Um, so...

Number one:
I'm super-proud of you,

because I know that's
taking a lot of courage

to be in conversation
with her.

Do you feel like
you need any support?

Are you nervous
about anything?

I don't know how the
conversation's gonna go,

but it's a conversation
that needs to be had,

because I need
my parents to be there.

I've been through
this journey myself.

I feel like
coming out is

a constant life process.

- Right.
- You got this.

- Yeah.
- You got this, totally.

- Yeah...
- Well,

call me if you need me.
You know I'm here.

And I'll definitely
see you soon.

Yes, I'll see you soon,
Trinice, okay?

- All right, talk soon, love.
- Talk to you later.

Peace.

TRINICE:
I remember when I was 16.

And it was probably one of
my first queer relationships,

where I was dating a woman,

and I remember feeling,

like, really... free.

The first time
that I came out was

with my counselor
at school in Florida.

I was like,
maybe I'm bisexual.

Like, I like
all kinds of people.

And she took out
olive oil

and anointed me
and prayed.

And told me
that I would go to hell

and that I would never see
the gates of Heaven.

♪

Trinice is
on her way to meet

a trans icon who fully
embraces her queer identity.

Bronzie De'Marco grew up
in Alabama in the '60s

and has been a major figure
on the drag scene

for the last few decades.

She also plays a major role
in supporting young queer
people

all over the state.

- Hi, how are you doing?
- Hey.

How are you doing?
It's good to meet you.

- I'm fine, thank you.
- You, too.

- I'm Bronzie, nice to meet
you. - Good to meet you.

- Come on, have a seat, honey.
- Thank you.

- [sighing]
- Oh!

So, tell me about yourself,
like, where are you from?

I'm originally
from Florence, Alabama.

I've been in
the entertainment field

- for 53 years.
- Wow.

Started when I was 10
and sneaking into

- all the bars in Huntsville.
- Really?

Yeah. When I was
a child growing up,

I felt like
I was all alone.

I had to hide.

TRINICE: So, your family
wasn't really accepting?

No, so I had to be silent.

But today we're having
all these kids

that's wanting
to be themselves--

- Yeah.
- You know, and we're trying

to teach them
to be themselves.

- Exactly.
- You know, and not hide,

and be proud
of who they are.

But it's really
a struggle.

- Yeah... so would you say
- For them.

- we're just going back?
- We're going backwards.

- Just going back in time?
Yeah. - We're going backwards.

And, you know,
something happened

in my family
with my nephew, Nigel.

Nigel was a very talented,

brilliant,
and bright child,

but he felt like
he couldn't be himself.

In 2019,
Bronzie's nephew Nigel Shelby

took his own life after
he was bullied for being gay.

Bullying and all that,
that drove him to the point

of committing suicide,

because, you know, he felt
like he couldn't be himself,

and I mean, he took it
till he couldn't take no more.

I hate that he's gone.
I miss him like crazy.

I'm really sorry.

It just, like,
makes my stomach turn.

It does.

We have a long way to go.

TRINICE: Do people
understand the impact?

One in three Black
queer and trans youth

have attempted suicide.

There's this, like, a...
just a solemn feeling

of, "How the fuck are
we still here?"

Over the last few days,

Shawn has been struggling
with her identity.

And so Zuriel turns
to Trinice for some advice.

- Hey, love.
- Hey!

I feel as though...

that Shawn struggles with
being comfortable in her skin.

I can tell
that she really is lacking

the self-confidence
that she does crave.

And I just wanna try
to figure out, like,

what we can do to help her.

I think something
that's really important is

connecting her
to more community.

What happens
to young people

who never even
get the opportunity

to be who they are?
They become afraid,

and fearful,
because they're not able

to live in their full truth
simply because of body parts.

I actually have a friend

named Bronzie,
and she's a legend,

and she's done
a lot of work

for Black queer communities
in building confidence.

So, I think it would be
really dope to connect them.

- Bronzie?
- Hey!

- I'm here with Shawn.
- Come on back, honey.

Bronzie is performing
a drag show this evening

and wants to see whether
she can persuade Shawn

to join her on stage.

Well, hi, Shawn,
how are you?

- She's getting ready.
- Well, all right, baby.

Come on, sit down,
talk to me now.

So, tell me what's been
going on with you.

Been having a little bit
of trouble, honey?

- Yes.
- Self-confidence and stuff?

- Yes, I have.
- Why?

The look is just not together
all the way, but it's also...

Well, baby, it's not
gonna happen overnight.

It takes time.
Not getting too personal,

but what are you
struggling with the most?

Probably...

with me,
it's my look.

With your look?

I feel like people
always judging me,

no matter what I do.

No matter how--
how I try to present,

it's just--
it's not coming off

for a lot of people,
in the way that it needs to,

and then, within that,
it's like--

it makes me feel down.

Well, we don't want you
feeling down.

Have you done
your makeup before?

A little bit, basic.

I've-- I've never
seen myself made up.

Well, baby, you fixin'
to see yourself now.

- I look so different.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm not used
to looking like this.

I know you're not, honey,
but you gonna leave

even more better...

when I get through with you.

We're gonna get you
to the point that

you're gonna be all right.

Just believe me when I say
that.

Smile.

It's all in the wash, honey.

You're gonna be fine.

I just want you to get out
there and give it all you got.

The more you love yourself,
they gonna love on you.

- You think you can do that?
- I can.

I know you can.

All you gotta do is say
you can do it, honey,

and you can do it--
you can do anything

you put your mind to
in life, remember that.

Carry that with you
everywhere you go.

You can be happy, honey,
you can be anything

you wanna be.

Remember that.

Is everyone ready for
the new diva of Huntsville?

BOTH: Yes!

Okay, here she comes, honey,

please welcome
to the stage: Shawn.

- Okay!
- Oh, my God!

[overlapping exclamations]

Go on!
I love this orange.

ZURIEL: Oh, my God,
you look so beautiful.

TRINICE:
I love it.

I gotta get out of Shawn,
I gotta let Lakeisha come out,

and that's who came out:
Lakeisha.

♪

Lakeisha is confident.

Unapologetically herself.

And I felt
like that tonight.

Not feeling intimidated,
not feeling scared,

not feeling like I have
to explain something to people.

Or to even myself, so...

it was just fun
to feel that freedom.

EMCEE: Ladies and gentlemen,
make some noise!

Let's make some noise,
let's give 'em...

I'm going to remember this
for a long time.

...my new drag sister,
Miss Lakeisha!

- Hey!
- EMCEE: We welcome

to the LGBTQIA+ family.

You got a family now, honey!

You have a family.

♪

- Hey, how are you?
- Hello, Trinice.

With Trinice's final days

in Alabama approaching,

she's speaking to fellow
Changemaker Flavia

who's an expert
in direct action.

TRINICE: We're preparing
for the final activism

coming up, and--
yeah, want to do something

and help them do something

that more aligns with,
like, who they are, right?

Okay.

Trinice, I was
thinking about the...

like, a performative
direct action.

We dance,
we use colors, paintings,

to say what we need to say.

It's a direct action
because you took action

in a direct way
but not in a disruptive way.

It's like "art-ivism."

I love that, and I think that
that would feel better for
them,

right, as newer organizers,
but I think it would also

help build confidence
and, like, morale.

I think that this would
be really powerful for them.

I love it, I'm definitely
gonna share art-ivism.

I hope that they love it
as much as I do,

and I can't wait
to keep you posted.

- Thank you, bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.

Good luck, girl.

♪

TRINICE: The purpose
of the final activism is

to make an intervention.
Is to make a declaration

and some type of interruption
of business as usual.

Visibility is important,

but action is
even more important.

We've all spent
a lot of time together,

right, over the last few weeks,
and I think that now would be

the good time to host
some type of demonstration

or rally, right, that's
gonna push your community

towards understanding the
issues that matter to you.

Like, doing a demonstration
but utilizing, like,

arts, music,
dance, and song.

So, what do you all think?

- Yeah, I feel it.
- Yeah...

- I'm excited for it.
- All right, let's go, y'all!

All right.

[soft chatter]

In two days' time,
the team will hold

a dance protest outside
Alabama's state capitol.

But they'll need
to stay focused

to put a routine together
so quickly.

- Hello...
- [all screaming]

Trinice has asked the
legendary Bronzie De'Marco

to get the team up to speed.

The main thing is
to own the stage.

When you hit that stage,
you own that stage.

You make your entrance,
you find your spot...

you hit your pose,

and then you just
take off from there.

Anybody else wanna try?

Come on, Shawn,
that's what I'm talking about.

That's what
I'm talking about.

You're making your entrance
to the stage,

- remember the show.
- [music]

- Okay!
- [all screaming]

[whooping]

[all screaming]

That's what
I'm talking about.

- Oh!
- [screaming]

Don't be so abrupt.

Take your time,
take your time.

[all screaming]

There you go, baby.
Attitude.

- [all screaming] - That's what
I'm talking about.

Everybody did good, honey.
We gonna let Daquon come

to the center
of the stage, honey,

and start choreographing.

Daquon is responsible
for choreographing

a dance routine,
which will be

the centerpiece
of Sunday's demonstration.

Not only is this,
like, kind of, like,

a very, like, political,
like, you know, statement,

but also we're gonna do it,
like, in our own way,

so, we're gonna do it
through dance,

so, like, okay,
so this is... one.

[laughing]
Two.

So, like, you're gonna
slide into this...

one, two...

I am just
a little bit nervous,

but... I feel like
it's gonna be really good

just for other people
to, like, see

what Black queer joy
can look like.

Two, three.

I'm a bit nervous about
how the crowd will perceive it.

[soft chatter]

BRONZIE:
All these kids just

want to be themselves,

and we're trying to teach them
to be themselves.

Not hide, and be proud
of who they are.

So, it's like, okay,
one more time, it's...

BRONZIE: I don't know
what's gonna happen.

They might not necessarily,
like, agree with, like,

you know, what we're doing,

but we're gonna
do it regardless.

♪

In America, the pursuit
of self-expression

and the demand to protest has
a rich cultural history.

In the early '70s,
the first-ever

gay pride events
took place.

Symbolizing the challenge
to the status quo

through peaceful protest

and visible
public demonstration

for the power of love,
acceptance,

and the right to be
whoever you want to be.

PROTESTORS:
This is our fight too!

And in the depths of Alabama,

five young queer people
are carrying on

this tradition
of self-expression.

Three, four,
five, six, seven...

And with two hours to go,

they're making
the final preparations

for their first-ever
demonstration.

What's at stake
for Daquon and Zuriel

is their entire livelihood.

If the streets that
you're walking on becomes

an unsafe place for you,
then where could you go?

What do you have to live for?

So, literally,
their actual mental,

spiritual, and physical
well-being is at stake.

And so is
the lives of other

Black LGBTQ folks as well
here in Alabama.

Today is about,
how do we move through

and show people,
like, who we are

and tell our own story?
And remembering why,

you know,
you're doing this.

One, two, three!

[overlapping shouting]

This is huge!

I personally haven't
done anything,

like, on this scale before,

but at the end
of the day,

we're gonna
give it our all.

ZURIEL: People...
just need to see visibility.

[overlapping chatter]

They need to see

the lack of trans
representation.

♪

We know historically that
we're in the state of Alabama.

This is the birthplace
of the civil rights movements.

Being here is
really important,

and we actually owe it
to activists

that have mobilized
in this state to turn up,

to intervene
in business as usual.

DAQUON: When Black, queer
people are under attack...

ALL:
...stand up, fight back!

TRINICE: Because,
if you don't do anything,

then simply what has happened
will continue.

[cheering]

When Black trans women are
under attack,

- what do we do?
- ALL: Stand up, fight back!

[cheering and applause]

Earlier this year,
the most life-threatening bill

went into action.

And it's pretty much
an attack on queer kids.

They really just
don't want us here,

but at the end of the day,
we're still gonna be here.

Nothing is gonna stop us,
regardless of legislation

- or any of that.
- [cheering and applause]

[hip hop playing on speakers]

TRINICE: Over the past
couple weeks, I've seen

Daquon's been able
to shine, right?

And move through some
really difficult moments.

[hip hop playing on speakers]

We're watching a person grow
and change and struggle.

And that takes real
vulnerability and courage.

DAQUON: Being an activist,
it means being courageous

to stand up
for what you believe is right.

And starting
a chain reaction for change.

[cheering and applause]

[cheering and applause]

I loved it.
Y'all did amazing.

- Thank you.
- Your energy feels so good.

Just the way you pushed
through, and y'all showed up,

and y'all did the thing,
and people are feeling moved,

and people will go home
and have conversations,

and people will talk about
what they've seen today.

I feel proud-- congrats,
y'all, y'all did it.

- Thank you!
- [cheering]

DAQUON: I'm just excited
to see where both of us goes.

Because I know, like,
we're already at the stars,

- we just gotta keep going.
- Yeah.

- We do.
- So, I love you, bitch,

- and I'm proud of you.
- I love you.

[laughing]
We did it.

♪

Having found his voice
as an activist,

Daquon now feels
the time is right

for a conversation
closer to home.

[knocking on door]

Okay.

I think this chat is
gonna be beneficial

for me and my mom's
relationship.

Our relationship could
most definitely be better.

- Hey.
- Come here now.

DAQUON:
I am nervous because...

our relationship is
kind of strained.

- So, this is the apartment.
- I like it.

DAQUON: My hope is
that my mom listens to me,

and she actually understands
where I'm coming from.

Um... yeah, so...

I was kind of
wondering, you know...

how was it, like, when I was,
like, younger and stuff?

- You were a good kid.
- Yeah?

But you didn't
wanna do things

that other little boys
wanted to do, like,

I remember one time
you went outside

and got your shoes dirty,
and you cried

and cried
and cried and cried.

[laughter]

You didn't like
to go outside and play.

- No?
- No.

You wanted to stay
in the house.

I never really got a chance
to tell you about, like,

my identity...

like, it's something that
I feel like we kind of, like,

um, we don't really talk about.
It was like a conversation

that I wanted to have,

a conversation that, like,
I wanted to have, like,

for a while...

um... so I am queer.

But I don't know
if it was too much.

- No, it wasn't.
- All right,

I don't know
if that was too much for you.

'Cause I-- that was something
I wanted to say for a minute,

but it was just, like,
something on my chest.

I've always known
the person you are.

Yeah, yeah, but I also--

But you never
confirmed it directly.

I'm glad we had
this conversation, though.

- Yeah, yeah.
- It was needed.

This is... us having
open and honest communication

that's gonna lead
to just, like,

you know, a stronger bond,
between us, you know.

It makes me happy
that you finally can

talk to me about it
and tell me about it.

- I'm very happy.
- Yeah, me too.

I want my parents to be there
and be, like, oh, you know,

like, "I'm proud of you,"
like, you know--

- I'm always proud of you.
- ...you know, stuff like that.

With whatever you do.

You don't think
I'm proud of you?

I mean, I feel
like it's understood,

but, like, it would
be better to hear it more.

- Okay, I'm proud of you.
- [laughing]

Very, very proud of you

and everything
you've done.

I'mma always be there for you.

I-- I just love you.

- Always.
- Yeah?

- [sighing]
- I love you.

- Can I get a hug?
- I love you.

[laughter]

- Talk to you later.
- Bye.

- See you later, love you!
- Love you too.

DAQUON:
Um, it went really good.

It was-- It was exactly
what needed to happen.

You know, so I'm happy.

[laughing]

[soft piano]

[music continues]