‘Trans Panic’ docu celebrates ‘voyage of activism and solidarity’ in US

A powerful new feature film aims to expose the sinister way ‘trans panic’ has been used across the US as a legal defence to justify the murder of transgender people.

Highlighting the long history of activism, resistance and solidarity within the trans community, the film, Trans Panic, follows two trans elders who fought back against deadly stigma and helped organise the first Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Nancy Nangeroni and Gordene Mackenzie played a vital role in securing long-overdue rights for trans people. This achievement came after a wave of hate crimes saw attackers — and murderers — receive lighter sentences by claiming ‘trans panic’ somehow excused or diminished their violent intent.

Now, as Trump fuels renewed hostility towards trans people, they are speaking out once again to remind the public that hate-fuelled violence can never be framed as “self-defence”. Horrifyingly, this defence continues to be available in most US jurisdictions.

But to help ensure this horrific chapter of history is neither forgotten nor repeated, they need public support to raise £15,000 to turn the project into a full feature film.

Trans Panic hopes to inspire generations of activists

Originally, the filmmakers planned to create a short film about the experiences of these two principled and inspiring trans elders. But after a successful fundraising campaign, they have now set their sights on turning it into a full feature film, giving this harrowing yet hopeful story the depth it deserves.

The film explores the painful experiences faced not only by partners Nancy and Gordene, but by the wider trans community, in the hope it can inspire a new generation of activism and stop history from repeating itself. As has happened time and time again, reactionary forces are already trying to roll back hard-won rights, leaving an already embattled community vulnerable to renewed hostility and violence.

Importantly, the film also challenges the false idea that trans rights are somehow new or “woke”. In reality, trans people have fought for dignity, safety and recognition for generations. Their struggle forms part of a much longer history of civil rights movements fighting for freedom and bodily autonomy.

It also reminds us never to take rights for granted. The far right actively works to erode the freedoms of LGBTQ+ people wherever it can, which means people must constantly defend those rights. Feminists should take notice too: attacks on bodily autonomy never stop with one group.

When reactionary movements target reproductive rights, trans rights, or queer rights, they attack the broader principle that people deserve control over their own bodies and lives.

We all deserve autonomy. None of us are truly free until all of us are free from that sinister oppression.

‘Trans panic’ as a legal defence

On their Kickstarter campaign, director Hester Morris spoke of the history which inspired this feature film.

She explained:

The term ‘Trans Panic’ is a legal defence that has been used all over the US to justify the brutal murders of many transgender people over the decades.

The idea is that perpetrators claim to be in such a state of shock after discovering their victims are transgender that their motivation towards extreme violence is somehow akin to self defence.

This legal argument meant that many people received minimal sentences for what were blatantly hate-filled killings.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the media and wider society failed to show outrage or even compassion for these victims.

As I’m sure many will agree, this sentiment is coming back with a vengeance across the West as the trans community face bigoted, derogatory attacks through the duplicitous veil of ‘women’s safety’. In reality, history proves that the rights of both groups are very much intertwined and face the same threats in our societies.

The film will consider the world-changing activism of the 90s, which fought back against the stigma endangering their lives, whilst seeking justice for their trans siblings.

The far right is actively eroding hard-fought civil rights

Speaking from their home in New Mexico, Nancy and Gordene recount “their story of love and struggle”. Sharing their memories and rarely seen archival footage, this film makes clear how the personal and political intersect.

Like protests for civil rights and freedoms today, the 90s saw TV appearances, street protests and legal battles to give rise to “the world’s first movement towards respect and rights for gender non-conforming people”.

Whilst many are aware of this day of remembrance, not many are aware of the personal stories behind it and the very people that had an instructive role in making it happen. An ignorance that this film seeks to redress as it refuses to allow trans people to live in that same horrifying fear for their own safety.

Battles for civil rights have always intersected across race, gender and sexuality, and they defined this era of history.

How can you continue this tradition of solidarity?

The film’s creators wish to revive this “fundamental moment in trans history” through documenting these activists’ achievements to help inspire more activism today. With history clearly in the throes of repeating itself, trans and queer people need strong allies.

On the Kickstarter campaign, they write:

We hope that the work of Nancy, Gordene and many others will provide guidance and inspiration for those brave enough to fight back against the transphobic, homophobic, racist regimes, growing in strength all over the world – but we need your help.

We at the Canary hope our readers get behind this fundraising campaign and share it with their friends and family. History shows that when the establishment and far right target one marginalised group, others are never far behind.

That is why civil rights movements so often stand together and intersect with one another because when they come for one community, they eventually come for us all.

Featured image via Trans Panic Kickstarter

By Maddison Wheeldon

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