Director: Sam Feder
With America’s Supreme Court not due to deliver its verdict on whether trans kids can have access to hormones and puberty blockers until at least June, it may seem that Sam Feder’s film has arrived at least four months too early. To be honest, with Trump now in power, the chances of the court ruling in favour of trans kids doesn’t look good. But this powerful documentary acts as a beacon of hope in the darkest of times.
There are many activists fighting for trans rights, including Zooey Zephyr, the subject of Kimberly Reed’s short film Seat 31, playing alongside this feature. Zephyr is a trans politician who was famously banned from the Montana House of Representatives for defending trans kids’ healthcare in 2023. Heightened Scrutiny focuses on Chase Strangio, the first out trans lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court. He is an exemplar for us all.
Charismatic and eloquent, Strangio is a tireless supporter of trans issues. Speaking at rallies or on news programmes across the world, he speaks sense, showing how various states’ laws are sexist and transphobic. He intends to use existing law to argue the case. Those in favour of the ban on blockers maintain that many trans children will later in life regret their decision despite the fact that the number of those who de-transition is less than 1%. Right-wing politicians claim that letting children decide so young can lead to depression and suicidal ideation later in life even though these conditions are more common in children who are refused trans healthcare.
Strangio explains how the media, especially The New York Times, is responsible for stoking transphobic policies with their attention-grabbing headlines. So-called academic articles cite these newspaper columns without stringent peer review, and opinion and propaganda quickly become irrefutable facts. Strangio is faced with an impossible task but he is the best equipped to take on the judiciary.
Other talking heads, both trans and cisgender, talk passionately about the need for trans healthcare and it’s impossible not to be moved by their words. Strangio cries after the 2024 presidential election, but he won’t give up the fight. However, the most heartbreaking scene is of officials looking at their phones while trans people give their testimonies. A young trans girl demands that the officials take notice, but they ignore her. This is the image that will haunt you after watching this important documentary.
We can only hope that after June, the film will come with a positive coda. But if not, Chase Strangio is ready.
Heightened Scrutiny is screening at BFI Flare 2025 from 19-30 March.
