“Disclosure” is a documentary like none before it and gives a look into the history of transgender representation in media throughout American history.
For many people, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community, it exposes how badly transgender people have been represented in media, documenting the journey from far back in history to where we are now.
For the inaugural edition of the Queer+ Magazine we decided to focus on gender and all its hues and shades.
As such, we sat down with the director and executive producer of “Disclosure”, Sam Feder (whose pronouns are he/him and they/them) over a Google Hangouts session, where we talked about how the idea for “Disclosure” came about, how Laverne Cox came on board and what the future holds for trans representation.
Speaking about what sparked the idea for “Disclosure” he said: "So there are actually two documentaries that changed my relationship with the media.
"The first one was called ’Ethnic Notions’ and that came out in 1987 and it is made by a black queer film-maker named Marlon Riggs.
"And he's well known for his experimental work which I was familiar with, but when I saw ’Ethnic Notions’ it really started to change my relationship with the media.
"And there's also this film called ’The Celluloid Closet’ that came out in 1995. So ’Ethnic Notions’ was about the representation of black people in film and television in Hollywood.
“And ’The Celluloid Closet’ was about the representation of gay and lesbian people in Hollywood.
“And both of those films showed me how telling these stories actually tells the history of America.
“Right, and marginalised communities are always isolated to their own history but all you do is shift the lens and see the history of our country... But I did want to see what that history would look like for trans people in terms of what that representation looked like, what the evolution of that representation looked like and how far back it went."
When we look at how trans people have been depicted in the media it has been quite horrific with gross stereotypes specifically of trans women being perpetuated in film and television.
Talking about why it's taken so long for proper trans representation in the media Feder said, "A large part is the echo chamber phenomenon right, that 80% of Americans say they never met or to their knowledge they've met a trans person.
“People don't think we're real. When you look at the history you see the lack of creative imagination on behalf of storytellers.
“In Hollywood creative imagination is really limited about what's commodifiable.
“When you look at representation in Hollywood, and for better or for worse trans people have not been deemed commodifiable until recently."
One of the trans trailblazers in modem media is “Orange Is The New Black” star, Laveme Cox.
Not only is she one of the stars in the documentary but she's also an executive producer.
Speaking about how Cox got involved with the project Feder said he at least wanted to interview her as it had been a dream of his, and hoped that once the film gained momentum he would reach out to her since they have mutual friends.
"But I was deep in research two years in, in 2017 and I was invited to present my research at a day-long summit at OUT Fest which is a queer film festival here in Los Angeles.
“I prepared a 20-minute presentation and I get up at the podium and look around and scan the room.
“Then I suddenly land on this beautiful woman with long flowing hair and huge reflective sunglasses. And she's sitting right in front of my producer."
During his presentation, Cox was nodding along being very engaged in the presentation which he was very happy about.
Following this, she came up to him and said that she always wanted to make a film like this and asked how you can get involved.
They met up a week later and after a four-hour lunch meeting Cox came on as an executive producer.
After the film debuted on Netflix, it became a big topic of conversation on social media since it opened many people's eyes to the history of trans representation over the years.
Talking about how cisgender heterosexual people can unlearn toxic stereotypes that have been perpetrated by the media he says that he hopes that they have started to unlearn these stereotypes of trans people that they've internalised through media.
"For me, allyship is about action. So folks who (see) the film and they feel moved and changed and they want to be a better friend and ally...I'm excited to see what they do with that. What is the action they take with that? That's what I hope happens."
Feder also tried as much as possible to have trans people both in front and behind the camera and where he couldn't find someone he set up a training/mentorship situation.
Talking about this he said this is the thing he's the proudest of - the mentorship programme, where any trans person could apply without experience and would be pared with a cisgender person who was willing to teach them in their said interest in the film industry who wanted to make a change.
"The fact that a small indie film could do that ... the larger studio projects have no excuse.
And I'm really proud we could do that". And while all this forward movement has made a difference with regards to trans representation and it might appear that more room is being made for trans people in the media.
Feder said that it might seem especially to queer people more room is being made, however, "it's so, so, so so, so hard to get that tiny bit of room.
“So I don't see it as more room, we are still scratching and clawing our way into these conversations and then have to fight every bit of the way.
“And I knew it was an important story being told... so it was really frustrating to raise the money. And similarly, it was hard to get it distributed, it wasn't easy.
“We made this deal with Netflix a month before it came out." And while they were shopping the film around, distribution companies would say things such as "we already have a trans film" or "we already have a film like this".
He continued: "They were saying things like this, that's why I say we still have a long way to go before we have more room. "We are now at the point where at least you don't have to explain that trans is a thing.
“At least they kind of know what you're referring to when you say trans. "So at least we have a conversation started in the room."