Brothers and Sisters! Two Cool Trans Mini-Series On YouTube Better Than Anything On Netflix
Her Story! His Story! Their Story! Everyone Gets A Story!
Slow down and show some respect to the cinematic pioneers who came before us. Her Story and Brothers are two trans-focused limited series. Each episode is only about 10 minutes or less. That means you can watch both series in less time than it takes to wait for your first HRT appointment.
Her Story is a 6-episode new-media series that looks inside the dating lives of trans & queer women as they navigate the intersections of desire & identity. Lily Wachowski, writer/director/filmmaker for The Matrix, Sens8, and Cloud Atlas, said of the series: “Not just unique, it is revolutionary.”
Brothers is a critically-acclaimed short-form narrative series that follows a group of transgender male friends, exploring what it means to go up against traditional societal gender roles. Indiewire listed the series in their Best of Indie TV. The Advocate said it was “among the boldest and frankest representations of trans male love on-screen to date.”
Originally published in short form as: Cool Trans Videos On YouTube to Fill Your Downtime (Vol 1)
Her Story
Reviews
“Not just unique, it is revolutionary” — Lily Wachowski, writer/director/filmmaker for The Matrix, Sens8, Cloud Atlas, Speed Racer
“I’m so glad it’s good” — Laverne Cox, writer, activist, producer, and star of Orange is the New Black and Promising Young Woman
“Unfiltered, raw, and oh so real” — Janet Mock, director, advocate, and author of Redefining Realness and Surpassing Certainty
“The kind of deeply complicated insight that escapes writers who observe trans experience from the outside rather than living it from within” — Buzzfeed
My Favorite Moment (spoiler for first episode)
There’s a startling moment in Episode 1 beautifully captured by Buzzfeed (really!).
“It’s OK,” Vi says. “Before transition, I actually dated women.”
When Allie asks her whether her current preference for men means Vi prefers straight men over gay men, she replies, “It’s not about them. It’s about me. When I’m with a man I have no doubt about my womanhood. My body next to theirs is so obviously feminine.”
Vi goes on to talk about how she can’t help but notice, for example, how much bigger her hands are compared to Allie’s — and how it makes it harder for her as a trans woman to see herself with a cis woman.
This is the kind of deeply complicated insight that escapes writers who observe trans experience from the outside rather than living it from within.
And if that hasn’t already hooked you, let me promise you that later episodes will test every word Vi spoke.
Episode Summaries
Episode 1: Violet, a waitress in Los Angeles, is approached by a reporter named Allie for a story about transgender women. Paige, an attorney for Lambda Legal, works on a case representing a trans woman who was denied entry into a women’s shelter.
Episode 2: Allie and Violet’s interview lunch takes a flirtatious turn, and Allie learns that her friend Lisa holds some views that surprise her. A handsome stranger catches Paige’s eye.
Episode 3: Paige goes out to dinner with James, and it goes it differently than her typical dates, while Allie and Violet find they have more in common than they realized.
Episode 4: Violet and Allie are getting closer than ever when they experience a menacing interruption. Lisa tries to debate Paige about the case she’s working on. Paige begins to open up to James.
Episode 5: A musician friend of Violet’s gives a wild concert that ends with Allie fearing for Vi’s safety.
Episode 6: After making a shocking discovery in the morning paper, Paige confronts the person who has wronged her. Paige and Violet must face whether recent events will ruin their burgeoning relationships.
Bonus 1: Allie & Lisa Speed Dating
Bonus 2: Behind the Scenes
Bonus 3: Her Story: On the Possibilities of Trans Short Form Media (offsite to MAI Feminism)
His Story: Brothers
Reviews
“A revolution in its portrayal of trans masculine narratives” — Pride.com
“Among the boldest and frankest representations of trans male love… The delight and difficulty of dating while trans” — The Advocate
“Raw, emotive, and enduring” — Tubefilter
“10 Best Indie TV Series” — Indiewire
“One of our favorite queer web series… Important and revolutionary… It just keeps getting better” — Huffington Post
Episode Summaries
Episode 1: Meet Jack, Max, Aiden & Davyn.
Episode 2: Jack finds himself in a new relationship. Davyn grills Jack about his social life.
Episode 3: Aiden catches Jack in a compromising position. The guys plan Aiden’s fundraiser. Someone reappears in Jack’s life.
Episode 4: Jack’s past comes into his present. Professor Jones asks Max about going for Drinks. Max gets upsetting news.
Episode 5: Davyn asks Amy a very important question. They celebrate. Things take a drastic turn.
Episode 6: The guys pick up Max from the hospital. Aiden meets with his Therapist, and then a date. Davyn is home alone.
Episode 7: Jack and Max talk. Max gets a special visitor. Jack has dinner with Ryan and returns to an old place.
Episode 8: Aiden’s top surgery fundraising party. All the guys get surprises.
See also
Transgender Soapbox: The Videos
Today’s Super Easy Trans Voice Activity
