New documentary highlights trans student athletes struggle to play

“Most youth that are trans don't want to play sports because they're terrified right? The courage that's required to just play a sport to be out to have to endure that much ridicule and hatred. That feels unfair to me,” says “Changing the Game” director Michael Barnett.

“Most youth that are trans don't want to play sports because they're terrified right? The courage that's required to just play a sport to be out to have to endure that much ridicule and hatred. That feels unfair to me,” says “Changing the Game” director Michael Barnett. Photo courtesy of Hulu

Over the last six months, Republican-led state legislatures nationwide have passed a slate of laws restricting the rights of transgender Americans. Nine states now ban trans girls from playing on sports teams.

Filmmaker Michael Barnett started following the issue years ago, and his documentary ‘Changing the Game’ follows three trans high school athletes dealing with the issue firsthand. The film is now on Hulu.

At the center of the documentary are students who just want to live their truest lives, Barnett tells KCRW.

“We are living in such a polarized country right now. A polarized world. We keep forgetting at the center of this debate or argument or issue or whatever people want to call it, there's just kids [who] try and struggle to be kids, right, who are teens going through that very complicated chapter in their life as it is and then add on the complexities of everything else?

From this Episode:

Credits

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser