Not surprisingly, the Court’s conservative supermajority upheld the Tennessee law by a 6-3 vote, with the trio of more liberal justices dissenting. The New York Times, in an analysis, said the decision “could set the [transgender rights] movement back a generation.”
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
In terms of silver linings, the case certainly advanced the visibility of trans people in American society and made history in one important respect: the ACLU attorney who represented the interests of trans youth—Chase Strangio—became the first trans person to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
The documentary “High Scrutiny,” directed by Sam Feder, follows Strangio’s groundbreaking work in the U.S. vs. Skremetti (sometimes referred to as “LW v. Skremetti”) and the media’s portrayal of trans issues. Today, Fourth Act Film announced that it will release the film theatrically in New York and Los Angeles on July 18, with additional cities to follow.
You can watch an exclusive clip from the film below, which shows Strangio in the moments after he appeared before the court – when victory in the case still seemed possible.
“Featuring activists like Laverne Cox and Elliot Page and journalists including Tre’vell Anderson and Jelani Cobb, the film traces the dangerous role of mainstream media in fueling anti-trans legislation and how we got to this current moment,” notes a release. The documentary, which premiered at Sundance, is produced by Feder ( Disclosure ), Amy Scholder ( Disclosure Thus, My Name Is Andrea ) and Paola Mendoza ( Romina ).
“By releasing the film so soon after the Supreme Court’s devastating decision (LW v Skrmetti) last week, we turn our focus to the work ahead with renewed conviction—bringing the film to audiences,” Feder and Scholder said in a statement. “In a mainstream media climate that is increasingly hostile to the trans community, the film explores why and how we reached this moment. While the right of everyone to access healthcare is a fundamental democratic value, why has it become a debate when it concerns real lives? We have made this film what we hope is a historic moment in the heartfelt fight for broadcasting rights; an attack on some of us is an attack on all of us.”
Fourth film of film/disclosure 2
Heightened Scrutiny, a Breakthrough Film Production 2, is produced by Laverne Cox, S. Mona Sinha, Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch, Lisa Freeman, and Sara Hinkle. Co-executive producers are Charlotte Cook and Andrew Kim.
“With the dangerous SCOTUS ruling upholding the ban on life-saving healthcare,” the statement notes, “ heightened scrutiny is an urgent call to action against bigotry and injustice.”
We spoke with Feder and Strangio at Sundance, just a month after the lawyer argued in the United States against Skrmetti.
Fourth film of film/disclosure 2
“In this case, I was preparing for the election scenario where the Republican Party spent $215 million on advertising specifically targeting transgender people,” Strangio said. “Where you had a campaign in which the incoming president, now the president, basically came into office attacking trans people. And really, the case has taken on such growing significance because this will hopefully, if we can win, be a stop to some of these attacks. We’re arguing that the government shouldn’t be able to actually target people, like trans people, without the trial of the trial.”
In the clip below, Strangio climbs into an SUV in the heady moments after arguing before the Supreme Court. (For context, he references Pauli Murray, the extraordinary civil rights scholar and lawyer who was the subject of the documentary My Name Is Pauli Murray directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West.)
