In honor of Trans Day of Visibility (3/31) I directed a commercial for Trans Lifeline , a nonprofit organization devoted to providing peer support and hotline services for trans and questioning individuals.

As the climate in the US has become increasingly threatening for trans people, it is important to continue to depict instances of trans joy and support. That’s what I wanted to do with this commercial. I’m hoping that, in showing the casual day of a Trans Lifeline operator, someone out there may picture a future for themself. Those who volunteer their time to this organization have been in the exact same place, and most often are just a few steps ahead and ready to help.

I’m super thankful for Leif, who took the time not only to star in this commercial last minute, but put themself out there, on camera, as trans. On more casual terms, Leif absolutely rocked it. I was shocked to find out that acting for the screen was entirely new to them. Leif is also a past hotline operator, and provided more authenticity and insight than I could have imagined.

My boyfriend Holiday was so insanely helpful in the planning stages of this project, as well as casting. He’s the one who first suggested Trans Lifeline to me when I was searching for nonprofits offering transgender support.

I am lucky. At the end of the day, I have lived a cis, white, middle class life. I recognize that I am not the most ideal director for the job, but that didn’t stop me from trying. There is definitely a hesitation when it comes to producing the stories of people from marginalized backgrounds. This mindset, along with much more problematic stances, are the reason we don’t see as much representation in the media. With the proper devotion, research, and peer review, this project still happened. My team and I worked insanely hard on it, and that made all the difference.

@translifeline

USA: 877-565-8860

CA: 877-330-6366

translifeline.org

Actor: Leif Moore

Cinematography: Boang (Simon) Xu

Location & strategy: Ayaana Nyak

Research & strategy: Jianing (Flora) Cai