If you missed the series My Transsexual Summer which finished last week, I would highly recommend a catch-up with this inspirational documentary on 4OD before it's too late; there's only one day left to view the first episode!
Summer to most people is a time to relax in the garden, spend time with the kids or have a change by doing a bit of DIY, but for seven brave individuals last summer was a major turning point in their lives. Channel 4's My Transsexual Summer grouped together seven individuals who identified as the opposite sex and supported them with adjusting to their new genders and also their new lifestyles. The emotional roller coaster felt by the participants not only highlighted the difficult decisions that they had to make, but also encapsulated the viewers on their own ignorance-reducing journey.
The four-part series took a frank and extremely honest look at the transition periods of three female born (Fox, Max and Lewis) and four male born (Sarah, Karen, Drew and Donna) transsexuals as they told family members, contemplated surgery and also searched for a "normal" life, without being stared at down the street. The final episode ended with an emotional look at the long journey each of them had been through in such a short period of time and showed how the seven of them saw each other as a new family, especially for those who had faced such discrimination from their own families that they had been shunned and disowned.
It was not all bleak though, as the programme also highlighted how some family bonds are so strong that their child's gender really did not matter. It was incredibly really touching to see Lewis' dad held a fundraiser to raise money for his transgender operation, and to see Max's grandma defy the generation gap and support him fully, even though his own parents did not.
Channel 4 notoriously supports and advances the eradication of prejudice through its programme-making, such as with Seven Dwarves and Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice, and My Transsexual Summer is no different in its approach to this agenda. Having tweeted along to the programme over the weeks (#transsummer), I noticed how viewers opinions changed once they started to understand each of the individuals. Programme's like this have the fantastic ability to educate the general public on matters that are often hidden from public view, and highlight the power that the media can have over public perceptions.
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