Trans Pride Brighton Launches With Film Screening: “To Screen Films With Trans Themes, Made by Trans People Gives Me Great Joy”

This year marks ten years of Trans Pride Brighton, the longest-standing trans pride event. The four-day-long event, celebrating trans joy and bringing attention to the changes needed to create a society that values and protects the trans community, is a grass-roots community-led movement. With over 10,000 people attending annually, Brighton Trans Pride aims to “inspire all trans, intersex, gender variant and queer people to help make a real difference by celebrating trans lives and gender diversity.”

The Brighton events follows the success of London Trans+ Pride which took place in the capital last weekend and despite tens of thousands in attendance, was largely unreported by mainstream non-LGBTQ+ press, many speculating that this is because so many people showing up in support of trans rights does not fit with their anti-trans narrative.

To launch the series of events, My Genderation organized a film screening featuring short films centring trans filmmakers and stories. With a mix of fiction and non-fiction, the event also featured speeches from organizer Fox Fisher and the rest of the team behind Trans Pride Brighton.

My Genderation is a film and resource project that celebrates trans lives and trans experiences. Having now produced over one hundred films, they are an invaluable resource in helping create “films about trans people, for everyone.”

Highlights from the evening included Lucas, a short film directed by Pablo Velho that follows the story of Lucas struggling to pay for his gender-affirming healthcare, exploring themes of sexual assault, inequality and the importance of mental health. Another high point of the programme was Transpassing, written by Danuta Janiszewski, following the main character Quinn’s first day on testosterone, equal parts funny and poignant, it mixed humour with some of the very real pressures faced by trans men.

“As a founder and trustee of Trans Pride Brighton, the oldest Trans Pride event in Europe, it’s been such a pleasure curating the film night every year via My Genderation,” says Fox Fisher, co-founder and organizer of Trans Pride Brighton.

“Around April, we put a call out for films with trans themes via Film Freeway. It’s hard to believe this is our 10th year. When we first started, we were screening a lot of My Genderation films and a lot of documentaries. In recent years, fictional content has been in the majority. This year, we moved a day forward to be on the Thursday, so the GALA at the Dome could be on the Friday night.

To screen films with trans themes made by trans people gives me great joy. This year, we’ve been screening films via W hotels and Soho Houses, which is such a different audience to the largely trans audience we attract for the Trans Pride Film Screening.”

Fox Fisher, speaking at Trans Pride Film Screening, 13th July 2023

Trans Pride Brighton continues into the weekend with their 10th Anniversary Fundraising Gala: A Night of Trans Joy, taking place tonight, Friday 15^th July, at the iconic Brighton venue, The Dome. Tickets are still available, with the event welcoming supporters and allies of the trans community and featuring performances from global drag superstars Dr Cheddar Gorgeous and Dakota Schiffe.

Following this, Saturday 15^th July sees Trans Pride Brighton back in the streets for the annual march. Starting in Jubilee Square and ending with a park celebration in Brunswick Square, this will see thousands head to the streets in support of trans rights and feature speeches from prominent activists and community changemakers. That evening the Trans Pride After Party is taking place at Concord with an unrivalled lineup platform the very best trans talent, including DJ Xzan, Wet Mess, Felix Mufti and more.

Lastly, Sunday closes the event with a relaxed beach party. Find out more about the full lineup and how you can support Trans Pride Brighton, a fully volunteer-led charity event.