Heightened Scrutiny
Director Sam Feder (2020’s Disclosure) follows ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio all the way to the United States Supreme Court as he argues to overturn Tennessee’s bigoted attempt to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth.
Tickets
Select showtime for pricing and tickets.
Sunday, May 18, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Monday, May 19, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
Monday, May 26 - Sunday, June 1, 2025
- Limited Availability
- On Standby
- Matinee
This doc’s title refers to standards by which a court determines the viability of a law (from Wikipedia: “The law must advance an important governmental interest, the intrusion must significantly further that interest, and the intrusion must be necessary to further that interest”). It also refers, of course, to the public role of ACLU attorney Chase Strangio as he prepares to argue, in December 2024, before SCOTUS in United States v. Skrmetti, a case challenging Tennessee’s banning of gender-affirming health care for trans minors. To hyper-simplify the challengers’ argument: Since certain kinds of gender-affirming care (puberty blockers, hormone therapy) are allowed for cis children, forbidding them for trans kids violates both the 14th Amendment and Title VII. On the other side, the specious who-will-protect-the-children? rationalization for the ban obsesses over the 1% of gender-transitioners who have had second thoughts and detransitioned—as if regretting getting married were a legitimate reason to outlaw weddings. Alongside Strangio’s preparations for the highest-profile case of his career so far, we follow NYC eighth-grader Mila and her exuberant adventures in trans advocacy. And the interviewees chosen by director Sam Feder are not shy about placing blame, demonstrating how the media have fueled anti-trans sentiment by running far more stories on detransitioning than the numbers would warrant, under the guise of (say it with us) “just asking questions.” As a result: Between 2021 and 2024, 23 states, up from zero, passed laws restricting gender-affirming care.
—Gavin Borchert
- Director: Sam Feder
- Principal Cast: Chase Strangio
- Country: USA
- Year: 2025
- Running Time: 85 min.
- Producer: Amy Scholder, Sam Feder, Paola Mendoza
- Cinematographers: Martin DiCicco, Mariam Dwedar
- Editors: Emelie Mahdavian
- Music: Jonathan Sanford
- Website: Official Film Website
- Filmography: Disclosure (2020), Kate Bornstein Is a Queer & Pleasant Danger (2014)
- Language: English
- Format: DCP
- US Distributor: The Film Collaborative