With intense scrutiny of the trans community comes threats to the personal safety, healthcare and civil rights of trans people. Just ask Sam Feder (“Disclosure”), director of the timely new documentary “Heightened Scrutiny” that follows ACLU attorney Chase Strangio on his journey all the way to the Supreme Court to fight for the rights of transgender adolescents and their access to gender affirming healthcare.

Sam and producer Amy Scholder join Ken on “Top Docs” to discuss their collaboration on “Disclosure” and their subsequent creative partnership on “Heightened Scrutiny.” Through this multi-layered story, we observe Chase, the first out trans person to argue a case before the Court, up-close as he prepares his legal brief. But, as we talk about in our convo, the film succeeds in going deeper than just being a portrait of a civil rights pioneer. How have mainstream media outlets not only presented a distorted lens on the trans community but provided fodder for the very forces seeking to overturn trans rights? It’s a chilling and urgent story that certainly deserves your heightened interest.

Starting July 18th, “Heightened Scrutiny” is in select theaters in NYC and LA.

Follow:

@samfeder_1 on Instagram and @SamFederFilm on X and @amyjscholder on Instagram

@topdocspod on Instagram and X

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