Today, it was announced that the groundbreaking documentary feature, TransMilitary, will premiere at the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, TX, this March. TransMilitary is the first feature length film project to receive funding from the GLAAD Media Institute, announced in late 2017.

TransMilitary chronicles the lives of four American transgender troops defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own, and the larger efforts to bring an end to the ban on transgender people serving openly in the U.S. military. Director Gabriel Silverman, Co-Director Fiona Dawson, and Producer Jamie Coughlin previously created the popular Emmy®-nominated 2015 New York Times Op-Doc “Transgender, at War and in Love.”

“The TransMilitary team is thrilled to be premiering at SXSW 2018. We thank all of our supporters who have been by our side for the last several years,” said Dawson. “At a time when the Pentagon and White House continue to deliberate on open transgender service, now is the perfect time for this film to be released.”

The GLAAD Media Institute provides engagement, training and education for LGBTQ and allied community members and organizations desiring to deepen their media impact. Using the best practices perfected by GLAAD for more than 30 years of experience leveraging media to create change, GLAAD is training a new generation to accelerate acceptance for LGBTQ people, as well as other marginalized communities. The GLAAD Media Institute provided a grant to the film, which includes promotion, media outreach, and visibility assistance for the project.

“As the Trump administration continues to attack trans Americans at every turn, including proposing a ban on trans service members, it is more vital than ever to elevate the experiences of trans service members,” said Zeke Stokes, Vice President of Programs at GLAAD, and an Executive Producer of TransMilitary, “SXSW provides a massive platform to share the important and powerful stories in of these brave patriots who want nothing more than to serve the country they love.”

Funding for TransMilitary comes as part of GLAAD’s commitment to elevate the voices and stories of trans service members. In 2017, GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis walked the red carpet of the MTV VMAs to ensure that the real people who would be affected by Trump’s proposed military ban would be front and center to the American public. GLAAD also invited Laila Ireland to speak at the 2017 GLAAD Gala San Francisco to tell her story. Check out her speech below: