GLAAD announced a grant for TransMilitary on the heels of Trans Awareness Week, which marks the first feature length film project to receive funding from the GLAAD Media Institute. Deadline.com just broke the news. The documentary chronicles the lives of four American transgender troops defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own, and the larger efforts to help rescind the military ban on transgender service members serving openly. 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.” TransMilitary will make its world premiere in 2018.

Earlier this year several subjects of the documentary joined GLAAD on the red carpet at the MTV VMAs to speak about their service in response to President Trump’s proposed ban on transgender people in the U.S. military. And just today, a second federal judge has ruled against Trump’s transgender military ban.

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 is providing a grant to the film, which includes promotion, media outreach, and visibility assistance for the project.

“We are so thrilled GLAAD is supporting TransMilitary,” said Dawson. “By providing resources for this film GLAAD will help amplify the stories of transgender Americans that will help change hearts and minds.”

“With an administration fixated on removing rights from trans Americans and banning them from military service, it is more important than ever to amplify the experiences of trans service members,” said Zeke Stokes, VP of Programs at GLAAD and a veteran of the fight to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. “The powerful stories in ‘TransMilitary’ are vital to fighting against Trump’s proposed military ban and ensuring full equality for all service members, who wish to do nothing more than serve the country they love and keep their commitments to the military.” 

To learn more about the film, visit transmilitary.org.