I had known beforehand that communities and families of trans and gender-nonconforming people existed to provide love and support for members of those communities, but I didn’t realize until watching Major! how much effort and energy some of these communities were willing to put into providing this support, even to people who weren’t necessarily personally known within that family. I found it very moving that Miss Major and the organization TGIJP were so deeply committed to paying close attention to and showing love and understanding towards every member of the family and larger community, even writing letters and keeping that close relationship and sense of deep connection with trans people in jail that they had never met before. I thought it was interesting, too, that Miss Major was so devoted to fostering commitment and dedication to the community, seeking her daughters out soon after they got out of jail to make sure they came back to TGIJP to help support others still in jail, rather than just focusing on their own lives. I found myself wondering how Miss Major had the resources and, more significantly, the strength to do all of this for her family and community, especially in the midst of all of the oppression and hatred she faced; I doubt I would be so immediately able to set aside my own problems and focus on the safety and well-being of everyone else in the community first.
Major! Directed by Annalise Ophelian, What Do We Want Films, 2015.
SB