NEW YORK — The cast and crew of the award-winning Amazon series "Transparent" today released a Public Service Announcement urging support for Gavin Grimm, a transgender high school student whose lawsuit against his school board over its refusal to allow him to use the boys' restroom helped bring the fight for transgender rights to the national stage.
The American Civil Liberties Union represents Grimm in his suit. Although the Supreme Court sent the case back to the appeals court this week, the case has helped build awareness and illustrate the widespread support for transgender people.
The PSA, streaming here, continues to illuminate how important Grimm's case has become as a rallying point for Americans everywhere, and features the testimony and heartfelt reflections of "Transparent" cast members Jeffrey Tambor, Judith Light, Jay Duplass, Gaby Hoffmann, Trace Lysette, and Alexandra Billings, as well as creator Jill Soloway.
"The cast and crew of 'Transparent' are deeply connected to the trans civil rights movement," said Zackary Drucker, director of the PSA and a producer on the show. "While in the thick of Season 4 production, our entire team made it a priority to rally around Gavin and express solidarity with trans youth everywhere; it was incredibly inspiring."
The idea for the PSA emerged from conversations between Drucker and ACLU attorney Chase Strangio about ways to amplify Grimm's case. Several "Transparent" trans and gender non-conforming crew members spearheaded production, including Drucker; Rain Valdez, who served as producer; and Mel Mel Sukekawa-Mooring, who served as editor.
"Through this labor of love, the 'Transparent' team continues illustrating the breadth of incredible support that exists virtually everywhere for Gavin and the transgender community," said James Esseks, director of ACLU's LGBT Project. "We are continuing this fight through the court system and in the streets, fueled by the support and work of people in every corner of this nation to ensure the rights and dignity of trans people are respected."
"On 'Transparent' we come to work with a feeling of gratitude, and we are united by our duty to serve the LGBT community," said Drucker. "We seek ways of being supportive and proactive, and since so many of us were trans youth not long ago, we feel an acute responsibility to protect both future generations and the hurt children within us."
The PSA adds to the growing number of voices from across the country that has come out in support of Grimm. Last week, individuals and institutions from across the country representing a diverse and extraordinary cross-section of interests, perspectives, and concerns rallied behind Grimm by filing friend-of-court briefs with the Supreme Court.
In recent weeks, Grimm's case has been highlighted by a number of leading figures in the entertainment world, including Laverne Cox's mention of him on stage at the Grammys, as well as his story being featured on a number of national television programs, including The Daily Show, The Ellen Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The View, and many others.
More information about Grimm's case, as well as stories and personal accounts of people from across the country who are standing with him are here:
Stand With Gavin: Medium Page
medium.com/stand-with-gavin .
Gavin Grimm Facebook
Facebook.com/GavinGrimmVA .
Gavin Grimm Twitter
@GavinGrimmVA .
Collection of Amicus Briefs:
www.aclu.org/cases/gg-v-gloucester-county-school-board .
This release can be found here: www.aclu.org/news/cast-amazon-series-transparent-releases-psa-urging-support-gavin-grimm .
