Sam Feder's powerful new documentary Heightened Scrutiny delivers a dual impact: an intimate portrait of prominent trans activist and lawyer Chase Strangio while conducting a thorough investigation into how mainstream media has promoted anti-trans narratives. The film serves as both a moving human story and a damning critique of media outlets that have enabled what many describe as a moral panic against transgender people.
The Legal Battle and Media Complicity
The documentary follows ACLU attorney Chase Strangio as he prepares for oral arguments in the crucial Supreme Court case US v Skirmetti. These arguments took place on 4 December 2024, with the court ruling several months later in favour of Tennessee's attorney general, Jonathan Skrmetti. This decision effectively allowed restrictions on medical transition for trans minors to remain in place across more than 20 US states.
Feder completed the film in just 16 months, a significant acceleration compared to the five years spent on his previous Netflix documentary Disclosure. "It was a rush to raise more dialogue so people would know more about the case," Feder explained during a video call. "Not with the intention to change the outcome, because we knew what that was going to be. We wanted people to be more informed."
Humanising the Fight for Trans Rights
Beyond its media critique, the film's most significant contribution may be its compelling portrayal of Strangio, who typically maintains careful boundaries in public appearances. Here, he allows Feder's camera unprecedented access to his personal life and vulnerabilities.
"That was a big challenge, to open up parts of my life to a camera lens that I worked really hard to keep private," Strangio admitted. "Sam basically said to me, 'I want the next generation to know that we tried, I want them to see what was done in the service of these fights for our material survival.'"
The documentary features an impressive roster of trans advocates including Laverne Cox, Semafor executive editor Gina Chua, Media Matters researcher Ari Drennen, and journalist Evan Urquhart. Cisgender allies including Columbia Journalism School dean Jelani Cobb and former NYT Global editorial director Lydia Polgreen also contribute their perspectives.
Personal Moments and Political Struggles
Among the film's most poignant scenes is Strangio getting tattooed with lines from Black civil rights activist Pauli Murray's poem Prophecy. "The tattoo scene is among my favorites in the movie," Strangio shared. "Being tattooed is almost like a meditative experience to me, to be fully present in my body and to be thinking about it as a vessel for things that are meaningful to me."
The documentary also highlights the perspective of trans youth through Mila, a remarkable 12-year-old girl first shown advocating for her community at a New York City school board meeting. Feder described meeting Mila as she approached him saying, "You have my permission to film me." Later, the film shows Mila speaking out for trans rights just outside the Supreme Court.
Feder's approach to filming prioritises making trans subjects feel comfortable and empowered. "When people ask me what they should wear to be interviewed, my response is 'whatever makes you feel hot'," Feder explained. "As trans people, we do struggle so much with our image."
Despite the legal setbacks documented in the film, Strangio maintains a perspective focused on broader liberation. "I don't want people to end up in a place of incessant despair by virtue of what the law is not giving us," he said. "I want to be in a practice of using the law to minimize harm, but not to turn it to some sort of channel for our liberatory potential."
Heightened Scrutiny is available to rent digitally during Trans Awareness Week until 20 November, with a wider release scheduled for a later date.
