#asweareseries

A few months ago I embarked upon a journey to take part in a new diverse web series called As We Are, which has just been released: Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7af99... Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NM1A... Episode 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hts3q... Episode 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRbWe... Earlier in 2016, Deborah Espect, the queer writer and producer of the show contacted me about the project, saying she'd written me a role as one of the main leads on the show, a sensitive trans guy. Initially, the series was called Blake, but after reading the script, it was obvious it was more about someone else's journey. The series follows a young woman called Chloe who is still finding her way in life. She shows up at her ex’s house in Brighton to cat-sit. Chloe has a few plans keep herself busy while she’s there, including dates and shopping. During her stay there she gets to know Blake, a neighbour, who is the first trans person she has ever knowingly met. As We Are explores how sexuality and gender often have a complex relationship and how definitions, gender identity, bodies, longings and attraction intertwines and shape our feelings and desires in many ways. In a society that is often very focused on duality and simplicity, a series on LGBTQ issues are an essential part of questioning those norms and raising awareness about the diversity of the human experience. It is fun and light-hearted but also tackles serious and important conversations within the LGBTQ community when it comes down to sexual orientation and gender. I think it’s a great addition to the growing world of diverse web series and I think has all the potential to continue with more seasons and more character development in the future. One of the things that enabled me to become an actor and do roles like this is the Trans Acting course I helped set up in 2015 with Gendered Intelligence at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. The course was aimed at enabling trans people to follow their dreams in acting and give them the capacity and tools to do so. Trans people are often over looked for roles - even roles about trans people - and a course like this was so helpful to those involved, myself included. During the process of As We Are, Deborah asked if me and my partner Owl could advise her on some scenes in the script with trans related dialogue. Owl and I read over the script and suggested a few changes that would make it seem more authentic and real. Deborah was extremely willing to take our comments seriously and saw it as an important part of the process to have trans people actively involved to advise her. I think this is a responsibility that more writers, producers and production companies should take seriously, since trans people have been wrongly represented on film and in the media for so long. As trans people, it´s powerful having direct input on scripts and throughout the creative process. For me, As We Are is a fine example of how a collaborative process can shape our stories to be more realistic and it feels good having an active voice. Nothing about us without us! www.asweareseries.com