TR&NSCEND

A study exploring the platform of moving images aimed at understanding gender dysphoria in the transgender community

Sig Singson

In the Philippines, local terms like bakla, tomboy, tibo, or, bading are used to describe masculine females and feminine males. Those terms have been overgeneralized to define the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community (LGBT). This overgeneralization can lead to people believing that these words are interchangeable when in fact lesbian, gay, and bisexual are sexual orientations while transgender is a gender identity.

It is not uncommon to come across infographics in social media defining the LGBT acronym. The definition for transgender is usually "when a person's gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth". While this is not wrong, what is missing is defining what causes the incongruency of biological sex and gender identity; that incongruency is called gender dysphoria.

Pursuing a short documentary comes from the realization on LGBT representation in local media. They are portrayed mostly as a side character, commonly the comedic relief in the plot, the "gay best friend". PJ Raval's documentary, Call Her Ganda, is an example of transgenders as a main subject in moving images, albeit a more serious film as it focuses on Jennifer Laude's case.

The moving images exhibits the definition of transgender and gender dysphoria based on the American Psychiatric Association and how these two words relate to the individual’s experience. TR&NScend is a combination of the word transcend, which means to exceed the range of limits, and the ampersand symbol ‘&’ which simply means ‘and’ or ‘to continue’. These two combined generates the idea of going beyond a transgender individual’s assigned gender and to continue life as it is.

Sig is a visual communication student who is on the lookout to hone his creative skills through means of photo and video.

Growing up in Hong Kong made him fascinated with high rise buildings and concrete jungles which made him explore street photography.

His other interests and hobbies include staying updated with the latest gadgets and tech, playing video games, playing the guitar, muay thai, and trying to make the perfect cup of coffee.

Email: signasingson@gmail.com
All links: sisiggie.carrd.co