Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Personalized picks at your fingertips

Get the mobile app on iOS and Android

Parents' Guide to

True Trans with Laura Jane Grace

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Gender-identity issues loom large on moving docuseries.

TV AOL Drama 2014
True Trans with Laura Jane Grace Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

"Nothing is more important than being comfortable in your own skin," says one of the interviewees in True Trans, looking straight into the camera. "It's as important as the air you breathe." The men and women the viewer meets in True Trans are, at last, more comfortable in their skins, though it took a lot of suffering to get there. Each episode details a different pain point: the horror of going through puberty and suddenly realizing your body is alien and profoundly not right; the reasons why suicide is so common among transgender people; and, perhaps most movingly, the glimpses interviewees got of transgender folks as they were growing up.

Why most movingly? Because as Grace's pals describe seeing their first transgender men and women on trashy daytime talk shows and dumb sitcoms, the viewer slowly becomes aware that this show, right now, is changing that picture. Little boys and girls who only saw transgender people as giant scary messes or something to laugh at are now getting a look at gender outlaws who are proud, successful, and happy. For kids who themselves suffer from gender identify confusion, this is pure gold. But even those who are happy with their identities can glean important messages about being true to yourself and accepting others as they are.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate