Heightened Scrutiny (2025)
Director: Sam Feder Run Time: 89 min. Release Year: 2025
Starring: Chase Strangio, Gina Chua, Jelani Cobb, Laverne Cox, Lydia Polgreen
Country: United States
Languages: English
Please join us for a panel discussion on Saturday, August 2, 2025 after the film with Liam Strausbaugh with National Association of Social Workers-Ohio Chapter, Joseph Zé Soza with Equality Ohio, and Liam Gallagher with Kaleidoscope Youth Center.
About the film:
Heightened Scrutiny (2025) follows Chase Strangio, ACLU attorney and the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, as he fights a high-stakes legal battle to overturn Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (United States v. Skrmetti).
The film exposes the dangerous role of mainstream media in fueling anti-trans legislation, uncovering how biased coverage drives hate, endangers lives, and threatens democracy itself. With insights from journalists like Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen, and Gina Chua, and activists like Laverne Cox, the story dismantles anti-trans disinformation and highlights its devastating real-world impact.
With the dangerous SCOTUS decision upholding the ban on life-saving healthcare, Heightened Scrutiny (2025) is an urgent call to action against bigotry and injustice.
About the filmmaker:
Sam Feder is a Peabody Award-nominated film director and writer. Sam’s films explore the intersection of visibility and politics along the lines of race, class, and gender. Sam directed the award-winning Netflix Original documentary DISCLOSURE (2020) and the widely acclaimed documentary Kate Bornstein Is a Queer & Pleasant Danger.
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