HBO Leena, one of the subjects of the Transhood documentary
The documentary Transhood is years in the making as it follows four transgender youths for five years of their young lives. It premieres Thursday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
If you don’t have HBO and you’ve used your HBO Max free trial, here are some other ways you can watch Transhood streaming online for free:
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Amazon Prime’s HBO Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch all live and on-demand HBO content on the Prime HBO channel. You can try both Amazon Prime and the HBO Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime HBO Channel, you can watch Transhood live or on-demand on the Amazon Video app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
Watch HBO on Hulu
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV. If you’re a new subscriber, you can start a free 30-day trial of regular Hulu plus the HBO add-on:
Once signed up, you can watch Transhood live or on-demand on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
‘Transhood’ Preview
Filmed over the course of five years in Kansas City, Transhood is an inspiring chronicle of the lives of four young people and their families as they each navigate growing up transgender in America’s heartland. The documentary offers a long-range insight into the unique journeys of four transgender youths (ages 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) as they redefine “coming of age” and share personal realities of how gender expression is reshaping their American families. Moving and thought-provoking, the film explores how these families struggle and stumble through parenting, and how the kids are challenged and transformed as they experience the complexity of their identities.
Transhood captures the nuanced and authentic stories of four courageous families. While every journey is different, they share their honest and varied experiences as the young people display incredible resilience, facing rejection from their peers, body dysphoria, and escalating political rhetoric that strives to invalidate LGBTQ+ lives. All the while, the older kids navigate the minefield of adolescence. Sharing their most vulnerable moments, the parents reveal their ambivalence, doubts, and missteps as they too transform over time.
Amid the politically and religiously conservative Kansas City community between 2014 and 2019, the parents grapple with their own adjustments to parenting while often facing resistance from extended family.
Through intimately shot verité footage of these families, Transhood takes us into the lives of:
- Jay, who we first meet at age 12 and matures markedly both physically and emotionally throughout the film, struggling with a painful “outing” by his peers. He starts hormone blockers and while his mother is supportive of that step, they argue about their differing views around the very personal issue of disclosure.
- Avery, who is 7 years old when the film begins, is eager to help change the world for other trans kids and, with her parents’ support, becomes a high-profile advocate, and National Geographic even features her picture on the cover of their issue on gender. Over the years, Avery grows wary of being in the public eye and makes her feelings known as she decides to pursue a different course.
- Leena, who we meet at age 15, takes her family and best friend on an unexpected emotional journey as she becomes increasingly uncomfortable with adolescence. As Leena deals with the disappointment of her first love and works towards becoming a fashion model, she also experiences her personal goal of gender confirmation surgery when she turns 19.
- Phoenix, who is a self-proclaimed “girl-boy” at 4 years old and later identifies as a girl but ultimately identifies as male by age 7. As Phoenix’s gender fluidity impacts the entire family, parents Molly and Zach struggle with their marriage and differing views on how to be the best parents to Phoenix.
Others featured in the film include pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Jill Jacobson, gender affirmation surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers, and others.
Transhood premieres Thursday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.