Synopsis
logline:
A pediatrician-turned-filmmaker turns the camera on himself as he grapples with the emotional, ethical, and political fault lines of providing gender-affirming care to youth—just as a global wave of legislation and a landmark 2025 U.S. Supreme Court ruling threaten to silence it altogether.
long synopsis:
In an era where identity, medicine, and politics converge like never before, True Colors: Conversations in Gender offers a compelling and timely exploration into one of the most hotly debated pediatric health issues of our time: the use of puberty-blocking medications in transgender youth. Framed by President Joe Biden’s assertion that “transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time” and against the backdrop of rapidly shifting cultural, medical, and political landscapes, this documentary sets out to investigate how a once-niche medical intervention has become a global flashpoint.
Over the past decade, the number of children and adolescents identifying as transgender has risen sharply across Western nations—from Vancouver to Stockholm, Sydney to New York. This increase has been accompanied by an equally rapid rise in the use of medical treatments to affirm gender identity, particularly the use of puberty blockers in young people. But how did these treatments, originally developed for conditions like precocious puberty and prostate cancer, become part of a now-standard approach in gender-affirming pediatric care? And at what cost?
True Colors traces the origins of this medical shift, from its roots in Dutch clinical trials to its widespread adoption throughout Europe and North America. Through deeply personal, often emotional conversations with pediatricians, endocrinologists, psychologists, parents, and transgender youth themselves, the film presents a nuanced investigation into the benefits, risks, and ethical complexities of these interventions.
At its core, the film is a journey that is both personal and societal. Shot and edited by a practicing pediatrician who himself prescribes gender-affirming medications, True Colors chronicles the filmmaker’s own evolving perspective on the issue. As he seeks clarity, he confronts the conflicting pressures between upholding medical ethics, respecting patient autonomy, and navigating an increasingly polarized political environment. Set against the broader social backdrop of movements like #MeToo, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and growing legislative actions, such as President Trump’s Executive Order 14187 or the bans on gender-affirming care in several U.S. states and Canadian provinces, the film examines how gender-affirming care has become emblematic of wider cultural and political battles.
In a time when several Western European countries are re-evaluating earlier guidelines on youth medical transition, and as the voices of detransitioners and concerned clinicians grow louder, True Colors acts as a vital documentary touchstone. It asks: What does it mean to affirm a youth’s gender? What are the long-term implications of medicalizing adolescence? And how should doctors, parents, and society respond when the definitions of “doing good” and “doing no harm” are both contested?
Urgent, honest, and unafraid to ask difficult questions, True Colors is an essential film for anyone seeking to understand the real-world stakes of a debate that shows no signs of fading. It is not an exposé, nor an endorsement—it is a call to listen, to reflect, and to truly see the human stories behind the headlines.