Actress and singer Brady Peeti (she/her) is the host of TransGenerations. As she puts it; “I’m big, I’m brown and I’m a woman – a proud trans woman, so I guess I’m as visible as it gets”. Brady shares her life story, explaining how, despite being raised in conservative, provincial Timaru she managed to become who she truly was with the support of her parents. She joins protestors in Auckland’s Albert Park to oppose anti-trans activist Posie Parker and reflects on her mixed feelings after Parker is silenced. To make sense of a simultaneous rise in trans visibility and an anti-trans backlash, it’s time, Brady decides, to allow trans people of all generations to tell their own stories.
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Lexie (she/her) was born at the end of World War II, before the word transgender had even been coined. From as early as she can remember she realised she was different and so so did her mother. “She dressed me as a girl and called me Sally,” Lexie remembers. After decades of heartache and mental health struggles, Lexie finally began her transition at the age of 50, supported by her wife Cushla. She feels lucky to be part of a loving, happy family – the couple have a son, 20-year-old Finn – and takes every opportunity to help families with similar issues through her favourite sports, archery and karate.
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Gemmah (she/her) grew up in rural Tairawhiti but, realising she was different, headed for the big city as soon as she could. She remembers the first time she saw Carmen, the legendary drag queen, on the streets of Wellington and knew instantly that was who she wanted to be. As with so many trans women of her time, Gemmah landed up in sex work after being unable to get a job after she transitioned. This led to her spending time in prison, where her concern for other trans women who were treated badly by the system led her to start a programme for trans women in jail. We follow Gemma and her friends Jade and Shannon at rehearsals for her kapa haka group, Ahakoa Te Aha, as they prepare to play at the Big Gay Out.
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Phylesha (she/her) is a long-time advocate for the Pasifika trans community, equally at home lobbying governments and the United Nations or delivering food parcels to people in need. She tells Brady about the day she realised who she really was – as a teenager watching a group of Samoan trans women playing netball on a public court. She also talks frankly about her background in sex work and how that led her to become a community worker and activist.
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Sarah Michelle (she/her) is the world’s first international transgender netball coach. Sarah tells Brady how, in netball, she’s found inclusion, pride and family - but has also faced discrimination and bigotry. “Netball ended up being my safe space and my happy place,” she tells Brady. ”I wasn’t the butt of the jokes, I wasn’t picked on.” During the day she coaches mixed gender netball teams. At night she ventures onto South Auckland’s tough streets to give support to trans sex workers who she prefers to call “survival workers” – in acknowledgement that, like many trans women of colour, they have few other employment opportunities.
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Although there are as many trans men as there are trans women in New Zealand, over 90 percent of public attention is focussed on trans women. To gain more insight into the trans male experience Brady spends time with Rhi (he/him), a community worker, literary festival organiser and dance and fitness enthusiast. Rhi tells Brady of his struggles find his true identity. Despite those difficulties he sees more opportunity and hope for his generation of trans people than there were for past generations whose lives were mainly a daily battle for survival.
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Shaneel (they/them) was raised in Fiji but their family left that country to escape the abusive practise of conversion therapy which Shaneel was subjected to. Ever since then they have been a vocal activist for trans rights, a social media influencer and a newspaper columnist. We follow Shaneel to protest rallies, university (where they are completing a law degree) and to the New Zealander of the year awards where they are named 2023’s Young New Zealander of the Year.
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After (almost) completing her journey Brady decides it’s time to delve into her own past. She returns to Timaru to reconnect with her parents, Howard and Erica. They tell her how they’ve always supported Brady and love her regardless of her gender identity. Brady also visits her old school and is surprised by the warm reception she receives. Despite fears she might face hostility in during her visit she instead discovers that even small, conservative Timaru has now become more accepting and open of trans and gay people.
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