Have you ever met a transgender kid? That is the question The GenderCool Project asks in a national television campaign launching today. The high-energy 30 second spot features 11 transgender and non-binary kids ages 13 through 17 playing the team sports they love while talking about how participating in sports makes them feel.
Known as the GenderCool “Champions”, these young people are at the core of GenderCool, a youth-led, youth-inspired organization with a simple mission: help replace misinformed opinions with positive, powerful experiences meeting transgender and non-binary youth who are thriving. The spot, airing nationally, is part of GenderCool’s national education initiative called Play it Out, which aims to help people understand fact from fiction about transgender kids and their connection to sports. “I play sports for the same reasons all kids play sports,” said 17-year-old Amir (he/him), who is prominently featured in the spot. “Sports is like family to me. We show up for each other. I even want to be a coach someday so I can help others get to where they want to be.”