A Girl Like Him tells a powerful, socially relevant story
This poignant film explores the life of a small-town, non-binary teen navigating the complexities of identity, love, friendship and the impact of their brave choices.
The Michigan premier screening of the award-winning film A Girl Like Him, directed by Amy S. Weber, is happening at the Emagine Theatre in Novi, Michigan on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
Today’s the day we reserve to give thanks for the bounty that Mother Earth provides each season as well as every day. It’s also a time to express gratitude for the folks in our lives.
I’d like to take a moment to thank all the folks I’ve interviewed over the past year. Sharing your knowledge, lived experience and, most importantly, solutions for some of the intersecting existential crises we face today was both generous and invaluable. And, I’m grateful.
Thanks also to the folks who subscribe to Small Change — especially those who show their appreciation for my labour through paid subscriptions and renewals.
I’d like to leave you with the beautiful Raffi Cavourkian song I used to play for my kids before our dinner on this day — enjoy and Thanks A Lot!
I thought I’d also take this opportunity to ramp the guilt up a notch to let readers know that tomorrow’s my birthday! So, that’s also a perfect time to show your gratitude if you find Small Change offers you a credible alternative to main stream corporate media.
And, here’s my favourite happy birthday song that I’m sending out to every Libra who innately believes they need to keep everyone happy! Sound familiar? Uh huh!!!
Here’s your happy birthday song by India Arie who also just happens to be a Libra! Go figure! May your day be filled with dahlias and sunflowers, opals, endless desserts and a good dose of social justice.
Now, on to more important issues and solutions.
An unforgettable evening has been planned for the Michigan premier of A Girl Like Him. The event is also a fundraiser for True Colors United and Humble Design. These organizations provide support to unhoused 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and work with them to establish systems and policies to end homelessness.
The coming-of-age drama, A Girl Like Him, has not only garnered well deserved critical acclaim, it also won “Best Of” awards at Cannes World Film Festival, Toronto International Women’s Festival, and New York’s Cinema Awards.
This poignant film explores the life of a small-town, non-binary teen navigating the complexities of identity, love, friendship as well as the impacts of their brave choices. Throughout the film are glimmers of hope and reasons to smile. Most notably for me, when the The Proclaimers sing I’m gonna be (500 miles) while Lennon, the protagonist, proudly proclaims their right to self-determination and newfound confidence through wardrobe choices and a new haircut.
A Girl Like Him builds on filmmaker Amy S. Weber’s commitment to telling powerful, socially relevant stories. Weber’s critically-acclaimed 2015 film A Girl Like Her, brought the issue of bullying to the forefront by chronicling the experiences of a high school girl pushed too far by her peers. The groundbreaking film, streamed on Netflix, resonated with a global audience.
Reflecting on the impact of her work, Weber shared, “This time, I wanted to focus on a coming-of-age story centered around a small town, non-binary teen coming to terms with their true self. A Girl Like Him is a film our world needs now more than ever. My hope is that with this film and event, we can help in some way to bring much-needed empathy, understanding, and change.”
After changing their appearance, Lennon faces challenges at home and school. However, the unwavering support of their Noona, as well as an astute teacher and eventually their mother, Lennon finds the strength they need.
Unfortunately, Lennon’s life-long friend, Justin, becomes the target of abuse from the captain of the football team simply for being Lennon’s friend. That abuse is so unrelenting it pushes Justin to the brink of disaster.
Lennon was fortunate, because even while navigating tumultuous times at home and school, they were still able to live under his parents’ roof. It’s all too well documented that many 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are not as fortunate and often find themselves living on the streets.
In the United States (US), 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year. 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are 120 per cent more likely to experience homelessness than hetero and cis youth.
True Colors United, co-founded by musician and activist Cyndi Lauper, works to ensure 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are centered in the solutions to end youth homelessness as well as the discrimination and abuse they face worldwide.
As of August 2024, nearly 500 anti-2SLGBTQIA+ bills had either been introduced, were advancing across House and Senate floors, or had passed, across the US. To put that into perspective, in 2023 a total of 503 anti-2SLGBTQIA+ bills were introduced with over half of them targeting trans youth.
Humble Design is another important part of the unhoused solution. The non-profit furnishes apartments and homes for folks leaving the shelter system and the streets.
A study published by the National Institutes of Health found that approximately 50 per cent of families return to homelessness within one year of securing housing.
Astonishingly, fewer than two per cent of the families Humble Design assists return to the shelter system. That’s because finding shelter is only the first step.
By custom designing and fully furnishing apartments and homes for individuals, families and veterans, Humble Design provides the life-changing fresh start needed to move onto a better future without the added stress and expense of outfitting a new space.
“Far too many LGBTQ+ individuals continue to experience violence and discrimination based simply on who they are, even in places where they live. Housing is more than just a commodity; it is a basic human right that supports personal dignity, social justice, and the well-being of communities. The passionate and dedicated work behind True Colors United and Humble Design are grounded in these fundamental beliefs that prioritizing housing as a human right is essential to building inclusive and equitable societies where everyone has a safe and secure place to call home,” Weber told Small Change via email.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 2SLGBTQIA+ folks are twice as likely as the general population to experience severe poverty and homelessness. Queer women in particular are four times as likely to be unhoused – a reality that has ties to the broader issue of women’s homelessness.
Approximately 10 per cent of the Canadian population identifies as 2SLGBTQIA+. Yet, estimates suggest 2SLGBTQIA+ youth make up between 25 and 40 per cent of homeless youth in Canada.
Accessing housing as a 2SLGBTQIA+ youth is extremely challenging and makes them the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Unfortunately, specialized housing initiatives that meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are almost non-existent in Canada. That’s why many choose to sleep on the street rather than accessing shelters where their needs are not met; they are more likely to experience discrimination and violence; services are often segregated by gender; and workers often misgender youth.
True Colors United’s research identified housing and identity-related supports as the main requests made by lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning youth experiencing homelessness.
Unhoused transgender youth cited housing as their greatest need followed by access to transition-related supports including access to legal support, name/gender marker change, access to healthcare specific to transgender youth, access to hormones, and emotional support.
Canada has a Housing First model that’s meant to rapidly move unhoused folks from the street or emergency shelters into stable, long-term housing with supports.
That model could be enhanced to specifically serve 2SLGBTQIA+ youth by adopting some CMHC recommendations including:
developing a wide range of housing options, from emergency shelters to long-term housing
prioritizing permanent independent living, with support systems available when needed
involving 2SLGBTQIA+ youth throughout the development process
hiring more staff members who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+
choosing safe and welcoming neighbourhoods
offering support services for substance abuse, mental health issues and trauma care
creating whole communities rather than isolated buildings
using an intersectional approach to address discrimination
Perhaps the biggest challenge to solving the unhoused crisis for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth is voting in municipal, provincial and federal governments with the political will to robustly address the unhoused 2SLGBTQIA+ youth crisis to ensure their constitutional and human rights are protected and enforced.
“A Girl Like Him is a story that our world needs now, more than ever before, as our LGBTQ+ family is facing some of the most unimaginable backlash, especially our trans and non-conforming gender individuals. My hope is that with a film like A Girl Like Him, we can help open hearts and minds, and inspire more understanding and empathy,” stated Weber.
A Girl Like Him is a necessary film that should be shown in high schools, colleges, universities and youth groups across the country.
The Michigan premier of A Girl Like Him (2024) features a VIP pre-event reception, a red-carpet experience as well as a chance to meet the cast and crew.
A question-and-answer session will be held with Weber, representatives from True Colors United, Treger Strasberg from Humble Design and members of the cast.
Tickets for the October 23rd premiere are available now – evening attire only.
Watch the trailer for A Girl Like Him. Full film is 1hour 40 minutes.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.