Fund This: New Doc Explores Life for Trans Men in Singapore

With transgender issues in the United States becoming more visible every day through the work of icons such as Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and Carmen Carrera, it can be difficult to realize how much work is still left to be done. Despite the increasing publicity the trans community in the United States is receiving, there are still parts of the world where people have little exposure to our struggles. Christopher Kohr lives in such a place.

Kohr, hailing from the island nation of Singapore, is a trans man who, through sharing his unique story, hopes to combat the isolation he feels in a community that often fails to recognize his existence. Growing up in a conservative, Christian society with both religious and cultural stigmas against the LGBT community, Chris felt alone, with nobody to give him answers or guidance regarding what others would label his “condition.” Still, despite the lack of legal protections for LGBT people in Singapore as well as vocal opposition from groups such as the anti-gay “Wear White Campaign,” he pushed on with his transition and, after meeting another trans-man for the first time while studying in San Francisco, decided that he wanted to help others like himself.

After he and his friend Geraldine Lee discussed the lack of visibility for trans men in Singapore, they both decided this was an issue worth documenting and began gathering a crew and setting into pre-production on a documentary meant to help create a more empathetic and inclusive society.

In the time that the film’s crew has known Chris, they report that he has done much to open their eyes to transgender issues that they previously had no idea existed. Despite risks to their personal and professional lives, including the chance that they could be ostracized, fired, or targeted by any number of groups, they feel that his is a voice that needs to be heard.

Their documentary, cheekily titled Some Reassembly Required, aims to follow Chris and a group of other trans men through their lives as they work to educate their community about transgender issues and raise visibility for Singapore’s transgender, especially trans male, population. It will culminate in Chris getting bottom surgery and changing his gender marker on his government identification.

The production team has set up an informative website that further explains their goals and projected schedule as well as an Indiegogo which is set to close on August 18. Check out the teaser for the project below: