Image courtesy of missmajorfilm.com

Filmmakers Annalise Ophelian (producer/director) and Storm Miguel Florez (co-producer) have raised more than $27,000 online towards the production of their film MAJOR! – a documentary love letter and oral history of the life and times of activist and proverbial mother Miss Major. With the recent opening of the Miss Major-Jay Toole Building for Social Justice here in New York City and MAJOR! exceeding its KickStarter funding goals, the story and work of Miss Major Griffin-Gracy is taking a front seat on trans-gender oppression. Also couldn’t help but notice how this story is in the Zeitgeist with Orange is the new Black’s  Laverne Cox playing transgender woman Sophia Burset who went to prison with a son on the outside  – a storyline honoring closely the life story of this legend. Knowing little about Miss Major but with this topic trending, this should be a great time for this films release.

After the murder of a dear transgender friend was ruled a suicide by police, Miss Major realized the intense need her community had for activism and began the “do it ourselves” strategy of change she still works toward today. As the Executive Director of the Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGI Justice Project) in Oakland, CA this ageless (as folks says she’ll give different ages all the time, teehee) wonder continues to affect the lives and fight for the rights of transgender persons worldwide.

by Dorit Avganim