They and Them

At the age of 15, can you know if you ever want to conceive or give birth to a child? The team coordinator at the gender clinic in the Dutch city of Zaandam is doubtful. And yet this is one of the questions he asks the young people who register for psychological guidance. A fellow psychologist trusts that young people know what is good for them. He is a trans man and one of the experts by experience who work at the clinic. Their added value is obvious, but can also cause friction.

The use of language, already such a sensitive instrument, proves to be more complex than some expect. There are those who see it as unnecessary to mention your pronouns when you introduce yourself, but the majority are in favor. When a cis woman states that she’s “simply” attracted to men, eyebrows are raised.

Director Ingrid Kamerling switches smoothly between observation and interviews. Her investigative view drills into the complexity of the organization: the constant money issues, the administrative constraints, the unhealthy workload. Above all, there is a sense of the need to equip young people and their parents as well as possible for the emotional journey of drastic change that lies ahead of them.

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