I am samantha
“Seeing other trans people gives me hope. I came from the middle of nowhere. To see people happy and smiling, to play characters as people in love—that gives other people hope. I love being trans. I get annoyed when people see being
...MOREtrans as something
other people have to love me in spite of. I’m thankful I’m trans.”
- Alithia
“There’s a lot of trans misrepresentation. Bathroom boogeyman stories, all these strange misinformation campaigns designed to turn folks against trans people and make our lives harder....MORE
I run an organization for homeless LGBT youth. There’s a way we scrape and fight to be who we are. It gives us a particular sense of self. This is a battle we’re in right now.”
- Nasheedah
“I out myself in nearly every conversation. I’m trying to de-stigmatize what people think trans is. Without the visibility of trans individuals before me, I wouldn’t be here. People can watch this video and have it resonate with them,
...MOREsee themselves,
and that is lifesaving. It’s revolutionary, honestly.”
- Skyler
“Transgender representation is long overdue. Trans males especially. I feel like I get to be my authentic self. I’m truly being me and I think other people are starting to see it. I feel free.”
- Fabian
“There are days when I don’t feel like getting out of bed. And there are days that I know if I don’t get out of bed someone is leveraging their perceived power over me. To wake up and be in the world...
MORE every day is a courageous step for trans and non-binary
people. I feel I have a responsibility to be authentic and visible. So the community can grow.”
- Gabrielle
“I’m definitely optimistic. You know, it’s easy to be pessimistic about things when there’s so many bad things that go on. But focusing on the negative, nothing good can come from that. And to be hopeful and optimistic about the future,
...MORE that’s really
the best you can do.”
- Julian
“I’m the Transgender coordinator for Fulton County Board of Health, the first full government position in Atlanta. When I started transitioning, there was nothing, no social media, no TV. Anything we did see was negative. So I lived stealth
...MOREfor many years.
I realized I needed to be out to open up more opportunities for trans people. To be a part of something positive with this video, I think it will change lives. Just to see people like myself, a trans woman of color, in a positive light.”
- Justine
“I had to come into loving myself and accepting me for me. Walking in my own destiny. And I hope other people are inspired by that. Because I know how tough it can be. Knowing who you are? Everything is just going to blossom from there.”
- Nicole
“Seeing our stories played out in the media by people who aren’t trans-identified, it doesn’t always feel true. Bringing our stories to the screen with our own faces is really meaningful. Having lived ...
MOREthrough these experiences in the song,
that’s valuable to me. It’s easy to write people off when you only know them as “other.” Trans people are a target for hatred. Representation is even more important than it’s always been. And music and media touch something in people that facts don’t.”
- Kimble
“When my mother was carrying me she was certain that I was a girl. I’d asked her some years back before I came out as trans, “What other names did you have picked out for me?” And she said just one, because ...
MOREshe was certain I was a girl, and it was “Samantha.”
Benjamin, I think, saw the poetic possibility in that. From the very beginning this song was a story about someone being named. He turned this moment of triumph in my life, and also so many years of pain, into something so beautiful.”
- Samantha
“Trans visibility saves lives. It shows someone they aren’t alone. Gender is on a spectrum. There is no right way to be trans.”
- Frankie
“Trans visibility is important because we already struggle within ourselves enough. It would be great not to have the outside world trying to hold us back at the same time. We already have to fear ...
MOREgetting hired at jobs, being fired from jobs,
being comfortable in our love lives, and possibly being killed just for who we are. It would be nice to be in a world that completely accepts us instead of trying to cast us aside like aliens from outer space.”
- Piper
“There are a lot of people (like me) who could have used an example, or just a friend, to know that there are people like you out there who are successful, and who understand your struggle because they have walked a similar path. Nothing
...MORE is unattainable if you believe in yourself.”
- Fabian
“You know that we are not alone. / I know that we are not alone. / We know that we are not alone.”
- Amir
“I love doing things with other trans groups, like being on the set of “I Am Samantha.” It was a day where I could really be myself and let my guard down. Trans visibility shows people that we are just like everyone else. We pay bills, we
...MORE go to work,
we have friends and partners. Also, it shows younger trans kids there are older trans people of all colors and sizes and ages out there.”
- Oyle
“As an organizer and activist, I want to open up a shelter that is centered around homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth. I want them to have a safe place to go when they’re cast out by their families. I wanted to be part of this video because
...MORE I believe we’re making history.”
- Nasir
“It can feel very lonely. Very isolating. My story has been one of trying to find people who accept me for who I am. Even going to the doctor. They ask you medical history, and it’s like, “Take a seat.” But I believe in due time it will get better.”
- Heather
“I always and unapologetically put the “T” first. Our visibility saves lives. It was amazing being on set and working with some beautiful and inspiring people, all of whom happen to identify as Trans.”
- Tracee
“I’ve been doing activism for 20 years. I created the transgender pride flag. People can unite behind it, it gives us visibility. I’ve made more friends in the time I’ve been trans then I did in the previous 46 years. I have a voice I didn’t have before.”
- Monica
“Trans visibility is also empowering for non-trans people. I feel the more visible we are, the more everyone can start to understand the power of being true to your authentic self. Being on set for “I am Samantha”...
MORE was extremely validating. I did not fully
appreciate the experience until days after the shoot wrapped. I am so thankful to have been part of it.”
- Neely
“So many films and television programs about us are made by cisgender people, most of them engaging in “tragic trans” storylines at best, and “homicidal trans” at worst, which I believe is very dangerous...
MORE for the trans community. It’s wonderful to be part
of a project where trans and gender non-binary folks are centered, both in front of the camera and behind.”
- Jamie
“Trans people are everywhere. Trans people are often portrayed as sick or deviant or confused, and that’s not my experience. I feel clear about who I am. It’s kind of like a superpower that I have this lived experience...
MORE of two different genders. That fills
me with optimism.”
- Melvin
“There have been points too where I’m just like, “I wish I just didn’t have to deal with it all. I wish that I would just not be out and just live my life completely stealth, not tell people I’m trans.” But ultimately...
MORE I remember that me being out is helping
people understand what being trans is and being more accepting of it. So me being out is counteracting exactly why I don’t want to be out.”
- Leo
“While trans people are increasingly visible in mainstream media, just outside the lines of that spotlight, trans lives are still under attack. Violence against trans people and attempts to curtail and/or eliminate our basic civil rights are on the rise
...MORE
(from health care to athletics to employment), which means it's vital that we keep telling our stories, accurately and authentically, in our own voices and through our own lenses. By doing so, we insist that we exist, we live in this
world, we are your neighbors, and our lives...MORE are beautiful and meaningful, even if they are—like all human life—sometimes hard. Getting to construct and portray a world populated entirely by trans people for the "I Am Samantha" video
was, for me, perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime dream, but also an act of defiance and insistence on our right to walk down these streets, live in those houses, worship at that church... And perhaps one day it won't be such a dream at all.”
- T Cooper
about benjamin
about benjamin
Benjamin Scheuer is an American songwriter and performer.
His Drama Desk Award-winning solo-show THE LION premiered off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club 2014, and then toured the United States and the UK, winning the Off-West End Award for Best New
Musical in London. After more than 500 performances, Scheuer gave the last performance at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The album “Songs from THE LION” was released in 2016.With director/animator Peter Baynton, Scheuer has released
four music videos, winning awards at festivals including Annecy Film Festival and the British Animation Awards.With illustrator Jemima Williams, Scheuer has turned his songs “Hibernate With Me” and “Hundred Feet Tall” into children’s books,
both published by Simon and Schuster, and now translated into French and German.Benjamin and photographer Riya Lerner created the photobook “Between Two Spaces” which documents Scheuer’s diagnosis with –and successful treatment for– stage
IV Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of cancer.Scheuer is married to Jemima Williams; they live in London with their daughter and their dog.
previous works
The Lion
THE LION is an autobiographical show that Benjamin wrote and performed. It opened in New York City in 2014, winning a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance; and then toured the United States and the UK, winning the Off-West End Award for Best
New Musical in London.
Hundred Feet Tall
“Hundred Feet Tall” is the second children’s book written by Benjamin and illustrated by his wife, Jemima Williams. The story follows a family of rabbits as they help a small seed grow into a big tree. The book is accompanied by a song of the same name.
HIBERNATE WITH ME
“Hibernate With Me” is the first children’s book written by Benjamin and illustrated by his wife, Jemima Williams. The book shows the steadfast love of Small Bear and Big Bear through the seasons. Benjamin wrote the words as a song for Jemima.