Gender Stereotypes & Identities

There have been challenges, but all of these challenges have led me to be who I am today and will be a piece of who I become in the future.

To begin this story, it is important to highlight the most important person in my life, my mother Lesa. After many failed attempts to have a child, my mother finally became pregnant with me at thirty-nine years old. Early into my infancy, I suffered a traumatic brain injury after being found in another room at the daycare center. The cause and nature were unknown, but it resulted in effects on my development and I had to relearn how to move and function again. At the age of eight, I was diagnosed with high functioning autism and mild cerebral palsy. I still have these diagnoses today, but nevertheless, I have learned coping skills and how to push through the pain. These abilities will continue to help me continue to push through.

Growing up, I adapted to these changes while at the same time discovering who I was as a person. How did I find my voice (and my love for the performing arts as well)? It was at a second-grade talent show. I sang Firework by Katy Perry with a group of girls. I was the only boy in the group and remember my mom saying, “You sang louder than any of the girls.” I was very proud of myself and at that moment not only realized I loved the arts, but I also felt like myself. I was born Taylor J. Maxwell, a male, but as I grew older, I realized that was not who I was. I first came out as bisexual, but I knew there was something more. I was attracted to females, but I also wanted more than what my body offered.

This was all coming to a head as I was again hospitalized at 14, eventually being diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). During this time, I was not in school and continued to explore what made me different. I finally came out at home, to my friends, to my school, and my dance instructor as a transgender female. Everyone was positive except for my dance instructor, who told me that my transition was not good for business. That my life in the world of dance, would not be as successful if I came out as transgender, that it would scare the parents if I came out to the studio. He said,” I understand it but I will not accept it.”That crushed me beyond belief.

Although discouraged, I continued to grow my love for the arts. While at Visionary School of the Performing Arts, I also started working as an extra for TV shows, movies, and commercials in LA with the production company, Kid’s Management. There, I learned the feeling of being on set and the work that went on both in front of and off-camera. I fell in love with the intricacies of a film set and these experiences allowed me to see the possibility of working behind the camera as a director. Media and film are great ways to reach people, to influence them. I want to diversify films in many different ways through my involvement in the LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, specifically impacting the stereotypes and disadvantages that these populations face. I follow the acronym “TRASH” which stands for don’t be Transphobic, Racist, Ableist, Sexist, or Homophobic. My own experiences with discrimination throughout my life have inspired a desire to advocate and fight for these causes in my future work as a filmmaker.

Present-day, this passion reigns more true than ever. It has taken a lot of tenacity and perseverance to make it through all of the challenges that the past year has presented. Distance learning has proved to be incredibly challenging for me, especially without all of the accommodations and typical supports I would be receiving in a normal classroom setting. I was lucky enough to get compensatory education funding and was provided a tutor and coach during this school year, but I experienced first-hand the difficulties of learning and surviving in this current climate. It instilled in me a mission to fight for student rights and the state of education. Most recently, I started an initiative within my school district, San Diego Unified, entitled The Omission Prevention Project. This project works to support students, especially those with higher academic and social-emotional needs, and advocate for this support to our district.

Moving into this next phase of life, I hope to incorporate my life experiences and advocacy into a career as a screenwriter.