The world is a very difficult place to navigate. We all have our lives to be concerned with and there are sometimes things that we struggle with daily. How am I going to pay this bill? Do I have enough time to go to the gym so I can finally get in shape? Why do I have this zit on my face? I have so many things to do at work tomorrow, how can I find the time? Now imagine how much more intense life gets when you realize you are not comfortable in the body you were born with.
Draw With Me is the story of Brendon Scholl (they, them, their) and his struggles after they realized they weren’t comfortable in the body they were born with. They first came out to their teacher and the reaction from the teacher was to send them to the guidance counselor. Once there, they were told that a name change couldn’t happen without their parent’s approval and they were not yet ready to come out to their parents. They had heard horror stories of kids being kicked out of their houses after coming out to their parents.
It really wasn’t until Brendon’s mother (Leslie Ann Lopez) made a discovery in their room and went down to her room and cried after realizing what was happening. They had a family meeting along with Brendon’s father and they discussed everything and cried as a family and eventually discussed names. As for the rest of the family? They were sent an email so that they could read through what was going on and able have a good understanding of what this all meant. Their grandmother had quite the reaction, but I will let you see that for yourself.
Throughout their journey, Brendon turned to art to keep them going. In fact, there isn’t much more space left on their walls to include any more art. For them, it is an escape from what is going on in their life. There are those that simply do not understand and then there are the bigots filled with hate. It is for some of those reasons that 50% of all transgenders have attempted suicide at least once in their lives.
This story gained national attention because of Brendon’s aunt Jennifer Lopez, but make no mistake – Brendon is the hero in this story. Throughout this short film, I thought a lot about the youth in this country and around the world and how much they already go through. If someone has to go through a change (mentally or physically) to feel comfortable, then let them do it. Brendon is going to be a leader in the transgender world (and beyond). They will be the voice that others that want to go through the same process can listen to and know that it can work out positively for them in the end.
The Verdict