Former professional hockey player Harrison Browne, our Outsports’ Male Hero of the Year in 2017, has constantly been willing to speak out and share his story of how he found his way forward as a transgender man.
He aims to bring a piece of the story to life on film.
Browne is seeking backers in a project he wrote titled “Pink Light.” The short film centers around transition, growth and finding some meaning to it all. Browne hopes such a work can be a catalyst for healing and growth, like writing it was for himself.
“Writing this film was almost like a therapeutic exercise to show compassion for my younger self who really struggled to feel enough in his own skin,” Browne told Outsports. “After I was done I thought to myself, if I was able to see something like this when I was younger and struggling with not being able to physically transition due to hockey, it would have made me feel less alone and probably made that journey easier.
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“It excited me that I would be able to gift this film to the community and someone who needs it now could see it in real time. Positive trans representation saves lives and humanizes a community that is deeply misunderstood, especially in the media.”
The story itself centers in on a thirty-something trans man named Scott. He’s now years beyond the early transition struggle, mature and grounded.
Scott receives an invitation to the wedding of an old college friend. Along the way, Scott takes trip back in time and runs into his younger, unsure, pre-transition self, “Scotty.”
What follows is a night from his college days and a look at a slice of life in that uncertain place, but with a different clarity.
“Scotty” in many ways is like the auteur of the film. An accomplished collegiate and later professional hockey player in the National Women’s Hockey League, Browne’s own journey had starts and stops out or regulation, necessity and some doubts.
“Younger me, especially college me, dealt with a lot of imposter syndrome and fears that he would never feel whole or enough,” he said. “I was socially transitioning but couldn’t physically transition due to NCAA protocol while I still played hockey for my university. I felt very helpless and alone in my struggles as a trans athlete because I didn’t see anyone like me.”
“But, this version of myself was so brave in stating who he was without a role model and owning his identity when he was so uncomfortable being seen,” he continued. “I think if I knew how proud and grateful my future self was of me at that time it would have allowed me to be a lot gentler on myself.”
The production has put together a team of performers, craftspeople and technicians . By design many of them or trans and/or nonbinary to be representation not just on camera but behind it as well.
This effort is also pushing against a deadline. The film has a Kickstarter site and Browne seeks to raise $25,991 by April 5 to get production started. He termed the goal as “all or nothing” to get this vision produced, and send the message that has powered his own journey forward.
“For the trans and non binary people or anyone that may have worries for their future and feelings of not being enough,” he noted. “When we show ourselves compassion for whatever we are going through in that moment and accept ourselves for the complex and beautiful people that we are that’s where true peace comes in.”
To learn more about the project, click on this link here. You can follow Harrison Browne on Instagram.
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Trailblazing trans hockey player Harrison Browne is now full-time actor: ‘Sharing things about my transition is way to give back’
Browne, who will star as a transgender man in an LGBTQ-themed play, says the power of storytelling can make trans kids feel less alone.
By Alex Reimer | February 18, 2020
