Heightened Scrutiny
Film
Hop Film

Heightened Scrutiny

October 02, 2025

This event occurred as part of the 25/26 Hop Film season. This is an archived view.

This urgent doc follows ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio's battles with the Supreme Court and the media to protect access to gender-affirming healthcare. Discussion follows.

Heightened Scrutiny Official Trailer

 

Please join us for a pre-show mixer in the Top of the Hop from 5-7pm!

Chase Strangio, ACLU attorney and the first out trans person to argue before the Supreme Court, fights a high-stakes legal battle to overturn Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth (United States v. Skrmetti) in this urgent documentary. 

The film exposes the dangerous role of mainstream media in fueling anti-trans legislation, uncovering how biased coverage drives hate, endangers lives and threatens democracy itself. With insights from journalists like Jelani Cobb, Lydia Polgreen and Gina Chua, and activists like Laverne Cox, the story dismantles anti-trans disinformation and highlights its devastating real-world impact.

With the dangerous SCOTUS decision upholding the ban on life-saving healthcare, Heightened Scrutiny premiered at Sundance and has taken the festival circuit by storm with its call to action against bigotry and injustice.

D: Sam Feder, US, 2025, 1h29m

Discussion follows with director Sam Feder (joining by Zoom), Haley Norris (American Progress), Kat Legier (ACLU NH), Sean DuMont (Reproductive Freedom Fund NH and Cobra Lily Collective), moderated by Angélique Bouthot (OPAL).

Programmed in collaboration with the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL), the Gender-Inclusive Greek Council (GIGC) and the LGBTQIA+ Employee Network.

Sam Feder is a Peabody Award-nominated film director and writer. Sam created and directed Heightened Scrutiny (Sundance 2025), DISCLOSURE (Sundance 2020, Netflix 2020), the widely acclaimed Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger, and Boy I Am. Sam's films explore the intersection of media and politics along the lines of race, class, and gender. Sam's films have been programmed by Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, CPH:DOX, MOMA PS-1, The British Film Institute, The Hammer Museum, and in hundreds of film festivals around the world. Sam's work has been supported by Ford/JustFilms, Fork Films, California Humanities, The Jerome Foundation, Perspective Fund, Threshold, IFP Film Week, Good Pitch USA/Doc Society, MacDowell, and Yaddo artist residency.

Haley Norris is a policy analyst for the LGBTQI+ Policy team at American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, Norris served as an American Political Science Association fellow in the office of Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT). They have taught courses in gender, sexuality, and politics at Rutgers University and Bryn Mawr College. Norris earned a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University and attended Tulane University as an undergrad. Norris is originally from southeast Louisiana and now lives in South Jersey with their dog, Bean, and their partner.

Sean DuMont is a transgender writer and organizer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a proud member of the Service Employees International Union Local 560 here at the college, is the facilitator of Talking About Gender at Dartmouth, a discussion group for trans faculty and staff members, is a member of the Faculty and Staff Group for Justice in Palestine, and is on the steering committee of the Cobra Lily Collective, a local trans care co-op.

Kat Legier serves as the I-93 Regional Campaign Manager at the ACLU of New Hampshire, where she drives strategic initiatives aimed at protecting and expanding LGBTQ+ rights across the Granite State. Her role involves amplifying the voices and stories of impacted queer individuals and their families, ensuring their experiences shape effective advocacy and policy, and working diligently to bring the community and allies together to fight for queer liberation.

Angélique Bouthot (she/they) is the Assistant Director of Pluralism and Leadership, supporting Women & Gender and LGBTQIA+ student communities with programming needs. Angélique earned an MEd in Community Engagement from Merrimack College and a BA in Sociology at Framingham State University. Other roles include Community Outreach Manager at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and Community Engagement Fellow for the McQuade Library at Merrimack College. In and out of work, they aim to build queer community that fosters racial and gender justice and sex-positive values, and is en route to becoming a Certified Holistic Sex Educator.

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