Prominent Texas patent attorney Danielle Joy “DJ” Healey came out as a trans woman at the age of 57. The award-winning documentary, available on demand this week, follows her and her family as they navigate this transition, and Danielle applies her ideas. Legal skills to help other trans and queer people. Watch the trailer here.
Coach SE King met Daniel for the first time before his transition. when they became neighbors in Sugar Land, a town near Houston. Mr. King later moved away, but the two remained in touch. When Danielle came out, she talked to King about creating a comedy series about her experiences as a trans woman, but her acting skills weren’t as great as her legal skills. The two ultimately decided to make a documentary, and this film is the result.
The documentary spans four years starting in 2018 and follows Daniel, his family and close friends, who for decades have hidden their true selves and coped by becoming workaholics. Danielle knew she was a woman since she was four years old, but she didn’t tell anyone until she was 44. After that, it took me even longer to transition and come out to my family. She didn’t want to transition if it meant losing her wife of more than 30 years and two children (now adults), but she also knew she couldn’t continue living a lie.
When she came out to her family, the whole family went through an adjustment period, including getting used to Danielle’s new name and pronouns and understanding how open they were in a conservative community. It wasn’t always easy, but they continued to love and support her. Her brother Michael said, “I don’t think anyone who loved her would have a problem with that.” This love and acceptance unfortunately did not apply to her transgender friend, who also came out later in life, as seen in the film.
Danielle’s law firm was supportive (her law partner and friend suggested a new name), but she lost much of her paid law practice. Nevertheless, Danielle wanted to give back to the LGBTQ community with much of what she had gained, using her legal skills to work pro bono for transgender and other LGBTQ rights. I began to find meaning in it. Her work extended beyond the office. A 19-year-old trans woman from Honduras who had been seeking asylum in the United States ended up living with Danielle and his family due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Danielle now considers her like a daughter. It is said that there is
This is the story of one woman and her family, but also of a community of people who help each other be themselves and feel safe and loved, even in places where such support and joy are not expected. It’s also a story. This is not every trans woman’s story (there can be no single story), but it is an important story told with compassion, insight, and moments of gentle humor.
The film won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Manchester International Film Festival, the LGBTQ+ Voices Jury Award and Audience Award at the Portland Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the Vail Film Festival.
Our Dad, Daniel will be available on digital/VOD (video on demand) from most major streaming and cable services starting November 1st. (Content Warning: Daniel says he feels like if he didn’t transition, he wouldn’t have thought he would transition) You can live. ) Here is the trailer:
