Life

'Sez Me' Show Talks to Kids About Gender Identity

by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

A new family-friendly web series called Sez Me aims to explore gender identity and counter the myth that it's inappropriate for children to be exposed to LGBTQ lifestyles, according to creator Mor Erlich, a youth counselor at the Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBTQ youth. Hosted by drag queen Charmin Ultra, aka Jeff Marras, the series is now in its third episode. The Huffington Post recently interviewed Marras, Erlich, and Sez Me's writer and sound guy Lee Free.

The Huffington Post: What is the overarching goal of "Sez Me"?
Free: I would say the overarching goals of the program is to remove the stigmas of LGBTQ people interacting with children. And to give kids a safe place to reflect on their own identities and feelings while having fun.
Erlich: Additionally, the goal is to show another way of talking to young people in media and real life. Including them in conversations about real issues. Providing them with honest answers. Joining them on a journey to search for truth. No more baby talk, embarrassment or sweeping things under the rug. We are not being vague about our content. We are showing a man applying makeup and a 9-year-old girl talking to a public figure about gay marriage.

In Sez Me, kids from "diverse family units (single parent, gay parent, lesbian parent, inter-racial, hetero-normative/non-normative, etc.)" both interview and get interviewed by members of the LGBTQ community, "with a focus on the involvement of adults who represent non-traditional gender expressions" such as self-identified drag queens, gender queers, and trans people, according to the show's website. Here's episode one, in which Marras transforms into Charmin Ultra. You can watch more episodes at www.sezme.me.

Image: Sez Me/Facebook