In The Midst Of …: A Social-First Documentary Series Centering Trans Love
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love,” a quote by Bad Bunny displayed on the screen during the Super Bowl 2026 halftime show, emphasized that love is more important than ever for marginalized communities amid an increasingly volatile climate around the globe. This idea sits at the center of “In The Midst Of …” (ITMO), a social-first documentary series centering trans love, intimacy, and community – deliberately pushing back against the typical framing of trans lives as controversy in the media. As the series puts it, ITMO offers “something different… a space where trans people are seen loving and being loved, in community and on their own terms.”
Executive produced by the Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment (GADIM), the series was built on roughly 40 hours of footage featuring 30 trans couples across generations.
The first episode (13 minutes) premiered on February 16 on ITMO’s YouTube channel, and new episodes roll out every two weeks on YouTube, with short-form videos released three times a week on social media platforms. After its premier, ITMO’s social media gained 10,000 followers in just a few days. Today, the series has more than 80,000 followers across social media platforms and 28 million views.
Director Kai Tillman—who identifies as neurodivergent, trans, and non-binary—describes the series as a reminder of the power of community during a time where trans people are so heavily targeted: “At a moment when things feel so horrible, […], this series offers a pause. A small ray of sunshine. A secret garden. In the midst of it all, a chance to step away, even briefly, and witness fellow trans people being loved on, cherished, and loving in return.” Tillman says.
Co-producer Austin Allstadt, who describes themselves as a queer, white, neurodivergent, ethnic Jew who never graduated from college, adds: “At a time when trans lives are frequently framed through violence or debate, this project creates space for trans people to be seen more fully: as loving, complex, ordinary, and extraordinary people.”
The cast includes well-known participants such as award-winning actress and activist Alexandra Billings, director/producer Chrisanne Blankenship, trans creator/model/ballroom community member Casey Dash, and transgender actor/author/content creator Jesse James Rose, among many others.
Not only did the web series’ broad range of diversity also reflect in the crew, with most members identifying as trans and/or non-binary, the series further highlights other common intersections, such as disability—for example, Jay Manuel and Pamela Chavez from TLC’s Jay & Pamela, who live with a rare condition colloquially called brittle bone disease. Consequently, accessibility is treated as a core value: the series is captioned, includes audio description (with separate links for AD versions), and provides transcripts. One follower summed up the audience response: “The visual description and full transcription woooow y’all are crushing this.”
Co-producer Suri Ellerton adds: “I also hope it reaches those whose understanding of trans lives has been shaped only by headlines or stereotypes. I truly believe that seeing people in partnership this way has a quiet way of disarming prejudice.”
ITMO shows what has always been true: trans love is enduring and radiant, across generations. It doesn’t ask to be debated or explained; it simply lets trans people be seen on their own terms. Or as Allstadt frames it: “Our love is survival. Our joy is resistance.”
Watch all episodes on YouTube.
(For an audio-described version, follow the link in the descriptions on YouTube.)
For the latest updates, follow ITMO on Instagram or TikTok.
Transparency: ITMO, like TGDNN, is a project funded by GADIM. However, we truly love ITMO and would feature it here either way.
