Transgender Tuesdays tells the story of the Tom Waddell Health Center, the first low-cost public health clinic opened specifically for transgender clients. Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, people came for the hormones and stayed for the health care. The film addresses the dire need for and specific needs of transgender health care through in-depth interviews with patients who have long been marginalized. The word “transgender” was coined in 1969; today, there are more than a million transgender Americans from every walk of life. The intriguing stories of these courageous patients at times horrify and other times inspire. Alarming statistics of bullying, violence, abuse, homelessness, addiction and suicide roll on screen — all resulting from the daily discrimination trans folks face from all sides — medical, judicial, economic, social, educational and familial. To date, trans people have few legal protections and it’s really tough to get and hold a “traditional” job — even in San Francisco.

While the “Bad Old Days” are not yet over, narrator Veronica Klaus beams about the most significant change: transgender people are helping each other navigate the system and avoid its pitfalls — and taking control of their right to medical care. For the past 16 years, the Tom Waddell Health Center has played a pivotal role in fostering transgender community building. These days, young kids coming out as trans have a chance to escape some of the horrors prior generations had to overcome.