Merrell steps up for trans stories

In TranSending we get an intimate and direct look at the struggles, strength, and power of a woman who has undergone massive personal changes in order to live her truth. 

Hiking mountains is cathartic. Climbing up immense heights, conquering summits and peaks is as much a mental task as it is physical. The work it requires takes years, and that’s even before trans dysphoria kicks in. As this documentary shows us Erin Parisi’s life, her work with a voice coach, her wife, her family, it exposes not only the toll the Seven Summits takes on a person but the ways in which being trans can prevent or limit people from participating in the outdoor activities and sports they love. 

To be active and outdoors is to be visible. To be visible, as a trans person, and as a woman, is to be vulnerable. Erin’s documentary is touching and heartfelt, showing her as she perseveres and presses on, determined, strong, and ready to introduce herself to the world through her hiking and her activism. Erin’s personal story also carries the weight of history and the trans women that came before her. Her power is unmistakable because it comes from everyone who supported her. 

Stept Studio’s work with brands to align content with culture is fantastic, and this piece is no exception. The storytelling is continually front and center, and the support that they have given Erin to show her truth, her family, and her goals is admirable. Erin and her story, directed and carefully crafted by Mairin Hart, are given the spaces and the care she deserves.