What I Took Away from Heightened Scrutiny

A couple of weeks ago, I caught Heightened Scrutiny at the MFA during the Wicked Queer Film Festival, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

The documentary follows Chase Strangio, a transgender civil rights attorney with the ACLU, as he prepares for a Supreme Court case that could determine whether LGBTQ+ people are protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Chase, who grew up in Newton and went to Northeastern, brings both legal brilliance and lived experience to the fight—and that local connection made the film feel even more personal.

The title, Heightened Scrutiny, refers to a legal standard used in constitutional law, but it also speaks to the constant scrutiny trans people face just trying to live their lives. Watching Chase navigate that pressure, preparing legal arguments while carrying the emotional weight of representing a whole community, was powerful and at times gut-wrenching

What I appreciated most was how the film didn’t just focus on the courtroom. It showed the human side of advocacy: the fear, the burnout, the resilience. And it reminded me why I started QNEST in the first place—legal victories matter, but safety, housing, and community are what help people survive.

If you get a chance to see Heightened Scrutiny, go. It’s a sharp, moving reminder of how personal the fight for justice really is.