Fiona Dawson

Fiona Dawson is a bisexual advocate, Emmy-nominated documentarian and creator of the media project TransMilitary. Dawson spoke at the 25th annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet (2017).[1] Dawson has served on the National Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign and the Board of Directors for NLGJA - The National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association.

Awards
  • 2009 Houston's Female Grand Marshal for the 2009 LGBT Pride Parade[2]
  • 2015 Identified as a LGBT Artist Champion of Change by The White House[3]
  • 2016 Emmy Award Nominee for Transgender, at War and in Love[4]
  • 2018 South by Southwest Best Feature Documentary Audience Award for TransMilitary[5]

Filmography
  • Op-Doc Transgender, at War and in Love[6]
  • Film TransMilitary

Transmilitary project: Transgender, at War and in Love

Dawson started the Transmilitary project when she realized the Clinton administrations, "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, had allowed Lesbian, gay, and bisexual peoples (only openly LGB people were barred from serving) to serve in the military but trans people were still outright banned from serving.[7] The project was created to present a perspective of what this policy looked like at the ground level, to those actually serving in the military and was commissioned by the New York Times, and produced by both Dawson and SideXSide Studios.[8][9] The film highlights Servicemembers, Partners, and Allies for Respect and Tolerance for All (SPARTA) (founded 2013, 2013, an association of LGBT people who have served in the U.S. armed forces)[10] members Logan Ireland (Air Force) and Laila Villanueva (Army).[11][12] This film was nominated for “Outstanding Short Documentary” at the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

TransMilitary

Expanding on the 12 minute op-doc project, Transgender, at War and in Love, Dawson and Gabriel Silverman created the full-length documentary which follows the same military couple (who have completed 16 years of service, four deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, and received numerous awards and accommodations). In 2018, the full-length documentary received the 2018 SXSW Audience Award.[13] The original ban was lifted in 2016, however, Trump has been attempting to reinstate it.

Life

Dawson is originally from Britain and emigrated to the U.S. She is a white, cisgender, bisexual woman who now lives in Brooklyn. Dawson is passionate about pursuing projects that attempt to end discrimination.

References
  1. "Documentarian Fiona Dawson Headlines Houston Transgender Unity Banquet". Spectrum South - The Voice of the Queer South. 2017-11-03. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  2. "Grand Marshals – Pride Houston, Inc". Pride Houston, Inc. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  3. "Fiona Dawson - Transgender American Veterans Association". Transgender American Veterans Association. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  4. "The New York Times Nominated For Nine News and Documentary Emmy® Awards". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  5. Hayes, Dade (2018-03-17). "'First Match' And 'TransMilitary' Are Among SXSW Audience Award Winners". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  6. Dawson, Fiona. "Transgender, at War and in Love". NYTimes.com - Video. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  7. "Interview: Fiona Dawson & Gabe Silverman on "Transmilitary"". The Moveable Fest. 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  8. Dawson, Fiona. "Transgender, at War and in Love". NYTimes.com - Video. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  9. "Home". SIDEXSIDE STUDIOS. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  10. "SPART*A". SPART*A. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  11. "TransMilitary Film-Maker Fiona Dawson Honored as Champion of Change - OutSmart Magazine". www.outsmartmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  12. "Opinion | 'Transgender, at War and in Love'". Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  13. "TransMilitary". TransMilitary. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
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