‘Check it.’ The Stars of the Documentary About America’s Only Known Gay and Transgender Gang Are Starting a Fashion Label.

Check It Documentary


Check It, the subject of a documentary of the same name, are the only known gay and transgender gang in the United States. The gang, which is comprised of approximately 200 members, was formed by ninth graders in the Washington, D.C.’s Trinidad neighborhood in 2005 as a way to protect themselves from the violent discrimination they faced.

The Check It, is created by filmmakers Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer and is also being produced by actor Steve Buscemi and his New York based production company, Olive Productions. For three years, Flor and Oppenheimer immersed themselves in the D.C. neighborhood of Trinidad and in the lives of the members of Check It who range from ages 15 to 22. The neighborhood is a world away from some of the tony surrounding communities in D.C., where the median income is around $250,000. Trinidad, which weathered a crack epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s, is currently dealing with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Flor and Oppenheimer hope that the documentary will educate viewers about how the multiple oppressions of poverty, race, and class affect black gay and transgender youths.

Check It gives an intimate look at the lives of the gang’s members. We see them being ridiculed, and harassed, but we also see them struggling to create better lives for themselves. The group also holds fashion shows, and part of the proceeds from the film’s successful crowdfunding campaign will go towards helping them achieve their goal of starting a fashion line. Members of Check it hope to show at New York Fashion Week in the future.


CHECK IT Trailer for Indiegogo from fungible on Vimeo.