In Full View Focusing on Trans Mascs in Media

12 – Aiden Thomas: Cemetery Boys, craft, and claiming space

Aiden Thomas is the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and the first openly trans author to hit the fiction bestseller list with a trans main character. He built one of the most dedicated readerships in YA fantasy largely without a marketing budget by talking about his characters online for six months straight before the book ever came out. Avi and Yas get into how Aiden writes trans characters without flattening them, why bringing your full intersectional identity to your work is a creative advantage, and how publishers manufacture the myth that queer stories don't sell. This episode goes deep on the business of YA publishing, what it took to get Cemetery Boys out there, and how Aiden is supporting trans, queer, and BIPOC writers trying to make it in an industry built against them.  For listeners into trans books, LGBTQ publishing, queer YA fantasy, or the business side of traditional publishing, this one's worth your time.

11 – Tomboy Watch Party! Tender, timeless, and trans masc

We're watching Tomboy (2011), Céline Sciamma's tender French film about a gender non-conforming 10-year-old who introduces himself as Mickäel to kids in his new apartment building. This slice-of-life story captures the specific innocence, freedom, and fear of childhood gender exploration in ways that felt shockingly familiar to both of us. We get personal about the boy names we secretly went by (Tom and Michael, very white of us), the moments of stolen boyhood we both experienced, and why we spent the entire film bracing for trauma that never came. Tomboy refuses to build toward violence, instead trusting the audience to understand what it costs to survive as a trans kid just trying to be seen. We also dig into Sciamma's intentional choice to leave the protagonist's gender open to interpretation, creating space for trans men, non-binary people, lesbians, and questioning viewers to all find themselves in the story.  Plus, we explore why trans masc representation keeps showing up in critically acclaimed indie films but rarely breaks through to mainstream Hollywood, and what that pattern means for our visibility and our paychecks. This episode is for anyone who grew up hiding, anyone who made a Play-Doh packer, and anyone still asking what trans narratives could look like if they trusted us enough to just exist. Tomboy is streaming on Criterion Channel if you want to watch ahead of time.

10 – Charlie Hano: Casting, community, and career-building

Two-time Artios Award-winning casting director Charlie Hano joins In Full View to talk about casting as a craft, how trans masculine actors can advocate for themselves in auditions, and what it takes to build a casting career when you can't study it in school. Charlie breaks down what casting directors look for in auditions, why auditions should feel like parties instead of interrogations, and how actors can reach out to casting professionals without crossing boundaries. He also opens up about the gap in trans masculine representation in theater and film, why people don't know what trans men look like, and his vision for a world where all-cisgender casts are intentional dramaturgical choices instead of the default. This episode is for trans actors navigating the entertainment industry, aspiring casting directors finding their path, and anyone who wants to understand how casting rooms actually work behind the scenes.

9 — Pathways, progress, and possibility

Avi and Yas dig into what trans masculine representation actually needs to create lasting change in entertainment. They explore the difference between visibility and impact, why quantity matters as much as quality, and how representation teaches audiences how to react to trans people in real life. The hosts revisit early trans masc representation like Max from The L Word and discuss how it shaped perceptions of trans men as abandoning the queer community. They break down the trans tax, the economic barriers trans masc artists face, and the challenges that come when support programs designed for gender minorities often exclude trans men who spent most of their careers hitting the glass ceiling. Looking ahead five years, they imagine a future where trans masc creatives hold leadership positions at studios and can build their own pathways. This episode connects representation to economic justice and asks how we create sustainable foundations for trans masc artists in the industry.

8 – AJ Mattioli: Production, platforms, and profit

Trying to get your indie film made, but don't know where to start? Producer AJ Mattioli has been funding, producing, and distributing queer films for over a decade, and he's here to walk you through what it actually takes to bring a project to life. AJ is a veteran indie producer who's worked across the full spectrum of queer filmmaking, handling development, financing, and post-production. He also runs a queer distribution company, getting films onto platforms like TLA, Dekkoo, and Here TV. In this episode, he breaks down the realities of indie film production, how to navigate limited budgets, and what distribution options exist once your film is finished.  He also tackles why trans men are still stuck as side characters in mainstream projects, what needs to shift for trans masc characters to take center stage, and handling the negativity that comes with making trans and queer content. Learn what it takes to succeed in queer indie filmmaking. Listen now.