CPOY

CPOY 76 Documentary Bronze: The House Which Love Built

DeShanna Neal (she/they) is a nonbinary individual and a single mother to four children. Two of their children are trans women on the autism spectrum, and the oldest, Trinity, is the first transgender woman to completely medically transition while on Medicare. When Trinity was three, she began to openly display discomfort with her biological sex. DeShanna quickly came to understand that Trinity was a girl, but Trinity's schools did not. DeShanna had to pull Trinity, and her son Lucien, from school and begin homeschooling them. Trinity soon began to display adeptness with computers and has been coding since she was eight years old. At seventeen, she now makes video games that are recognized by national companies. Lucien is fifteen, identifies as a man, and is a talented cellist. He goes to a specialized high school specifically for his music, where he practices the cello and produces music electronically. Unfortunately, his eyesight is rapidly degrading, and he may soon be blind. Hyperion, 10, also began to display discomfort with her biological sex at a young age. She is now a young girl who is openly accepted by her public school, after years of DeShanna's and Trinity's activism. She is also on the autism spectrum, and understands the world differently than most. She enjoys building things and often forms objects around her into geometric shapes and patterns. Thane, 6, is an energetic boy with passions for games and movies. He also has trouble with certain things, like bathroom insecurity, which leads to tantrums and tears most days. He also works as a child model. This body of work shows only a slice of their daily life in quarantine, navigating a full house and the many struggles that accompany their identities in today's world.

Caption
Slide 1 of 12
December 11, 2020
(From left to right) Lucien Neal packs up his cello after practicing for about an hour. Thane, Lucien’s younger brother, runs towards the kitchen for a snack. Hyperion is the second-to-youngest child in the Neal house, and goes to ask her mom for help with her homework. DeShanna Neal, the incredible mother of this group of children, fights her own battle with POTS to be a part of her children’s lives.
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