Pier Kids Discussion Guide

On the Christopher Street Pier in New York City, homeless queer and trans youth of color forge friendships and chosen families, withstanding tremendous amounts of abuse while working to carve out autonomy in their lives. With intimate, immersive access to these fearless young people, Pier Kids highlights the precarity and resilience of a community many choose to ignore. Truer Than Fiction Award, Independent Spirit Awards.

This guide is designed for people who want to use Pier Kids to engage and inspire family friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities in honest, and potentially challenging, conversations. It is an invitation for dialogue that requires preparation before you and your community dive in, as well as a commitment for all participants to be fully present. Conversations that invoke experiences of political violence and exclusion and/or feelings of belonging, safety, and identity can be difficult to begin and facilitate. This resource offers support and structure to guide the process. In contrast to debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this guide envisions dialogue undertaken in a spirit of openness and active listening where divergent viewpoints are heard and responded to with care and respect.

Individuals and communities may also come to the conversation after viewing Pier Kids with varying degrees of knowledge, as well as dynamic and different experiences. The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the topics in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose the questions that best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult and/or uncomfortable. Whenever possible, please consider a closing activity that gives participants an opportunity to offer gratitude to one another before closing.

Devyn Harris (they/she/love) is a queer, genderqueer femme grassroots organizer, peer support specialist, mental health coach, and artist. They believe compassion, grace, and connection are the keys to change in our own bodies and the world. They are a fierce advocate for Black trans folks living on the streets, and as the housing director for Black Trans Leadership of Austin (BTLA) they work to create support systems for all QTBIPOC (queer trans BIPOC) folks who need it. They also serve as a member of Austin’s HRS (Homelessness Response System) Leadership Council. A self-professed love warrior, they are in this world to help people heal with love.