Arts-based research can provide a unique and vital avenue for marginalized populations to share their stories, advocate for healthy public policy and health equity, and contribute to scientific discourse. Trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth experience a range of health disparities relative to their cisgender peers, but they are rarely given a forum to authentically participate in the research process to communicate the totality of their experiences. In this chapter, we reflect on a youth participatory action research (YPAR) project with TGNC youth of color in the United States that culminated in the designing, filming, and editing of a documentary. In line with YPAR, TGNC young people controlled all aspects of the research process, meaning that they determined the research questions, the population of interest and participants, the medium (film), the interview protocol, and the data collection methods. In addition, the young people conducted all interviews and drove the analysis of the data they collected. Drawing on our experiences as adult research advisors for this project, we offer insight into the possibilities, challenges, and logistical needs of such a project in the hopes that readers understand the opportunities that arts-based research, especially such work with marginalized populations, affords researchers.
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