Basil Soper is the Founder and Director of Transilient.
Transilient is a trans-led media collective and teaching organization that shares honest stories of trans, non-binary, and queer people—especially those marginalized by regional identity, race, or disability—through collaboration, care, and humility, while developing the leadership and storytelling skills of community artists, particularly trans people in Western NC.
In 2016, Transilient was founded by Basil V. Soper and began as a traveling multimedia documentary project that candidly documented the everyday lived realities of transgender and non-binary people—using only their voices and stories, and produced entirely by a team of trans creators.
While the initial iteration began as a powerful photo and interview series that showed the world that trans people are #MoreThanTrans, Transilient has evolved into a trans-led production group creating bold, nonfiction projects that shape cultural change through narrative. Transilient’s next project is a full-length documentary film titled Fixin’ to Stay.
At its core, Transilient exists to create a platform that informs, affirms, and connects people—both within and beyond the trans and queer communities—through honest storytelling and radical partnership between the creators and participants. We hope our work can help bridge gaps between those who may need a gentle push to see how we're all connected.
TRANScending Barriers and Transilient in Atlanta, 2017
Basil with Sparkle in Oakland
2016
New Mexico, 2017