Jennifer Lopez shared some exciting news on Instagram this weekend. She shared a clip of a new documentary called Draw With Me, about the experience of a young trans person, who happens to be her nibling, Brendon. 

Before showing the clip, Lopez explained why the topic is so relevant right now. 

“Draw With Me is a short film about a transgender youth and their journey of coming out to their family and also engaging in their art to help them cope with the feelings they were having during this time,” she wrote. 

At the beginning of the clip, Brendon explains that they first started feeling comfortable coming out as trans in eighth grade, but that the journey was not easy. 

“The darkest point was definitely when I wasn’t out to any of my teachers or my parents. I was worried about when I came out, that would be like the last straw, so to speak,” they said.

Brendon finally came out to their mother when she discovered a chest binder in their room and they explained to her what it was. It took a long time for the family to come to terms with their child’s gender identity.

Draw With Me focuses a lot on mental health issues and the role art plays in navigating those heavy feelings. 

“Art gave them an outlet for the things I couldn't say out loud but things I needed to get out of my system,” Brendon said. 

Their experiences with suicidal thoughts were also addressed and how their family responded. Their mother, Leslie, had a moment of clarity when she realized how much Brendon was struggling. 

“When you finally get to the acceptance part, then you realize it’s not about you. This is about my child,” she said. 

Draw With Me highlights how acceptance from family members, including a social media post from Brendon’s famous aunt, helped this young person in their journey. 

“I’m just hit with how lucky I am in terms of family and friends. When Jen made a post using the right pronouns, it felt really nice to have a family member, in a very public way, show their support,” they said. 

Lopez has been an ally of the LGBTQ community for a long time. In 2014, she received the GLAAD Vanguard Award for producing The Fosters, a show about a rainbow family dedicated to her late lesbian aunt. 

The film is set to premiere at film festivals worldwide and through video on demand this Fall.