National Trans Visibility Day: Meet 10 Trans Characters from TV Series

“How many trans people do you work, study, or live with?”

For most people, the answer to that question is “none.” The reason behind that answer is something worth thinking about, especially today, January 29, Trans Visibility Day.

The LGBTQ cause is increasingly gaining space in social agendas and, consequently, on television. Yet despite this progress, the road ahead is still long, especially for transgender people, who are made invisible and silenced — even more than gay men and lesbians — in every sphere of society, often even within movements that claim to defend their rights. Beyond silencing, there is transphobia and, although it is now a crime in Brazil (classified as a homophobia crime), the country still kills more transgender people than any other in the world.

Faced with these challenges, various social groups fight for transgender rights and, although the topic is still discussed only by select groups, it has been gaining ground through YouTubers and also through some [TV shows](https://web.archive.org/web/20211027165526/https://revistapixel.com.br/precisamos-falar-sobre-representatividade-lgbtq-na-tv/) that seek to portray — even if often superficially — trans issues. To celebrate Trans Visibility Day, we have gathered here some trans characters who were and are part of the storylines of TV series such as **Orange is The New Black** and **Transparent**, because this day needs to be remembered — and the subject needs to be addressed, as [we previously discussed on Pixel TV](https://revistapixel.com.br/precisamos-falar-sobre-trans/).

#### **Linda Murkland (All That Glitters)**


**All That Glitters** was the first television production in the United States to feature a transsexual character. The soap opera, aired in 1977, followed the routine of the multinational Globatron, satirizing inverted gender roles, with female domination and the objectification of men. In the story, Globatron executives need a model for their new campaign, and that model is Linda Murkland, a trans woman.
Linda is played by Linda Grey, a cisgender woman. However, as the first depiction of a transsexual person on television, it holds great importance for trans visibility.

#### **Sophia Burset (Orange Is The New Black)**


Sophia (Laverne Cox) is one of the inmates at the Litchfield women’s prison in Netflix’s **Orange Is The New Black**. Throughout the story, the character — the only transsexual inmate — faces various transphobic acts from fellow inmates and prison staff. The peak of transphobia comes in the third season, when, after a fight, the character Aleida (Elizabeth Rodriguez) starts spreading transphobic rumors about Sophia, causing her to be harassed by several inmates and placed in solitary confinement for her own protection, from which she tries to get out repeatedly and in various ways.
Sophia is played by actress Laverne Cox, who, like her character, is a trans woman, and was the first transsexual person nominated for an Emmy. Laverne also played, last year, the classic queer character Dr. Frank-n-Furter (originally played by Tim Curry, a cis man), in Fox’s adaptation of the musical *Rocky Horror Picture Show*.

#### **Nomi Marks (Sense 8)**


More than just discussing the social integration of a transgender person in a fictional universe, **Sense8** showed the importance of that integration in real life by casting trans actress Jamie Clayton. As one of the protagonists, Jamie plays the also-trans Nomi, who faces double prejudice for being trans and lesbian, but uses her skills as a hacker and blogger to promote equality and encourage her readers to be who they truly are. It is worth mentioning that the journey faced by Nomi was also lived by the series’ creator sisters Lilly and Lana Wachowski, who were previously known as Andy and Larry.

#### **Cole (The Fosters)**


Aired on ABC Family, the American series **The Fosters** premiered in 2013. The plot features a family formed by a gay couple: police officer Stef (Teri Polo) and school vice-principal Lena (Sherri Saum). Together, they raise four adopted children and Stef’s biological son. The transsexual character is Cole, played by actor — also transsexual — Tom Phelan. He was introduced as a friend of Callie Jacob (Maia Mitchell), when they met at the girls’ home where she was sheltered after running away from her adoptive family (note here the lack of acceptance even from an institution such as child protective services: Cole is in a girls’ shelter). He soon becomes Callie’s love interest. Throughout the scenes, episodes of prejudice emerge, such as when Cole tries to use the men’s bathroom and is kicked out, besides the teasing he hears. From an aggressive character, Cole gradually becomes gentler and reveals his true story. His appearance spanned 10 episodes, from 2014 to 2015.

#### **Noah (Faking It)**


**Faking It** is a teen series that has always addressed LGBT issues with great authority, as the main characters were wrapped up in the dramas of sexual discovery. However, after exploring gay, lesbian, bi and asexual characters, in the third season the series took another important step and cast Elliot Fletcher, a transgender man to play Noah, a transgender character who arrives to shake up Shane’s heart. So, credit to MTV for bringing this theme into a teen series.

#### **Unique Adams (Glee)**


Since its beginning, the musical series **Glee** became known for addressing diversity and, especially, the world of those who suffer bullying for being different. But it was only with the arrival of Unique (Alex Newell), in season 4, that the story began to show and discuss the cross-dressing/transsexual universe. Unique is the alter ego of Wade Adams, who only feels like himself when wearing women’s clothes and being identified as “she.” This condition, however, makes the character suffer much prejudice — such as being harassed by others whether using the women’s or the men’s bathroom — but it also serves to show how friends’ support and the fight against prejudice matter for acceptance.

#### **Buck Vu (The OA)**


“I have a huge difficulty at school, because I wanted to act but it is not like plays done in high school have roles that describe a person like me. You cannot imagine what it was like to go online and see a Netflix ad describing me” — these were the words sent by Ian Alexander, recorded on a phone in his home bathroom. Ian’s “audition” felt the most truthful of all, which led to the actor being cast in **The OA**. Months later, the 14-year-old would be one of the revelations of Netflix’s drama-sci-fi. Ian plays Buck Vu, an Asian and transsexual boy who, like the other teenagers recruited by Prairie (Brit Marling), tries to find his place in the world. Marling said in an interview with Vulture that casting Ian was no accident, and that from the start, Buck had been written as a trans and Asian teenager. For her, finding an actor who fit the role would be a matter of time (and a lot of work). According to the actress, trans actors are not very common at casting agencies, so she turned to the internet. It worked: Ian Alexander landed his first role, reinforcing the idea that representation is truly important for acceptance of the trans cause. And that is truly the highlight of the series. Buck is described as just another outsider character, like the others in the group (Alfonso, BBA, Steve and OA herself), avoiding the recurring representation on TV and in films — he does not appear to suffer any kind of bullying at school, sings in the choir, is articulate, sensitive and strong, and moves very well among the other characters. Among them, Buck seems to be perseverance, and at the same time temperance, as one who respects his own timing. At home, things also happen slowly, since the boy’s father does not fully accept Ian’s gender — but even the relationship between the two, though not ideal, seems to be in transition. Because of this, Buck needs to buy his hormones illegally, highlighting another important issue, the medical community’s acceptance of transgender teenagers. Overall, the transformation of the character played by Ian Alexander is seen in a slow and natural way, which according to the actor, was the truest form he found while helping build Buck.

#### **Alexis Meade (Ugly Betty)**


Back in 2007, a time when sexual and gender diversity was still rarely discussed, **Ugly Betty** took a big step on the subject, and in quite an unusual way, by portraying someone going through the transition from man (Alexander) to woman (Alexis). While still male, the character barely (or almost never) appeared, but was always mentioned and had a strong influence on events. Her definitive appearance happened in the 13th episode of the first season (when she came to be played by Rebecca Romijn), without revealing, however, her true identity — to everyone, Alexander had died and Alexis was someone else. Only later does the truth come out.

#### **Max Sweeney (The L Word)**


The American series **The L Word** centers on a group of lesbian friends living in sunny Los Angeles, California. Some of them form couples, others are single and involved in dating rituals, and there are still those who cannot come out and try to keep their marriages. Amid this, there is the character Moira (Daniela Sea) who, over the course of the series, undergoes a gender transition, adopting the chosen name Max Sweeney. What stands out most about the character throughout the series are the scenes of the transition. At first, Moira/Max becomes obsessed with the male body, even using bandages to disguise the female body. In front of the mirror, she wants to see herself as a man, not a woman. Off screen, the actress who plays Max is gay, daughter of a father who came out as gay after her birth. **The L Word**, produced by Showtime, ran for six seasons, from 2004 to 2009.

#### **Maura Pfefferman (Transparent)**


If there is one series in which transsexuality takes center stage, that series is **Transparent**. The Amazon comedy portrays the life of Maura — formerly Mort — who decides to come out as transgender only in old age and with 3 already-adult children. For this reason, in **Transparent** we notice not only the impact of the decision on Maura, but also on everyone around her, such as family and friends. For playing Maura, Jeffrey Tambor has already won 2 Emmys and a Golden Globe. Despite this, there is some criticism about a cis actor playing the role. However, the series also makes room for transgender actresses, such as Alexandra Billings and Trace Lysette, who appears more prominently in the third season.

If trans characters are already few on American TV, on Brazilian TV, even less. There have been few characters to date and, last year, the only trans representative in Brazilian television drama was Janette, in the series **Supermax** (on Rede Globo), played by trans actress Maria Clara Spinelli. In addition, this year the new telenovela by Glória Perez is scheduled to air, bringing the theme of gender diversity and also featuring a transsexual character — played, however, by a cisgender actress, a fact that has drawn criticism. Yet, although television is still not a vehicle for breaking silence and invisibility, it is important that demands continue, always, so that transsexual people are increasingly represented by the media, suffer less and less prejudice, and can feel increasingly welcomed and accepted in the society where they live.