Supergirl, Euphoria & OITNB - 3 Types of Trans Representation | TaraElla & Friends #5

TE: Welcome back to TaraElla and Friends. Today, I want to continue my discussion about trans representation in the media. In particular, I want to look at several prominent examples, including the characters of Dreamer in Supergirl (played by Nicole Maines), Jules in Euphoria (played by Hunter Schafer), and Sophia in Orange Is The New Black (played by Laverne Cox). I want to examine if these representations actually help or hinder public understanding of trans lives, and whether these representations are, on the whole, fair and balanced or not.

TC: Before we start examining individual cases, perhaps we should establish this first: why is it important as to how mainstream media is portraying trans lives? What practical impact would it have in real life?

TE: It is an unfortunate fact of life that mainstream media, and the narrative it creates, has a dominant impact on how many people see the issues. For example, last time I was talking about the lack of focus on gender dysphoria. I've heard so many trans people say that they can't afford to see gender as a social construct, because their very real dysphoria is crippling their lives. Yet I don't hear this represented in the media. Now, you may think that the internet means that mainstream media matters less now. But that's simply not true. Back in the 90s there was real hope that the open internet will level the playing field, but over the years, establishment sources have gained more and more privilege, thus gradually rebuilding the landscape of the TV, radio and newspaper world. For example, Wikipedia would generally only include people and topics with enough mainstream media coverage. Given the prominence of Wikipedia in Google search and other places, all this has the potential to greatly amplify and legitimize points of view represented in mainstream media, and minimize and delegitimize other viewpoints.

TC: With the importance of mainstream media narratives established, we can now look at the specific examples you mentioned earlier. Let's start with Dreamer in Supergirl, often said to be the first trans superhero. Dreamer is confident, capable, well-adjusted, and conventionally attractive. She's the whole package, really. Do you think this is good representation?

TE: Yes and no. The reality is complicated. I mean, having a well-adjusted and confident trans character is a nice change, from the more usual stereotype of trans people being socially marginalized and having lots of issues. That said, Dreamer is a bit too perfect. She doesn't even seem to suffer from much gender dysphoria at all. Which would probably make sense in the context, Dreamer being a fantasy superhero. But what Dreamer's narrative is missing is the reality of gender dysphoria, which means it may not generate much public empathy and understanding. I mean, one can have gender dysphoria and still do well in life in general. It's like how many people have their own issues, but still struggle to do well enough in life. And there are plenty of such characters in the rest of the TV world. You know, the career woman with anxiety issues, or the young professional struggling with being gay, yet still enjoying career success. There's no reason why gender dysphoria can't be mixed in with an otherwise heroic life.

TC: If you think Dreamer shows too little of the trans life realities, how about Jules in Euphoria? I mean, we do see a lot of her life, her struggles, and her thoughts. There's even one whole episode where she discusses everything with a therapist.

TE: I do think it's great that the show goes into such depth about Jules's life and struggles. I think it could have even helped more people understand and have empathy with trans people, at least to some extent. However, the downside is that it could also feed into the narrative about trans people having lots of issues. I mean, Jules doesn't just have gender dysphoria, she has lots of other issues that have nothing to do with gender dysphoria. What I'm worried is that, if this is somebody's first insight into trans lives, then they may get the false impression that gender dysphoria is caused by other social or mental health issues. You know, there are already many transphobic people who like to promote that kind of view. I think we need to be careful not to give too much ammunition to them.

TC: Earlier on, you mentioned the traditional stereotype of trans people being socially marginalized. I understand that you want that stereotype gone. Yet it was such a socially marginalized character, Sophia in Orange Is The New Black, that was part of the 'trans tipping point' back in 2014 or so. Laverne Cox, who played Sophia, even landed on the front cover of Time. How do you see this?

TE: I still feel like we need to break free of the marginalized minority stereotype. The danger is that it could compliment and amplify a long line of prejudicial trans narratives, going all the way back to old films like Silence Of The Lambs. I fear it could lead to more discrimination in real life. That said, Orange Is The New Black is better, because basically everyone there is marginalized, it's not just the trans person. Besides, Laverne's performance was really groundbreaking for that time. There was a time when 'trans celebrities' only existed in trans circles. And in trans circles, Laverne was certainly already a trans celebrity before Orange Is The New Black. But she was the first of the many trans celebrities I was following to cross over into the mainstream, and that was almost surreal to see. I mean, I still think the character embodied some of the stereotypes I wish we could get rid of, but back in 2014, it was at least an introduction to trans people and trans issues, for many people who would otherwise be clueless about these things.

We need to remember how far trans awareness has come, even though it's actually not all positive. But back when I came out in 2006, some people simply didn't understand what being trans meant at all. Basically, they had never heard of a trans person. Most other people may have vaguely heard of trans people, but they surely hadn't seen one in real life, and weren't expecting to either. The 'trans tipping point' really changed everything. However, we don't live in 2014 anymore, and we must push for a more representative and fairer portrayal of trans lives. The reason being that, as I said, not all of the trans awareness has been positive. Now that the can of worms has been opened, so to speak, there's no going back. The public are curious, they want to know more about trans people. If the media won't actually start portraying trans lives fairly and accurately, so that public understanding can develop, all kinds of myths and stereotypes would start filling that space. And if that happens, it will likely set back the cause of trans acceptance and trans rights for many years.