JUSTICE: Transgender actors should have the same opportunities to feature in movies and television shows as cisgender actors.
By Alex Flores, Staff Writer
In the entertainment industry, transgender characters are primarily portrayed as villains, victims, or mere sidekicks. Not only are transgender people often falsely stigmatized, but actual transgender actors are rarely given the opportunity to play transgender characters, let alone any character. Lead roles in movies and television are often given to cisgender actors whose reputation precedes them, while transgender actors are overlooked because they are unable to create a reputation for themselves.
This then brings forward the subject of whether transgender characters should be played exclusively by transgender actors. “My advice to a cis actor playing a trans character right now is: don’t. Because it’s really important that trans people play trans characters,” Elliot Fletcher, best known for his role in television shows “The Fosters” and “Shameless”, said. This issue is so important because transgender representation in movies and television shows helps other transgenders realize that they are not alone. “My life would be different because I would have felt like I had existed a lot sooner than I did… it might have saved me from a lot of struggle,” Ian Harvie, stand-up comedian and actor, expressed. Transgender representation also promises the possibility of a successful future for anyone, not just transgender people, by proving that one’s gender does not hold any restrictions over their prosperity.
However, this sense of community and hope cannot be properly conveyed unless transgender people are given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. “We could play anyone… We need the opportunities to go into a room and show our talent, and put the gender aside,” Rain Valdez, an actress commonly known for her work on the web television series “Transparent”, said.
Putting gender aside is at the core of the problem regarding the lack of transgender representation in movies and television shows. Many people cannot or will not understand why one would choose to change their gender; why one “feels” as though they were born in the wrong body. One’s transition to another gender can be confusing, but that is no reason to turn confusion into hatred and marginalize transgenders. Transgenders need to be humanized, not demonized. This can be done by embracing the fact that transgender people are not inherently bad people because of the choice they have made. As a result of this change of thought, opportunities for transgender actors will arise, transgender people will be justly represented, and hope will be given to those watching.