Media representation is crucial, especially to the younger generation. It reminds them that they are not alone and could put an end to stereotypes. As society has become more accepting of queer individuals, television has responded by creating more opportunities for transgender representation. Additionally, there have been more queer actors and writers involved in creating TV shows, which has led to more nuanced and authentic portrayals. Although not completely there yet, it is clear that progress is being made and that the future is brighter for LGBTQ+ representation.

In honour of International Transgender Day of Visibility, we’d like to celebrate a few amazing roles that not only portray transgender characters, but are actually played by transgender actors in real life. 

Yasmine Finney plays transgender teenager, Elle Argent, who moves to an all-girls’ school from a boys’ school in the popular Netflix coming-of-age romance Heartstopper. A trans woman of colour—same as Elle—Yasmine has spoken about her real struggles as a teenager moving schools and being bullied for her queerness. The 18-year-old also recently opened up about the importance of authentic casting and trans inclusion. She said, “I think we’ll really have change when I can play a character whose gender identity or sexuality isn’t specified. ⁠That’s when the industry will start to see trans actors as normal actors like everybody else, and we can play any role that we want to.”

Pose features the largest number of trans actors compared to any television series in history. Premiered in 2018, the drama spotlights the lives of queer African-American and Latino communities in 80’s New York City, who compete for accolades in the drag ball culture scene with their chosen families, known as Houses. Not only did the show change the course of television, but Pose also received universal critical acclaim for the cast’s performances, with Rodriguez breaking new ground as the first trans actress to be nominated for an Emmy Award.

Elliot Fletcher plays the role of Aaron Baker, a young trans male, on The Fosters, which has always been praised for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes. Fletcher has commended the show for including the storyline of Aaron’s parents struggling to come to terms with who he truly is. The actor has always been outspoken about the importance of authentic transgender representation in the media and came out as a trans man shortly after his 17th birthday.

One of the most groundbreaking LGBTQ+ characters in television history, Laverne Cox played the role of transgender inmate Sophia Burset on OITNB. Not only did Cox become the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy, she is also the first trans woman to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. She has won numerous awards for her activist approach in spreading awareness and her impact and prominence in the media has led to a growing conversation about its culture.

Back in 2020, the Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page came out as transgender and revealed his preferred pronouns to be he/they. In the first two seasons, he played the role of cisgender Vanya Hargreeves on The Umbrella Academy. Page’s real-life transition was reflected in the third season of the show when his character, Viktor Hargreeves, came out as a trans man to his family. The scene was applauded by fans and critics alike, Page later made history as the first transgender man to cover Time Magazine where he stated how proud he was of how the show handled Viktor’s storyline.

Landing her very first role in the hit HBO series Euphoria in 2019, the show follows Zendaya’s Emmy Award-winning character Rue Bennett, a recovering teenage drug addict who falls in love with Schafer’s character, Jules Vaughn, the new girl in town. What many find compelling about Jules is that the show does not make her gender the entirety of who she is, but merely just one small piece of her identity. Portraying her as a normal teenage girl, the show doesn’t have elements of homophobia or transphobia, which presents the progressive and ideal world most would like to live in.