Media portrayals of transgender people

Hunter Schafer's role as transgender teen "Jules Vaughn" in Euphoria (2019-present) garnered critical acclaim.

Portrayals of transgender people in mass media reflect societal attitudes about transgender identity, and have varied and evolved with public perception and understanding. Media representation, culture industry, and social marginalization all hint at popular culture standards and the applicability and significance to mass culture, even though media depictions represent only a minuscule spectrum of the transgender group,[1] which essentially conveys that those that are shown are the only interpretations and ideas society has of them. However, in 2014, the United States reached a "transgender tipping point", according to Time.[2][3] At this time, the media visibility of transgender people reached a level higher than seen before. Since then, the number of transgender portrayals across TV platforms has stayed elevated.[4] Research has found that viewing multiple transgender TV characters and stories improves viewers' attitudes toward transgender people and related policies.[5]

  1. ^ "MTV to launch new channel for gay viewers in 2005 – May. 25, 2004". CNN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  2. ^ Steinmetz, K. (May 28, 2014). "The transgender tipping point". Time. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  3. ^ Snow, N. (May 8, 2015). "Laverne Cox: 'Time' magazine's 'transgender tipping point' cover girl". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Townsend, M. (November 3, 2016). "GLAAD's 'Where We Are on TV' report finds progress in LGBTQ representation on TV, but much work still to be done". GLAAD. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  5. ^ Gillig, Traci K; Rosenthal, Erica L; Murphy, Sheila T; Folb, Kate Langrall (2017). "More than a Media Moment: The Influence of Televised Storylines on Viewers' Attitudes toward Transgender People and Policies". Sex Roles. 78 (7–8): 1–13. doi:10.1007/s11199-017-0816-1. S2CID 149238194.