GayWired.com – By Fred Topel
Transgender women probably wish that real life medical procedures could make them look like Rebecca Romijn. Alas, she is only an actor playing transgender on Ugly Betty. While transgender women have to suffer through treatments to feminize their features, the TV dramedy tends to glamorize the results. But it never belittles the struggle transgender people have in society.
“I happen to have several friends who are transgender so it?s something that is a very sensitive subject and it?s very close to my heart,” said Romijn, who plays Alexis on the show. “It?s something that I would never want to make any choices that would insult my friends. I also feel like I?m part of a movement of people that are sort of making it into mainstream society and don?t really have a voice yet or are still finding their voice. It?s kind of an honor. At first it just sounded like a really fun character to play. Now it feels a little bit more important.”