Advocate.com – By Joanne Herman
While a lot of work remains to be done, the 2006?2007 television season saw some important milestones for transgender people.
A big year on the small screen
Last year, for the first time, we saw transgender characters in recurring roles on popular television programs, as opposed to one-episode, single-season cameos. In prime time, viewers of the popular ABC sitcom Ugly Betty saw the return of Alex Meade as Alexis (played by actress Rebecca Romijn). And during the day, viewers of ABC?s long-running soap All My Children witnessed Zoe (played by actor Jeffrey Carlson) deal with her transition to female.
ABC was very careful to seek the guidance of media watchdog GLAAD about Zoe?s character and chose to cast a male actor for the role, resulting in a very realistic and perhaps even overly sensitive portrayal. And while Ugly Betty?s story line does not lend itself to educating the public about transgenderism, Alexis has managed to avoid many of the stereotypes and sensationalism that have characterized transgender roles in the past.