DiversityInc.com – By Aysha Hussain
The presence of gays and lesbians has become more frequent mainstream TV. But are audiences really ready for transgender characters?
While Rebecca Romijn is portraying a male-to-female transgender character on the hit show “Ugly Betty,” the soap opera “All My Children” is taking the biggest leap. In November, the show launched its first transgender character, Zoe, who received so much positive viewer response that the show has decided to feature a scene where Zoe attends a support-group gathering of six other transgender people sharing their personal stories in a rare, unscripted format. The episode is expected to air March 9.
“I feel really privileged to be part of this project because I think it’s extremely powerful because so many people watch it,” said David Harrison, an actor who is expected to be part of the support group. “The potential is enormous to help not only trans people coming out, but their families,” he said in a statement.