In the last few weeks Elliot Page has come out as trans, and like Laverne Cox before him, he has appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. That being said there are positive signs that this is set to change. There have been many discussions around trans actors taking trans roles, yet big-budget studios have yet to put their money behind trans people in leading roles in any significant way. All of these roles have been played by trans actors, bringing much needed visibility of trans actors on screen.įilm has been a harder space in which to be visible for trans people.
Since then EastEnders cast Riley Carter Millington in the role of Kyle Slater, Hollyoaks brought us Sally St Claire, played by Annie Wallace and Emmerdale introduced Ash Palmisciano in the role of Matty Dingle. While Coronation Street was the pioneer in 1998 with the introduction of trans character, Hayley Cropper, the role was played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, who isn’t trans – but it paved the way.
Apart from documentaries, soaps are often the first time trans people are seen as ‘everyday people’ and are an important step in breaking down barriers. Television in particular brings trans people directly into our homes, and has the ability to create familiarity, understanding and compassion. Television, music or film is often one of the first points of visibility that the public – and those who are questioning their gender – have with trans people. On Trans Day of Visibility 2021 we would like to celebrate a few of the visible trans people who inspire us and act as beacons of hope to the trans community. With the current climate of trans hostility in the UK and around the globe, this approach is completely understandable. The concept of trans visibility creates a strange conflict for many trans people on the one hand, for those newly out, or those thinking about transitioning, it’s incredibly important to have trans icons and representation to look towards for inspiration, yet on the the flip side, the aim of many trans people is to ‘pass’ or just ‘fit in’ and to be as non-visible as possible in their everyday lives. “ You can’t be what you can’t see” is a mantra originally coined in support of seeing more women in positions of power, however, it’s equally relevant to any minority group, and is particularly essential to the trans community. Transgender Day of Visibility TDoV provides the perfect opportunity for us to celebrate all trans people. Seeing trans people in our everyday lives is important, both for educating and encouraging those who don’t understand to accept that our world is beautiful and diverse, and to help provide courage to those who are scared to come out.