Trans in Popular Culture

You don't see a lot of trans men and women in popular culture, except as rare one-off characters who are used as comic relief. But that is changing. When Mac, on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, met a trans woman named Carmen, it initially felt like the same old shit. But things got more interesting as Mac started dating Carmen and struggled with the tension between his feelings and the pressures he felt from his friends.

I really like the character Alexis on Ugly Betty, played by Rebecca Romijn. The show only occasionally focused on her identity as a trans woman, and didn't hesitate to make her beautiful and powerful. It did explore her dating life in one episode, as well as her friendships with other women, but it did this is a fairly nuanced and interesting way.

The new trans woman on TV is Leiomy Maldonado, one of the dancers in Vogue Evolution, a group that is competing on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. It will be interesting to watch how she presents herself and how she is represented by the show's editors. I'm also interested in whether America is paying attention--does the show get good ratings; does Leiomy become the subject of popular discussions? But so far, she seems to be bringing it. Check out the clips below.

One last thought: where are the trans men in popular culture?

Vogue Evolution - Week 2 - Deja Vu - Beyonce Challenge

Vogue Evolution On America's Best Dance Crew Season 4 Epsiode 1

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