Trans*Time in (TV) Series: (Inter)national Projections

Trans* visibility in the media, which is widely viewed as an indispensable step in societal acceptance of this facet of  LGBTQI* communities, has peaked in the last decades. The media monitoring organization GLAAD welcomes the growing presence of trans* characters in television series as this presence allows for more nuanced and intersectional approaches to identity (Crenshaw 1989). Two prominent, but diverse examples of this trans* visibility include Sophia Burset played by Laverne Cox  in “Orange is the New Black” and Maura Pfefferman played by Jeffrey Tambor in “Transparent.” We can expand our gaze outside of the United States to see that this is not just a U.S. phenomenon. There has also been an increase in trans* characters in television series around the world. This new visibility and inclusion of trans* characters, sometimes played by trans* actors, signifies the beginning of - what will be called here - a Trans*Time, in which depictions of trans* characters get (inter)nationally projected through the global circulation of “traditional” television series and online streaming platforms.

In light of these international phenomena, a comparative approach to examining how trans* people are depicted in television series (inter)nationally seems methodically sensible and socially relevant. Based on the premise that television series generate, mediate and illustrate models of identification and models of society, this conference examines the multi-semiotic depiction of trans* characters in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and U.S.  shows during the past decades.