Laverne Cox
One of the most prominent characters from the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black is Sophia Burset, a transgender character portrayed by Laverne Cox . The American actor and LGBT rights advocate appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 2014, the first openly transgender person to have done so. Her 2014 MTV reality show, Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, documented the stories of seven transgender young people and won a Daytime Emmy award.
The Danish Girl
The 2015 biographical drama directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is based on David Ebershoff’s 2000 novel of the same name. Eddie Redmayne stars in a love story inspired by the marriage of two artists, Lili Elbe and pioneering transgender artist Gerda Wegener. The film was screened at the 72nd Venice international film festival and has sparked controversy regarding the casting of a man following the choice of Redmayne to star as the main lead.
Caitlyn Jenner
Formerly known as Bruce Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner is a retired American athlete who won the men’s decathlon in the 1976 Olympics. Previously known in her role on the reality TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Jenner garnered attention in April 2015 when she revealed that she is transgender during an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC’s 20/20. In June, Caitlyn was photographed by Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Vanity Fair, leading to both controversy and an outpouring of support from the media. Since then, Jenner received the Arthur Ashe Courage award and currently stars in her own reality TV show, I Am Cait, which focuses on her adjustment to her gender transition.
Transparent
Transparent is a comedy-drama television series created by Jill Soloway, centering on a Los Angeles family and their lives following the revelation that their father, Mort Pfefferman, is transgender. The series won a Golden Globe for best television series in musical or comedy. It stars Jeffrey Tambor, best known for his roles in Arrested Development, who won a best actor Golden Globe award for his performance.
Boy Meets Girl
The six-episode sitcom began broadcasting earlier this month on BBC 2. The series tells the story of a developing relationship between Leo and Judy, played by transgender actress Rebecca Root. It’s the first BBC comedy to star a transgender actor in a leading role.
Tangerine
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor star is this comedy drama that premiered at the 2015 Sundance film festival. Shot entirely on an iPhone, Tangerine centres around the friendship between two black transgender prostitutes in LA and will be released in the UK in November.
Three Suits
Lena Dunham is producing an HBO documentary with this title, about the Brooklyn bespoke tailoring company Bindle & Keep that caters for the LGBTQ community. The forthcoming film will follow several of their clients as they have suits custom-made.
