Being transgender onscreen and off

Transgender representation onscreen and the real-world climate surrounding transgender lives have shifted since the mid-2010s, yet many of the tensions captured in earlier coverage remain visible today. The commutation of Chelsea Manning’s sentence in 2017 closed one chapter of her case, but it left a broader conversation about policy, safety, and visibility still unresolved. North Carolina’s bathroom law drew national attention at the time, and similar measures have continued to surface in statehouses across the country. Civil rights groups continue to track legislation that affects access to facilities, medical care, and public participation. In that context, film and television projects from the same period offered early attempts at fuller portrayals, and several of them still stand out for their approach to character and story.

Her Story (2016)

Web series Her Story follows the dating lives of trans and queer women living in Los Angeles. Far from the tired old plot lines about transitions that we’ve seen in virtually every other film or series that tackles trans issues, Her Story look at other aspects of transgender women's stories. It’s won praise for its direct storytelling with three-dimensional, vulnerable, and sexy characters. Starring Jen Richards and Angelica Ross, the show earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama. Viewers can watch it for free on Youtube.

Tangerine (2015)

When Tangerine premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, no one realized it had been shot on an iPhone 5. The result was a beautiful production telling the comedic story of Sin-Dee and Alexandra, two trans women who, well – here’s the synopsis: “It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.”

Transparent

Amazon introduced Transparent in 2014 to a virtual standing ovation. The series told the story of Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), a retired college professor and trans woman who had struggled for years to keep her gender identity a secret from her colleagues, as well as her own family. Snappy, dark humor and an all-star cast won the series two Golden Globe Awards. The show ran for five seasons and concluded in 2019 with a feature-length Musicale Finale. Jeffrey Tambor departed prior to the final season amid allegations.

Acclaim and Controversy

While Transparent creator Jill Soloway drew a lot of praise, she also faced searing criticism due to her casting choices. Many people in the trans community see the show as another example of transgender actors being passed over in favor of putting better-known cisgender names in their place. It happened in The Danish Girl, which starred Eddie Redmayne as transwoman Lili Elbe, and again when Matt Bomer was slated to play a transgender sex worker in the upcoming drama Anything. Another series that’s drawn fire from the transgender community is the USA Network drama Mr. Robot. Creator Sam Esmail cast cisgender male actor BD Wong in the role of Whiterose, a mysterious hacker who is also a transwoman. In an interview with Vulture, Esmail revealed that he wrote the character with Wong in mind. Notably, Wong is famous for appearing in a production of M. Butterfly as a male spy who dresses up like a woman in order to engage in an affair with a French diplomat. Two decades ago, it was groundbreaking for filmmakers even to tell the story of a transgender character. When audiences learned the tragic fate of Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry or first met Dil in The Crying Game, the moments helped open the door to LGBT themes onscreen. Today, simply telling trans stories or thoughtlessly including them in an ongoing narrative isn’t enough. In addition to depriving transgender people of the ability to tell their own stories – in favor of packing a box office punch by using a more famous actor – many feel casting cisgender actors sends the wrong message. Richards addressed the issue in a series of tweets. "When Jared Leto plays Rayon and accepts his Oscar with a full beard, the world sees that being a trans woman is just a man performing," she wrote. "When Matt Bomer plays a trans woman, he is telling the world that underneath it all, trans women like me are really just men." Recent productions such as The Last of Us have faced similar cis-casting criticism. Advocacy for authentic casting has continued.

Post-2016 Trans Representation Trends

GLAAD 2025 data indicates 23.6% of major studio films included LGBTQ characters with low trans-specific counts. Analyses note continued scarcity of trans characters alongside some authentic examples. The volume of projects centered on transgender characters has grown since the mid-2010s, yet the share of trans performers in those roles remains limited. Studios continue to weigh commercial calculations against calls for greater inclusion behind and in front of the camera.

Legislative Landscape Since 2017

Trans Legislation Tracker reports 804 anti-trans bills considered in 2026 and record numbers in prior years. State-level proposals have addressed sports participation, medical care, school policies, and public facilities. Tracking organizations document both the number of bills introduced and the number enacted, showing sustained activity across multiple legislative sessions.

Trans Actors and Authentic Storytelling Today

Casting controversies continue with examples like The Last of Us. Advocacy emphasizes trans actors for trans characters. Industry conversations about hiring practices have expanded to include crew roles and production leadership, with organizations tracking both progress and persistent gaps in opportunity.

Chelsea Manning's Post-Release Path

Manning published memoir README.txt in 2022 and continued activism including 2024 protests. After release, Manning maintained a public profile through writing and public appearances while navigating ongoing legal and political developments. The memoir offered a detailed account of her time in custody and the years that followed.

These updates place the earlier examples within a longer timeline. The debates over casting, legislation, and visibility that surfaced in the mid-2010s have not disappeared. Instead they have taken new forms as audiences, lawmakers, and creators continue to negotiate how transgender stories are told and who gets to tell them.