Trans women face discrimination based on their gender identity at every level of society. In popular culture, this bias is often magnified when they are portrayed in mass media such as movies, TV shows, music videos, magazines, social networks, and websites. Their race further complicates how they are perceived by audiences and can lead to even more limited opportunities for visibility and success in show business. This essay will examine how intersectionality affects media representation of trans women through analysis of case studies and research findings from sociology, psychology, communication studies, film theory, and related fields.
Analysis of Case Studies
In the film industry, trans women characters are often depicted as exotic objects that exist outside of the normative white male gaze.
The 2016 movie "Tangerine" follows two African American transgender sex workers who engage in a catfight during Christmas Eve. The plot centers around race, sexuality, class, and gender identity, but critics have noted that it reinforces stereotypes about black women's bodies being hypersexualized and objectified. Another example is the 2015 movie "The Danish Girl", which tells the story of Lili Elbe (played by Eddie Redmayne), a man who identifies as female and undergoes one of the first documented gender reassignment surgeries. The protagonist struggles with her relationship with her husband while transitioning from male to female, and the film received criticism for its depiction of transgender people as pathologically different. These films perpetuate harmful narratives about trans women being deviant or abnormal.
Research Findings on Media Representation
A study published in the journal "Sex Roles" found that television shows portray trans women as either "passing" as cisgender or "failing to pass." Passing refers to the ability to blend into society without drawing attention to one's difference, whereas failing to pass implies nonconformity. This binary system creates an artificial dichotomy that reinforces negative stereotypes and ignores the diversity within the trans community. Another study found that media representations of trans women are often sensationalized, exoticized, or ridiculed, leading audiences to see them as freaks or outcasts rather than real people with complex lives and experiences.
Intersectionality and Media Representation
Intersectionality theory proposes that individuals experience multiple forms of oppression based on their social identity categories such as race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, and nationality. In the case of trans women, intersectionality has significant implications for how they are represented in media.
Black trans women may be portrayed as hypersexualized and dangerous, while Asian trans women may be viewed as submissive and exotic. Latinx trans women may be cast in roles as maids or domestic servants, perpetuating stereotypes about immigrants and marginalized groups. This reinforces the idea that trans women are not fully human or deserving of respect.
Media representation of trans women is influenced by intersections of race, sex, gender, and other identities. Trans women face discrimination at every level of society, including in popular culture where they are often depicted as abnormal or deviant. These representations can lead to limited opportunities for visibility and success in show business, as well as negative perceptions among audiences. To improve media representation of trans women, producers must recognize the complexity of their lived experiences and create more diverse characters who defy conventional norms and expectations.
How does intersection with race affect media representation of trans women?
Intersectionality refers to the idea that an individual's identity is shaped by multiple intersecting factors such as gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, and so on. Therefore, trans women who are also people of color may experience unique forms of oppression and discrimination due to the intersections of these identities.