Trans persons on trans representations in popular media culture: A reception study

Abstract

After having been largely ignored, people with a trans*gender identity are increasingly represented in mainstream film and television. Hitherto, only little research on the perspectives of trans persons themselves exists; and therefore this article explores how Belgian transgender persons assess the recurring and contemporary media depictions of trans persons. Based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with transgender persons with ages ranging from eighteen to seventy years old (N=13), we found that the participants appreciated the increased visibility of trans persons and themes in media but noted that trans men and nonbinary persons are still rarely represented. In general, respondents expressed fairly satisfied sentiments with regard to representations that they perceived as realistic, especially in non-fictional and infotainment programs. Nevertheless, they also argued that media tend to focus too much on the physical body of a transgender person and depict a complete physical transition as a precondition to fully fit into society.