Eastern Kentucky University

Encompass

Honors Theses Student Scholarship

Fall 12-4-2013

Transgender Representation in the Media

Jessica N. Jobe
Eastern Kentucky University, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation
Jobe, Jessica N., "Transgender Representation in the Media" (2013). Honors Theses. 132.
https://encompass.eku.edu/honors_theses/132

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EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

Transgender Representation in the Media

Honors Thesis
Submitted
In Partial Fulfillment
of the
Requirements of HON 420
Fall 2013

By
Jessie Jobe

Mentor
Dr. Lisa Day
Women and Gender Studies, Director
 Abstract

Transgender Representation in the Media

Jessie Jobe

Dr. Lisa Day, Women and Gender Studies, Director

The media is pervasive in American society – more people have television sets than

college degrees. For this reason, media is crucial in the spread of information. The way

groups of people are represented in the media can be both reflective of and influential on

society's (possibly stereotypical) perceptions of these groups. The transgender

community often gets misrepresented in the media. As a whole, the transgender

community faces a lot of prejudice in American society, and current transgender

representation in the media has the power to reinforce negative stereotypes. Twelve

examples of news, television, and movies from as early as 1975 and as recent as 2013

were analyzed both for their accuracy and fairness in their portrayal of transpeople and

transgender issues. Nearly all samples utilized negative stereotypes of transgender

people. Many samples focused on transgender characters in a joking nature, making light

of transgender struggles and reinforcing common misconceptions and negative

stereotypes of what it means when a person is transgender. Media outlets are

irresponsible with their representations of the transgender community. Society needs to

hold the media more accountable for the information it dispenses. As important, if not

more so, is society holding itself accountable for what it chooses to believe.

Keywords and phrases: transgender, media, representation, stereotypes, prejudice

 Table of Contents

Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................iv

Terminology.........................................................................................................................5

Introduction..........................................................................................................................6

News....................................................................................................................................9

The Johns Hopkins Fraud........................................................................................9

Transgender Prisoners............................................................................................12

Chelsea Manning....................................................................................................13

The Pregnant Man..................................................................................................14

Movies................................................................................................................................15

Boys Don't Cry.......................................................................................................15

Southern Comfort...................................................................................................17

Transamerica.........................................................................................................18

Soldier's Girl..........................................................................................................19

Television...........................................................................................................................20

Friends...................................................................................................................20

South Park..............................................................................................................23

Family Guy.............................................................................................................26

America's Next Top Model.....................................................................................28

Conclusion.........................................................................................................................30

Works Cited.......................................................................................................................32
 Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Lisa Day. She has been an incredible help

throughout this entire process. Not only did she offer valuable insight on this project, she

never let me stop believing in myself or my work.

I would also like to thank my aunt and uncle for inviting me to the Southern

Comfort Conference in Atlanta this past September. Their contribution is immeasurable

in its value to my knowledge and my thesis.

My cousin was the primary inspiration for my thesis. I would like to thank her for

sharing her experiences in her transition with myself and the rest of the world via

Facebook.

My honors program peers and the directors, Dr. Linda Frost and Dr. David

Coleman, have provided a very strong support network throughout this entire process.

My mother, step father, sisters, partner, and sisters of Kappa Alpha Theta have

provided unending support for me this past year. I can never fully express my gratitude

to have them in my life.

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 5

Transgender Representation in the Media

Terminology

An understanding of basic vocabulary is crucial to the understanding of this thesis

and its purpose. “Transgender” refers to a person whose gender identity and/or gender

expression differs from what is typically associated with their birth assigned sex. It is an

umbrella term and can refer to people at varying points in transition. “Trans” is often

used as shorthand for transgender. Other variations include transperson, transpeople,

transwoman, transman (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2009).

“Cisgender” is the counterpart to transgender. This term refers to a person whose

gender identity and gender expression matches what is typically associated with their

birth-assigned sex.

“Transsexual” refers to a transperson who has undergone either surgical,

hormonal, or legal means to live full time as the sex opposite that of their birth assigned

sex. “Transition” refers to the period of time in which a transperson learns to live as the

sex opposite that of their birth-assigned sex (transhealth.ucsf.edu, 2013).

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 6

Introduction

In 2013, the media has become a primary educational tool. That’s no

exaggeration; the 2011 census reported that three in ten adults hold a bachelor’s degree,

while 99 percent of households in the United States have at least one television set (de

Vise, 2012; Herr, 2007). Television shows and movies are not the only source of media

constantly bombarding our senses. We have newspapers, magazines, the internet, and

books to consume as well. Some programming is marketed to foster learning, such as

Dora the Explorer and Arthur. However, media meant to educate is not the only media

that consumers walk away from with new information. Many forms of media portray

fictional characters in real life settings, and consumers often take for granted that writers,

producers, and actors alike do not always represent real-life scenarios accurately and

fairly.

If consumers base their expectations on what they see on television or read in

books, they may inadvertently make assumptions about cultures or environments that are

simply untrue. False assumptions become prejudices if they are reinforced often enough

and can lead to discrimination. In a vicious cycle, these prejudices are reproduced and

portrayed over again, reinforcing it further. In this sense, media both educates and

reflects our society’s beliefs, whether or not these portrayals and beliefs are accurate.

If media is so integrated into our lives and is so influential on our beliefs,

informed viewers must make sure that the information and stories are grounded in ethics,

and that they do not potentially lead to prejudice and discrimination.

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 7

The best way way to divert prejudices as a result of media is through proper

education. If an adult watches a cartoon wherein the sky is green, that adult would be

aware that the cartoon is inaccurately representing the world. When the media starts

representing a culture or circumstance that requires more knowledge than the general

population may have, a problem arises. For example, a forensic scientist knows how labs

and crime scene analyses work. A high-schooler watching CSI: Miami has a very

different belief and knowledge base about the forensic science field. This inaccurate

portrayal of how fingerprinting and DNA sampling works has caused problems in the

court room. Jurors expect expert witnesses to be able to provide solid, 100% positive

proof of guilt, which is just factually unrealistic.

A more insidious effect of unrealistic depictions is the media portrayal of diverse

populations. For example, the transgender community is fighting waves of

discrimination in their medical, legal, work, and social lives, reflected in

misrepresentation in the portrayal of transgender characters and figures in the media.

Putting characters in drag is treated as a gag. The very detailed and painful, expensive

process of transition is simplified into one day in surgery. Pronouns used in reference to

a transgender are inaccurate, as if to say, “Hey, this man thinks he’s a woman. Isn’t that

funny?”

It is not funny. It is not funny because many transgender people have not revealed

their true identities to their own families for fear of rejection. They must present in such

a way that upsets them because they do not want to lose their jobs. They must seek new
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 8

doctors because many health care providers do not want to work with the transgender

community. Perhaps these fears would not exist if transgender characters were accurately

portrayed. Friends and family members of transgender people are aware of what their

loved ones go through, and, more importantly, are aware that transgender people are

people. They have hopes, dreams, bad days, good days. They love. They hate. The only

difference that should exist between a transgender individual and a cisgender individual

is the congruence between physical sex and mental gender and how any inconsistencies

may be addressed.

Many cisgender people may have never met a transgender person. These people

may have no understanding of what it means to be transgender. Many people even equate

being transgender and being homosexual, although gender identity and sexuality are

unrelated. It is these people who develop a misunderstanding and prejudice of the

transgender community based upon media portrayals.

This paper will be examining various media portrayals of transgender characters,

figures, and issues. News stories such as medical findings, legal disputes, and current

events will be examined along with movies and television shows. I will choose specific

examples of each of these and analyze them based upon two factors: accuracy and

fairness. Accuracy will defined, for the purposes of this paper, as portrayal of factual

information in a matter that is correct and grounded in fact. Fairness will be how the

characters and scenarios are treated. Are they depicted humorously? How do cisgender

characters react to and interact with the transgender characters? These factors are
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 9

important in ethical media portrayal and can have an influence on the perceptions of

uninformed consumers.

The goal of these analyses is to demonstrate the misinformation and unfairness in

media representation of transgender individuals that effects prejudice and discrimination

of the transgender community.

News

News is a form of media that viewers expect to be accurate and informative.

These following examples demonstrate that news stories can be fraudulent and biased.

The Johns Hopkins Fraud

Johns Hopkins University is renowned for its work in research that fuels the

medical field. Studies done there become well-respected news stories that the public is

fairly willing to accept as fact because of the name attached to them. While the research

at Johns Hopkins has been largely beneficial for the medical field’s advancement, some

fraudulent research has been sponsored by the university that sought to make political

and social gains based upon the authors’ biases, regardless of the medical inaccuracies.

John Money opened a gender identity clinic at Johns Hopkins University in 1970.

Money believed that there was a separation between gender and sex (Denny, 2013), a

premise known to be true now, but a new concept to the general public in 1970. Nine

years later, Jon Meyer and Donna Ryder published an article through the university which

claimed that there was no medical benefit to sex reassignment surgery. At the time this

article appeared, it damaged the early transgender rights movement

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 10

Another member of the Johns Hopkins staff, Paul McHugh, was greatly opposed

to the clinic and the research it was doing there. He worked with Meyer and Ryder to

publish the article saying sex reassignment surgery was not medically beneficial. The

article was methodologically unsound; the research cited within was flawed, but it still

swept the nation and caused an uproar of people against the popularization and

accessibility of sex reassignment surgery. Meyer and Ryder's influence led to other

journals publishing the same information and the closure of the forty gender clinics

initially opened under the direct influence of the Johns Hopkins gender clinic.

Individuals who wanted to experience congruency between their inner and outer selves

were denied that same right, an inborn right for every cisgender individual. The clinics

that did stay open became incredibly selective about their clientele (Denny, 2013).

McHugh’s plan to close the clinic at Johns Hopkins and to limit the availability of sex

reassignment surgery and gender therapy to transgender individuals with Meyer and

Ryder's fraudulent article worked.

Since the 1970s, the availability of sex reassignment surgeries, hormone

therapies, and various other methods to help the transgender population has increased.

The terrifying moral of this story is that the scientific community wields an enormous

amount of power to influence the public’s opinion of medical practices. A researcher

publishing an article with faulty and misleading information can ruin the lives of people

who would actually benefit from the practices cited as ineffective.

There is still too little research to draw any definite conclusion on the long-term
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 11

benefits and risks of sex reassignment surgery. A study in Sweden by Dhenje,

Lichtenstein, Boman, Johansson, Långström, and Landén (2011) suggests that sex

reassignment surgery is an effective method of alleviation for gender dysphoria – the

official clinical term for incongruence between physical sex and psychological gender –

although more than surgery (i.e., psychiatric treatment) is needed for transgender people

to live life as happily as their cisgender counterparts. The Swedish study acknowledges

the need for further research. It uses proper scientific methods and does not suggest that

any one method of treatment for gender dysphoria should be used by itself.

The inaccuracy of Meyer and Ryder’s article in this instance speaks of its fairness.

In scientific research, objectivity is the aim. If an article is purposefully inaccurate in

order to meet a certain end, then it is not objective. It is an unfair representation of the

transgender community to say that sex reassignment surgery is ineffective. While there

are transgender individuals who do not believe surgery is necessary for them, many do

strive for reassignment surgery. For some, it is a matter of money. For others, it is a

matter of being able to take the time off work or to secure the after care available to them

in the form of friends and family there to help. Whatever their reasons for getting or not

getting surgical treatment, it is not due to the practice's ineffectiveness. To imply that

people seeking help for themselves by undergoing a painful and risky surgery is

ineffective implies that transgender individuals really are not going through severe

emotional anguish being trapped in a sex and role that is incongruent with their inner

selves. The problem with stories that are focused on why surgery is ineffective is the
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 12

residual impression that surgery is something frivolous and that being transgender is not

significant. It implies that those who seek treatment via surgery are overreacting by

undergoing surgical changes.

Transgender Prisoners

Many prisoners find themselves denied access to remedies like hormone

treatments and sex reassignment surgery, leading some individuals to perform surgeries

on themselves (Lambda Legal, 2013). Cases have been made that argue that limited

access to these health care options violates the eighth amendment regarding cruel and

unusual punishment. Some transgender prisoners have been on hormone treatments for

years before they become incarcerated, and getting cut off from their hormones leaves

them in severe physical and emotional pain (Lambda Legal, 2013).

Cases such as Fields v. Smith have helped to make progress for the transgender

rights movement (Lambda Legal, 2013). This case defined medical necessity of

treatment as being left up to the individual and his or her physician. The importance of

such court rulings are undeniable because there is a huge disparity in health care access

for transgender individuals versus health care for cisgender individuals (Levasseur,

2013). This ruling is important in achieving equal access to health care.

The fairness involved in treatment of transgender individuals is complicated. On

the one hand, these kinds of court rulings set precedents about the importance of health

care for transgender individuals. The fairness of this representation is high in that it is

leading to fairness in the health care field. On the other hand, these rulings are coming
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 13

about from court cases surrounding prison inmates. There has been a long standing

stereotype that transgender individuals are deviants or prostitutes. With prisoners as the

public example of what the transgender community is and who the health care is

becoming available to, the uninformed cisgender population’s perceptions of the

transgender community involves criminal behavior.

The situation as it stands is that prisons provide the easiest environment to

achieve these kinds of rulings because of their separate setting controlled by the

government. Yet, government policies are easy to analyze in prisons; they are almost like

a cross section view of public policy.

Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning was known as Bradley Manning when she served in the

military. Transgender soldiers are not allowed to serve in the military with the current

policies in place. She has been struggling with gender dysphoria as early as 2009, and

she has recently been accused of releasing classified documents to WikiLeaks. She is

currently being charged with treason. The defense claims that Manning’s gender

dysphoria and her inability to be openly out as transgender caused her such great distress

that she committed the treason (Roller, 2013).

The accuracy of the information contained in this news story is based on the

military’s current stance on transgender soldiers and the defense’s claims on behalf of

Manning. The military views gender dysphoria as a medical abnormality of the genitalia

(Roller, 2013), but being transgender is a neurobiological disorder (Raman and Reynolds,
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 14

2013). This inaccuracy lessens the seriousness of what transgender individuals go

through.

It is unfair that Manning is the current news highlight on transgender soldiers.

Twenty percent of the transgender population has served in the military, as opposed to ten

percent of the cisgender of the population (Roller, 2013). Kristen Beck is a former Navy

SEAL who performs positive campaigning for the transgender community, and there are

many former soldiers who have served their country proudly and offer a positive

representation of what the transgender community is capable (i.e., the same things as

everyone else). However, Chelsea Manning is the one who has made headlines.

Regardless of what anyone’s opinion of her innocence or her motive, it is unfortunate that

a story with such a negative connotation represents the whole transgender community.

The Pregnant Man

Thomas Beatie is as transman who made headlines in 2007 with his pregnancy.

He had elected to keep his female reproductive organs and carry his and his partner's

child (Halberstram, 2010). This story provided an opportunity to discuss what it means

to be transgender. It became, however, a discussion of what is and what is not natural. A

debate ensued about biology and mutilation, as well as the suitability of transgender

parents.

The treatment of Thomas Beatie as a medical anomaly and/or an abomination of

nature painted a negative light on transgender parents and distracted from transgender

biology. This story created national headlines and had the opportunity to educate the
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 15

country on the transgender body and life. Similarly, a discussion on the suitability of

transpeople as parents, a sensitive and often-debated subject, could have been sparked.

The story, however, took its shallowest form and looked at Beatie's physical body and

how it defies society's expectations.

Movies

Movies are a popular form of media and comprise a multimillion dollar a year

industry. The titles examined below experienced moderate success and feature trans

characters in starring roles.

Boys Don’t Cry

Boys Don't Cry is the 1999 film that tells the true story of Brandon Teena, a young

transman in Nebraska. He finds a group of friends who take him in after he runs away

from home and is kicked out of his friend's house. He forms a relationship with one of

them. Nobody knows he is transgender until they see a court summons in the trash, with

his female name, Teena Brandon, written on it. Two of his friends attack him and force

his girlfriend to look at his genitalia. They later rape and beat him. He hides out at

another friend's house before leaving town, but his attackers learn of his whereabouts and

ultimately shoot him (Pierce & Bienen, 1999). The movie was wildly successful. It

launched Hilary Swank's career and earned multiple awards (Rigney, 2003). The

appearance of the film at the Oscars demonstrates the powerful effect it had on audiences.

For the first time, a transgender character starred in a movie and was not a sexual

offender or otherwise dangerous and unstable criminal (Rigney, 2003).

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 16

The film's director, Kimberly Pierce, admits to taking creative liberty with Teena's

story, but he was a real person who was assaulted and murdered in Falls City, Nebraska,

in 1993 (historyvshollywood.com, 2013).

The film made people aware of the transgender community and the violence

constantly faced by transgender individuals, and it was the first time a trans character was

seen as the hero of the story. The film's brutal rape and murder are tragic, and they

greatly affected audiences. In Swank's acceptance speech, she acknowledged Brandon

and his incredible, heartbreaking story (historyvshollywood.com, 2013).

However, the hero that Brandon Teena became was a hero for cisgender

audiences. For transgender audiences, he became a warning of what could happen if they

came out openly (Rigney, 2003). For a transpeople who have kept their identities hidden

from all but themselves, Boys Don't Cry leaves a less-than-encouraging message about

what can happen when they have the courage to do what is right for them.

This film did raise transgender awareness in America. Cisgender audiences were

made aware that transgender individuals exist, and that they are persecuted for being who

they are. The fact that a movie like this is seen as so revolutionary demonstrates the lack

of focus Hollywood tends to devote to marginalized groups. Interestingly, the film also

depicts a non-marginalized group as the film's antagonists. Cisgender characters are

typically the heroes, and this movie created a role-reversal.

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 17

Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort (2001) is a documentary that follows the final year of Robert

Eads' life. Robert was a transman who died of ovarian cancer; he had been refused

treatment by two dozen different doctors because he was transgender. Although this is a

clear violation of ethics that all doctors pledge to serve by, all 24 experienced impunity

(Davis, 2001). The documentary shows how kindhearted Robert was. He served as a

mentor for young transgender people in his community, and he was also a frequent

attendee and speaker at the Southern Comfort Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia, every

year (from which the film gets its title). The film provides a very accurate look at the

tragic state of available health care for the transgender community. As a documentary, it

depicts a real story as it happens, and sheds some light on health care issues. Robert is

portrayed fairly in the movie. He narrates it, and it is mostly from his perspective. While

the documentary turns him into a tragic hero, his story is indeed tragic; however, this

serves as yet another “warning” about what awaits an openly out transperson. Yet, with

health care being one of the biggest struggles for the transgender community, bringing

attention to the issue is very important.

This movie is a solid reflection of prejudice and its damaging effects. Unlike

other examples, where the reflection is in the writing and fictionalized portrayal, this

example reflects the real results of prejudice. Robert was denied healthcare afforded any

cisgender citizen of the United States on a basis of prejudice. Robert Eads died as a

result. His story is not the only one like this out there.
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 18

TransAmerica

Transamerica (2005) tells the story of Bree, a pre-operational transwoman hoping

to gain psychiatric approval for sex reassignment surgery. Her therapist will not grant it

until Bree meets the 17-year-old son she learns she has a week before the scheduled

surgery. Bree journeys to New York to meet him, and throughout the film she is reluctant

to be a parent. However, she becomes closer to her son as the movie progresses, and

eventually the two form a bond and Bree is granted approval for her surgery (Tucker,

2005).

The movie is accurate in portraying Bree's sex reassignment process. She needs

various forms of approval for her surgery, unlike entries that are to follow, which show

transpeople showing up out of the blue for surgery. Bree also illustrates the wait list for

surgery; it is minimally a one-year wait. Her strict hormonal regimen is addressed in the

film, as well, giving audiences a more accurate understanding of what sex reassignment

surgery entails.

For as accurately as the movie portrays the process, it is unfair in its portrayal of

Bree and transgender issues. At times, the film comes across as a little too lighthearted

about the struggles that can be involved in being transgender in a heteronormative

society. The tension between Bree and her parents is downplayed. A lot of transpeople

face difficulties with their families when they come out, and the film does not address the

issue sufficiently.

Bree is also portrayed as a very reluctant parent. She is much more concerned
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 19

with having her surgery than she is about taking care of her son, who is prostituting

himself and living in poverty. This behavior portrays Bree, a transgender character and

thus a transgender representative, as selfish and unfit for parenthood.

This movie is somewhat reflective of society in that transgender issues are not

taken as seriously as they should be, and it perpetuates the notion that transpeople cannot

make good parents. This connotation is unfortunate, as Transamerica is often cited as

one of the most sympathetic portrayals of a transwoman.

Soldier’s Girl

Soldier's Girl (2003) is a film based on the true story of Barry Winchell. Barry

was a new recruit of the 101st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. On a weekend off

in 1999, he meets Calpernia Addams, a transwoman night club performer. The two begin

a romantic relationship. “Don't Ask Don't Tell” was still in effect, and when Barry and

Calpernia's relationship becomes sexual, trouble ensues for Barry. Calpernia has not yet

had her sex reassignment surgery, although she plans to. Another soldier discovers that

the two are having a sexual relationship and attempts to report Barry for homosexual

behavior. When this does not work out as the soldier has planned, he drunkenly beats

Barry in his sleep with a baseball bat, and Barry dies as a result (Nyswaner & Pierson,

2003).

While this movie is based on a true story, it is sensationalized. Even though the

events really took place, it is an unfair portrayal. Calpernia is frequently referred to as a

“monster” and a “freak.” Barry does little to defend her, despite his connection to her. It
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 20

also portrays Barry as having a sexual identity crisis as a result of his relationship with

her. This feeds into the notion that there is something ambiguous about a transperson's

gender, when it is in fact simple: Calpernia is a woman. This depiction reinforces the

notion that gender identity and sexuality are somehow linked. It also perpetuates the

notion that the transgender community is on the outskirts of society, and associating with

a transperson will in turn make someone an outsider.

Television

Television is one of the most common forms of media. Characters are serialized

and plot lines are either stretched out to fit a season's worth of episodes or condensed to

fit a half-hour time slot. The examples analyzed here feature transgender characters at

some point in their air time.

Friends

Friends is a sitcom from the 1990s with which most television audiences are

familiar. It is about six twenty-somethings and their quests for love and some sort of

success in New York City. One of the friends is Chandler Bing, and his character uses

humor as a form of self defense. He claims a messed up childhood because his parents

divorced while he was young and his father is a bit unlike a majority of other fathers. His

father’s affair with the houseboy is what caused the divorce, and his father’s gender

noncomformity is what caused the rift between the parent and child.

Many episodes reference Chandler’s parent’s gender noncomformity. Monica,

Chandler’s fianceé, convinces him to invite his parent to their wedding in “The One with
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 21

Chandler’s Dad.” Chandler discovers that she is working at a burlesque drag show in Las

Vegas under the name Helena Handbasket (Malins, Buckner, Jones, Bright, & Halvorson

2001). Even when she is not at work, Chandler’s parent still dresses as a woman, as

demonstrated in “The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding” (Mallins, Kauffman, &

Crane, & Bright, 2001). Many other examples occur throughout the series of Chandler

talking about how his parent would wear dresses or make up that paint a picture that

perhaps his father does not identify as male.

Season seven of Friends was viewed by 22.1 million people. This is the smallest

number of viewers of any season of the show, but it is still a sizable piece of America’s

television audience. “The One with Chandler’s Dad” garnered one of the lowest viewer

numbers at only 17.2 million. “The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding” is nearly

double that with 30.1 million viewers, one of the most-watched episodes of the series

(Ginsberg, D.). While these episodes represent two ends of the extreme, they still

represent several million people watching the group treat Chandler’s parent as a comedic

tool, rather than as an equal character.

The group’s treatment of Helena is not respectful and displays a very inaccurate

knowledge of gender identity. They do not treat Helena as an equal character; they treat

her as a story tool. A few jokes are made at her expense. There was the trademark

Heartwarming Moment when Chandler invites her to the wedding, but it follows 22

minutes of “Is it him or her?” jokes. They consistently refer to her with masculine

pronouns – he, him, his. The show never addresses whether Helena is transgender or a
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 22

crossdresser, but the proper etiquette either way is to refer to Helena with feminine

pronouns. If she is transgender, then she is a woman and should be referred to as such. If

Helena is crossdressing, then the proper etiquette would be to use the pronoun of the

gender she is presenting as. Since she presents as a woman in every scene in which she

appears, then the group should accurately use feminine pronouns.

The treatment of Chandler’s parent in these scenes (and others where she is

mentioned) is incredibly unfair to her as a character and to the group of people who get

limited representation on prime time television.

Why didn’t the writers use Helena’s gender identity as a positive plot point – a

chance for Chandler and his parent to reconcile and overcome a stigma society places on

anyone who is not “normal” because underneath the genitalia and what some would

consider confusing dress is a parent who cares deeply for her only son? The answer is in

the question: this is a stigma instilled by society. If the key demographic did not respond

positively to jokes that reaffirm transphobia, then those jokes would not be aired.

This mistreatment demonstrates the vicious cycle of misrepresentation of

transgender characters. The jokes and characters are written to appeal to the

demographic, and when they are presented they reaffirm any existing stereotypes a less

knowledgeable viewer might have. Certainly it cannot be one individual’s misconception

if the misconception has made it through writing, editing, production, and broadcast

process. It makes the statement that there are like-minded people out there who agree

that transgender characters (and therefore transgender people) are not the norm and have
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 23

confusing genitalia and ways of dressing that are meant more to be a joke than something

serious and very real.

South Park

South Park (1997 - present) is an adult satiric cartoon set in South Park, Colorado,

about a group of elementary-schoolers, their parents, and their teacher Mr(s). Garrison.

Garrison is a main character throughout the entire series and goes through a complex

journey in both sexual identity and gender identity as dictated by writers Matt Stone and

Trey Parker. He is implied to be a closeted homosexual until the fourth season when he

finally comes out (Parker, 2000). A few years later, in season nine, Herbert Garrison

becomes Janet Garrison in “Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina” (Parker, 2005). A few

seasons later, Ms. Garrison starts having sexual relationships with women (Parker, 2007),

but she later transitions back to being a man and his sexuality remains ambiguous

(Parker, 2008).

At an average of 3.1 million viewers per episode, South Park does not have the

same high-volume audience as that of Friends. It has, however, received enormous fan

and critical acclaim. It is one of iTunes’ top 100 show downloads and has been featured

on the covers of Newsweek and Rolling Stone. It has been nominated for Academy

Awards, Emmys, and Peabody Awards. It is a show that consistently pushes the envelope

and has been praised for its Swift-like satire (Leonard, 2006). The show has built a

reputation of attacking celebrities, politicians, and social practices. Its satire makes it

difficult to objectively analyze, but if a show can have multiple interpretations, some of
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 24

them may be amusing, some may be thought-provoking, and some may be harmful. The

fan base that has watched Garrison’s transformations throughout the years is likely to

take one or more of several probable messages from the show. According to commentary

on the first season, Parker believes Garrison to have a soap opera storyline (Parker &

Stone, 2003).

Satire or not, the inaccuracies portrayed about Garrison’s transformation are

irresponsible. The first, most common misconception portrayed in the show is that

gender and sexuality are the same thing. In “Mr. Garrison’s Fancy New Vagina,” Ms.

Garrison is surprised when her boyfriend leaves her (Parker, 2005). They started dating

when they were both physically male. Mr. Slave breaks up with Garrison because he is a

homosexual and is not attracted to women. Garrison behaves as though she believes their

relationship will finally be real and acceptable if they are a heterosexual couple. The

truth of the matter is that her sexual identity will remain independent of her gender – a

common misconception about transgender issues.

Mr. Slave’s shock at Garrison’s sexual reassignment surgery leads to another point

of inaccuracy: her surgery would not have been as sudden as it was portrayed to be.

Surgery of any type will involve at least one consultation with the performing surgeon.

The healing process following major surgeries such as sexual reassignment surgeries also

involves considerable time and help from those around the person. Yet Garrison’s live-in

boyfriend had no knowledge of the surgery. He did not even know that Garrison was

transgender. It is highly unlikely that a transwoman would not inform her closest
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 25

companion of her decision to undergo major surgery to change her physiology. Garrison,

in preparation for this surgery and for living her life biologically as a woman, would also

be made aware that she would not have any periods or the ability to become pregnant.

Yet in this same episode, she is surprised to learn both of these things.

Garrison getting a second sex reassignment surgery is absolutely impossible. Sex

reassignment surgery is not a whimsical procedure, and nobody would get it if they were

not diagnosed with gender dysphoria and felt physically, emotionally, and financially

secure enough to undergo it. It is not something that could be done if there was a

possibility that she would have changed her mind.

The series is also unfair in its treatment of sex reassignment surgery. It is

presented as something that can be done on a whim and reversed without any

consequence. It also suggests that sex reassignment surgery sets precedence for

outlandish surgeries, such as another character’s surgery to become a dolphin. The

episodes involve outlandish plot lines such as a child receiving Garrison’s testicles as part

of his height-enhancing surgery that explode upon impact or such as growing a penis on

the back of a mouse that escapes a lab. The pairing of these ridiculous plot lines with

something as serious and significant as sex reassignment surgery lessens the sex

reassignment surgery's seriousness. It turns it into a spectacle and abuses the potentil for

education about the emotional, mental, physical, and financial toll that comes with sex

reassignment surgery – a procedure that could be considered a milestone for a

transgender individual.
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 26

It is a common misconception that there is a link between sexuality and gender,

and South Park’s Garrison both mirrors that misconception and perpetuates it. By

creating a character with such a dynamic storyline and turning it into a joke, South Park

eliminates the urgency to learn anything about what “transgender” means. This lack of

urgency then leads to the acceptance of the belief that transwomen are just gay men who

want to be straight. The show also mirrors and perpetuates the line of thought that sex

reassignment surgery is unnecessary, comical, immoral, or a gateway to other outlandish

surgeries. As demonstrated with the Johns Hopkins scam, it is not hard to convince the

public that sex reassignment surgery is a waste of resources.

Family Guy

Family Guy (1999 – present) is yet another animated adult cartoon detailing the

antics of Peter Griffin and company. One of his best friends is Glenn Quagmire, whose

parent, former naval officer Dan Quagmire, comes to visit in an episode. The audience

then learns that the former officer plans on having sex reassignment surgery and that she

has always felt that she is a woman trapped in a man’s body. She plans to have the

surgery while in Quahog. Brian Griffin, Peter’s English-speaking dog and other best

friend, has a one night stand with Quagmire’s parent, now going by the name of Ida.

When he learns of Ida's transgender identity, he vomits on-screen for thirty full seconds

(Devanney & Michels, 2010).

The show's many unfair portrayals of transgender people has caused uproar in the

LGBT community (Rosales, 2010). While still presenting as a man, Quagmire’s parent
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 27

acts with very stereotypically gay mannerisms. The surgery itself is a quick and painless

procedure. Lois refuses to accept any of the food Ida brings over, due to the stigma

associated with transwomen. References to transwomen as sex workers are made. Brian

reacts horribly to finding out that he slept with someone who was once biologically male.

This single episode demonstrates a majority of the most harmful stereotypes and stigmas

faced by the transgender community. McFarlane is reported as having said that this is

one of the most sympathetic portrayals of a trans character on television today (Rosales,

2010). However, this storyline demonstrates not only the stereotypes that are held against

the transgender community, but it trivializes them by turning them into jokes. Audiences

laughing at Lois disposing of food made by a transwoman implies that being transgender

is some sort of communicable disease, and people who honestly feel this way will feel

validated by seeing their beliefs portrayed on a popular television show. Brian’s disgust

at Ida’s former body also implies that she is not a real woman and that sleeping with her

is more reprehensible than sleeping with someone born biologically female.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) asked Fox not to

air this episode again after its premier (Rosales, 2010). The LGBT activism group was

horrified at the inaccuracies and unfair portrayal of a transgender character and wished

for it to remain off the air so as not to spread the defamation of the transgender

community. Fox did not listen and re-aired the episode a month later. IMDb.com has a

7.2 user rating for the episode and half of the user reviews echo the sentiments of series

creator Seth MacFarlane, who believes this episode to be a sensitive approach to the topic
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 28

of transgender people. Other reviewers who have voiced their upset were met with

oppositions and arguments like, “It’s just a joke.” One reviewer states that the episode

might have gotten away with its intentionally satirical portrait of our society if the show

had included its voice of reason usually added to combat bigotry (IMDb.com, 2013). No

such voice or reason exists in the episode. Its only redeeming quality is Quagmire’s

eventual acceptance of his parent and Ida’s refusal to back down from what she knows is

right for her.

Yet again, sex reassignment surgery is portrayed as a one day, no-recovery-needed

process, which takes the importance and life-altering dimensions of the surgery and

throws them out the window in order to make room for jokes about how uncomfortable it

is to be around a transwoman. Ida would not have walked out of that operating room

fully dressed and ready to take on the world after a day of surgery. That is simply

unrealistic regardless of the nature of the surgery. It takes two months to recover from

sex reassignment surgery, and the first two weeks require full-time care (Jacques, 2012).

America’s Next Top Model

America’s Next Top Model (2003 – present) is the brainchild of supermodel Tyra

Banks and is a reality competition show about hopeful models competing for a modeling

contract. In cycle 10, an extra on set caught the eye of the judges, and the young model

was invited to participate in cycle 11. This model was Isis King, and she became the first

transwoman on the show. She even returned for the all-star cycle 17 a couple of years

later (Banks, Barris, & Mok, 2003).

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 29

The show’s portrayal of Isis is fairly accurate. As a reality television show, the

focus is primarily on modeling. Isis is free to speak about her issues as she comes across

them on shoots. She has difficulty with other contestants and experiences problems with

swimwear – problems experienced by non-model transwomen. She provides the

opportunity to show the world that she is a woman with a dream, not some delusional

“he-she.”

The show’s treatment of Isis is decently fair, although there have been some

problematic points of portrayal. Conflict with other contestants who have problems with

her identity as transgender have not been resolved. She has also been critiqued harshly

on shoots involving swimwear, and she receives little sympathy when she explains her

concerns had been during the shoot. In some ways, this demonstrates more of an

importance on modeling than on Isis being a transwoman, because the show has had

several contestants with personal struggles that the judges always tell them to work

through it and with it in order to become a better model. So, in a sense, the show is just

accepting that Isis is transgender and does not make it out to be a problem or cause for

concern. However, her triumph for being the first transwoman on the show should have

been celebrated more in order to get the audience to fully appreciate how the fashion

industry – so famously discriminatory of the female body – has accepted a transwoman

into its midst.

America's Next Top Model is an interesting entry because it is a reality show. It is

TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 30

not scripted with plot lines meant to pull in ratings. Producers edit footage in the most

dramatic way, but that still has not caused a negative light to be shed on the transgender

community; it does not necessarily shed a positive light either. Isis is just another

contestant with an interesting back story that could either make the audience root for or

against her. For such a huge leap in the television and fashion industry, she has not

gotten the full appreciation she deserves. Perhaps that is reflective of American society,

because what transgender means is not very well understood, so no one could understand

Isis’s participation as a triumph. Not making it more significant certainly does not do

anything to educate viewers at home.

Conclusion

By and large, the media is unethical in its portrayal of transgender characters.

Transpeople are used to sensationalize stories and to pull in higher ratings so producers

can make more money. This co-opting comes at a cost. Stereotypes are employed and

treated as valid assessments of human beings, and the struggles faced by the transgender

community are downplayed and treated as little more than comedic props. These ideas

then become reinforced in viewers, who have no other knowledge of what it means to be

transgender. The media will not give more responsible and honest portrayals of

transgender characters until the audience demands it of them. Hollywood depends on its

source of revenue, and when society takes a stand and demands better programming, it

will slowly but surely be delivered. Audiences are not responsible only for demanding

the media's ethical behavior. Audiences should be held accountable for the knowledge
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 31

they choose to take away from a show, movie, or news story. There is great opportunity

for independent learning. Stereotypes and prejudices should not be acceptable when we

see how they are reflected back at us in the media. Fighting prejudice with knowledge is

the first step to making the world a more diverse and accepting place for every group.
TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA 32

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