Why You Should Watch and Criticize Transparent
When Jill Soloway’s new show, Transparent, aired on Amazon Prime last April, I was both excited and hesitant to watch it. Transparent tells the story of a middle-aged man who transitions into a trans-woman (Maura), and how her transition affects her family. As a Women’s Studies major at Hamilton, I study and write about the politics of transgender representation all the time. And given the horrific (and frequent) discrimination, violence, underemployment, and misrepresentation trans men and women face every day, it is utterly necessary that their issues and voices are more publicly addressed. For this reason, I was happy to see the production of a show that would finally bring trans issues to light. That being said, this necessity placed a lot of pressure on Soloway to get the job done, and do the job well. While Soloway should be celebrated for attempting to represent trans issues and bringing them into the media, she still has a long way to go. Below I’ve outlined three glaring gaps I feel Transparent missed in representing trans issues.
1. Another Cis-Man Playing a Trans Role
Many argue that Jeffrey Tambor’s role as Maura might be the highlight of his career. I praise him for his acting skills, and ability to depict the struggles of a transitioning trans-woman. And yet, it seems problematic that yet again, a cis-man gets the credit and spotlight for representing someone else’s struggles. Why not hire a trans-woman to play Maura?
2. What About Trans People of Color?
Maura’s character, while experiencing tangible discrimination and social exclusion, is a white trans-woman. Transparent completely lacks any insight into the lived experiences of trans people of color. Representation of trans people of color in scripted media is essentially nonexistent, sparing a few secondary roles in shows like The Fosters.
3. Maura is Rich, Very Rich
Similarly, Transparent only provides the narrow viewpoint from the upper class in America. Maura’s character is clearly well-endowed, and does not struggle with finding the resources to support her transition. Maura’s trans friends are also primarily wealthy. One character is a trans-woman who was able to afford a $15,000 sex change, as well as years of hormone therapy. The majority of trans individuals today cannot afford, or sometimes do not want, this kind of transition. Thus, Maura’s perspective excludes those of trans people from other socioeconomic standings who likely cannot afford the same resources during their transitions.