Are We Turning The Corner?

Is Hollywood getting the message? There is an interesting article on the increased demand for trans actresses/actors,

Transgender actors are in demand for TV's pilot season
The Frame
By Collin Friesen
March 30, 2015

"It seems to have just happened," Garcia says. "It’s been creeping along slowly. I think it just exploded with 'Orange Is The New Black,' followed up by 'Transparent.'"

She’s talking about calls for transgender characters, which are often cast with actors identifying as trans themselves. People like Christopher Aguilar, who lives as both a man and woman.

Recalling his audition track record, Aguilar says:  “It went from [none] three years ago. Two years ago I had one, and now, this year alone, I’ve already had four.”

But there still is a long ways to go…

“There has been a great inclusion of LGBT characters on TV, but there are still no regular trans gendered characters on cable or broadcast show, characters on network or cable," Adams says. "We’re still at the very beginning stages of talking about transgendered representations.”

Alexandra Billings is the trans actor who plays the role of Davina on "Transparent," the woman who mentors Jeffrey Tambor in the ways of owning his female identity. She says while there is more acceptance, there’s also more backlash, and, in her case, lots more hate mail.

“It’s unbelievable," Billings says. “Calling me names, throwing the bible at me, all kinds of terrible things. It’s never been this bad.”

Is this a turning point for trans actors? It maybe, only time will tell, but thing is certain the more we become visible the more conservatives will push back.