Something That I Have Been Saying

Let’s see if his comments make a difference.

I have only watched a couple of episodes of Transparent, I don’t like it because I don’t like to watch shows of dysfunctional families and also I don’t like shows that have a serial plot where you have to keep watching to find out what happened. Maybe I catch a couple of more shows to see how the series progressed.

In her blog Helen Boyd’s blog EN|GENDER said this about her wife who is an actress,

More than a decade ago, the most talented actor I’ve ever known gave up acting. She needed to transition, and her acting career was the hardest thing she had to give up, but she didn’t want to be a pony show, a novelty, gag casting. She had played so many amazing roles – Henry V, Algernon, The Chocolate Cream Soldier, even Larry Foreman – and despite what people think about acting, playing men on stage requires a lot of gender. She couldn’t grow her nails or her hair or go on hormones that would change her face or physique too much. She squeaked by for a few years by starting her own theatre company with friends and colleagues, and without much of a thought, came out as trans in The New York Times while doing so.
[…]
So when Jeffrey Tambor said this at the Emmys last night, I thought two things: I am glad things are changing so that people like my wife don’t feel that they have to give up their careers in order to be who they are.

Now, listen to me. … I’m not going to say this beautifully. But to you people out there, you producers and network owners, and agents, and you creative sparks, please give transgender talent a chance. Give them auditions. Give them their story. Do that. And also, one more thing: I would not be unhappy were I the last cisgender male to play a female transgender on television. We have work to do. I love you.

I also thought: those of us who come to work with you and know your stories almost always become your biggest supporters, and that doesn’t surprise me even a little.

We have the talent all they need is a chance to show it.

There are so many brilliant trans talent out there just begin to get a start, many of them have been in shows that have been nominated or won Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys so all we need is as Jeffrey Tambor said, “But to you people out there, you producers and network owners, and agents, and you creative sparks, please give transgender talent a chance. Give them auditions.”

I leave you with a video clip from 2007 of "All My Children" where Rachel Crow, Jennifer Boylan, and other trans actors and actresses take part in a support group meeting.