Films

In recent years, many excellent sympathetic portrayals have emerged. I feel all trans people and their supporters should check out the following films. Links go to purchase info at Amazon.

LINK: Recommended trans-themed films

Ma Vie En Rose- [My Life In Pink] (Belgian, subtitled)

Now out on video, I think it's the most positive movie I've seen on transsexualism. It puts a human face on it, through the story of a six-year-old child dealing with gender identity. Sweet and sad and wonderful all at once.

Different For Girls-

Possibly the most realistic depiction of what many white-collar trans women are like.

Boys Don't Cry-

The harrowing story of a transman named Brandon Teena, whose murder sparked the community to take political action. Arguably the single most important film to date in focusing public opinion on the hatred and marginalization we face.

Soldier's Girl -

First and foremost, this is a love story. It's the story of my friend Calpernia Addams' relationship with Barry Winchell, who was murdered by fellow soldiers for dating her. Read my review here.

Transamerica

Felicity Huffman stars as Bree, a transsexual woman who makes a cross-country journey to help a son she just learned was hers.

Transgender themes in film

The most comprehensive site on this is JK's Transgender Movie Guide.

http://members.fortunecity.com/jayekayetv/tmovies

Some other films with trans themes (I'll organize all this soon):

Transphobia in film: selected quotations

Unfortunately, public opinion of transgender women has been shaped in large part by two films, both based on a non-transgender serial killer named Ed Gein: Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs. While both movies mention in passing that the killer is not really transgender, it does little to offset the image of the wig- or makeup-wearing mentally deranged killer burned into peoples' minds

Several of the most popular films in American history have imagery that suggests transgenderism. Unfortunately, the theme is usually connected to fear and hatred of transgender people.

Which will we be this time? Prostitute, psychopath, or punchline?

For more, see my page on transphobia in film.

Television

I will be adding more on television portrayals as they come along. GLAAD is especially vigilant in this area.

http://www.glaad.org/action/al_archive_detail.php?id=324

Transgender themes in film

The most comprehensive site on this is JK's Transgender Movie Guide