Transgender Identity and Media in Historical Perspective

Despite recent advances in the public sphere, the transgender community remains vulnerable and underrepresented in daily life. While the media has been fascinated with transgender stories since the 1930s, these stories have been skewed in ways that undermine what it truly means to be a transgender person living in the contemporary United States. The disconnect between dominant media narratives and the daily lives of transgendered people is harmful, because it shields the mainstream from the harsh realities of every day life for these individuals and allows violence, discrimination, and transphobia to continue. This study analyzes the growing visibility of the transgender movement, the way the movement is portrayed in the media, and how the gap between media narratives and lived experience affects the transgender community. This research will open discussion about the discrimination confronting the trans community in both the public and private spheres