Transgender model and actress Hunter Schafer spoke about her role in the new HBO series, “Euphoria,” in a recent interview with Variety. She talked about her appreciation for this show and its ability to make her character multi-dimensional–for once she felt like the media was not reducing her identity to her gender or sexuality.
“There need to be more roles where trans people aren’t just dealing with being trans; they’re being trans while dealing with other issues. We’re so much more complex than just one identity.”
In Julia Serano’s essay, Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive, she suggests just that–that trans women are on the outskirts of gender/sexuality related movements. However, Schafer recalls a powerful force in her coming out was the internet. Could the age of social media be remedying Serano’s issue of exclusion?
“the internet saved me — being able to go to YouTube and watch people’s transition timelines, and see myself on a screen.” Untold numbers more will see themselves, now, in her.”
It could be a solution, but as always, the internet can quickly become a catalyst of exclusion as well. Hopefully more, powerful trans women like Schafer can continue to inspire inclusion.