While transgender people may make up only a small portion of the population, they are becoming more heavily represented in TV and film.
The CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful became the latest series to introduce a trans-character Wednesday, with a revelation that character Maya Avant was actually born a man.
Karla Mosley, 33, who has played Maya for more than two years now, is happy with the new development. “My first reaction was surprise, because 10 or 20 years ago, this is not a story we would be telling, and not in a way that’s truthful and not sensational,” Mosley told USA TODAY.
“My second reaction was, ‘Thank you.’ It’s a gift it’s a privilege,” she said. “It’s a real opportunity to educate our viewers here and all over the world.”
Watch the clip, courtesy of CBS:
Mosley told the paper she was informed the show would be taking her character in a new direction after Christmas, but before hearing the details, she had hoped producers would have Avant come out as transgender.
B&B’s executive producer and writer, Bradley Bell, also spoke to USA TODAY about Avant’s new development: “It is about people respecting other people’s differences and their uniqueness,” he said. “In the end, we all want to be loved, and in order to love someone else you first have to love yourself. If you are transgender, gay, straight, it doesn’t matter. It’s about finding love in life. This is a love story.”
TLC announced a week ago it would be adding transgender programming to its lineup with the debut of All That Jazz, a reality series about 14-year-old transgender activist and You Tube star Jazz Jennings.
Transgender actress Laverne Cox, best known for her recurring role in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, will also star in a transgender-themed legal drama, CBS announced in February.
Meanwhile, the Amazon original transgender drama Transparent won this year’s Golden Globe award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy