Doubts?

The new CBS legal drama Doubt premiered last night with transgender actress Laverne Cox in a prominent role.

A long-time advocate for the transgender community, Laverne Cox made history as the first transgender actress to play a transgender series regular on a broadcast television show when the legal drama Doubt premiered on CBS Thursday night.

While I was thrilled to see Laverne in the role, I wasn't so sure I was pleased when she explained to a client that yes, she used to be a man, but was now a woman. Somehow I had hoped the writers would let her play the character without ever mentioning she was transgender at all.

However, Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, Grey's Anatomy alums and the husband-and-wife creators of Doubt, wrote the part of Cameron with Cox in mind.  But they knew she was on Orange, so they assumed that she was unavailable, and were ready to conduct a nationwide talent search to find the person who was going to play Cam.. But Laverne Cox jumped at the idea to play the role.

Plus a deeper trans connection with the show comes from the producers very own transgender son, an actor who had gotten a lot of press at the time for playing the recurring role of Cole, a transgender teen living in a group home on the ABC Family series The Fosters.

Some day perhaps, we all will be recognized as people...not trans people. But until the day, Doubt is a great start.

Transgender Television

FYI...I recently mentioned National Geographic's show called the "Gender Revolution" in Australia and just saw they also are having a show on in this country called "What is Gender" with Katie Couric at 8:30 AEDT next Wednesday.

Katie Couric

Laverne Cox (right)

Also, CBS is beginning a new series called "Doubt" which includes transgender actress Laverne Cox.The role is widely regarded as the first major re-occurring role on a major U.S. television network for a trans actress! Plus, I think Laverne is playing a cis-woman. The show premiers Wednesday, February 15th.

With the respect of National Geographic and the number one ratings of CBS, both of these shows can go a long way to insure transgender gains will not disappear in the near future!

•  of gender through the lens of science, society and culture in the ground-breaking new two-hour documentary.
   clear cut. Join us as we set out to explore this evolving concept of gender through the lens of science, society and culture in the ground-breaking new two-hour documentary.

Caitlin Who?

Audrey

Here comes another very visible trans woman, Audrey Middleton. She is the First (?) ever transgender contestant on CBS's Big Brother television show. I put the question mark in because I seem to remember another several years ago before it was trendy to be trans.

No matter, Audrey grew up in Georgia, was a competitive swimmer and- imagine this-had problems transitioning with her family.

Not a huge fan of the show but I am biased for another trans sister! 

Thanks Bobbie for passing this along!!!!