The issue of casting transgender actors and actresses has really come to the forefront in the past year. There’s only so many times that we can cite Laverne Cox as evidence of Hollywood’s progress in this area, but some shows are legitimately making an effort. Major Crimes not only features a major gay character, but they also did an episode devoted to the murder of a transgender child, and they dealt with the issue with sensitivity. Elementary features a recurring character, Ms. Hudson, played by transgender actress and activist Candis Cayne. Nashville also hired a transgender actress. And now the most middle-of-the-road, family-friendly show on network television is doing something groundbreaking. Modern Family is introducing a transgender character, played by a young trans child actor.
In the upcoming episode — entitled “A Stereotypical Day” — parents Cameron “Cam” (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) permit their daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) to have her transgender friend Tom over for a play-date. Both parents are filled with pride that they have done well in raising an accepting and open-minded child. But that pride quickly diminishes when Lily insults her friend, which they use as a teachable moment.
Lily’s playmate Tom will be played by 8-year-old transgender actor Jackson Millarker.
Ryan Case, who directed “A Stereotypical Day,” posted this shot of Millarker on set. “This is Jackson Millarker,” Case announced. He’s 8 years old, from Atlanta, and just happens to be transgender. He plays Lily’s friend Tom in this week’s Modern Family and he’s wonderful. One of the many reasons I love being a part of this show.”
I think this is smart. I’m sure some will be tempted to say, “after so many years of success, it’s not that groundbreaking,” but… it is groundbreaking. Modern Family is Disney/ABC’s most successful comedy. It’s literally the show that families sit around and watch together every week. And it’s important to not only tell trans stories – and tell trans stories like they are everyone else’s stories – but to cast trans actors in those roles. I think the showrunners made a great call here.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, WENN.
I don’t watch the show, but great move/casting! Just a little thing about the Major Crimes actor (I love MC): I don’t think he’s gay irl. I follow him on instagram and it seems like he has a girlfriend (or had one the last time I checked). Great interview, though!
The MC character, not necessarily the actor, is gay.
Already Trump’s most hated family with a latin, two gays and a transgender friend.
Not true! Sofia’s hotness makes up for the other failings lollllllll.
I think this is great, originally I thought it felt kind of attention grabby, like hopping on to a cause. Then I realized not everyone exists in the super liberal bubble I do and this exposure is necessary.
I saw posts on another website from regular, very intelligent, commenters to the gist of – I never even questioned my identity until I was much older, how do kids even know? With the implication these kids were wrong, or shouldn’t have a choice.
To which I say, please examine your privilege. Your experience if you are cis gendered is going to be VASTLY different than someone who feels their body is the wrong gender. The way society at large will treat a female presenting boy, or male presenting girl, it’s very different than the way someone who conforms to the idea of ‘normal’ will be treated.
The newest data is showing that children know from a very young age. That forcing them to go through puberty as the opposite sex, not providing the hormone dampening drugs needed, increases their chances of depression, suicide and other negative health consequences.
I love this show because it actually makes me laugh. I think that introducing this character and making the scene a teachable moment is FANTASTIC.
I don’t find anything wrong with having transgender people on screen. But I do have a problem with an 8 yr old doing it, Dr’s who who work with trans genders have said many times that when the time is right to begin transgender change and it is not an 8 yr old kid. Many cases point to the kids changing their minds when they hit puberty, if you know at 8 you’ll know at 18. Its not a message I want to share with my kids, my teenagers have been given the talk, know to respect n protect all people but my 6 yr old is too young.
+100 g.lamerek
g.lamerek
I know this is counter-intuitive, but much research is pointing to this being the opposite of the case.
Most kids know well BEFORE puberty, and forcing them to go through puberty as the opposite sex is tantamount to torture. It is incredibly paternalistic to tell a young person that you know their body and gender better than they do.
The current ideology is to provide hormone suppression to help delay secondary sex characteristics appearing.
Also, generally one does not refer to transitioning or transgendered people as transgenders. It’s a little like calling Jewish people Jews.
Here’s a link if you are interested in learning more:
http://www.imatyfa.org/resources/healthcare-practitioners/how-young-is-too-young/
You… don’t want your child exposed to the fact that certain people exist in this world? With all due respect, that seems a bit ridiculous. What happens if your child encounters a transgender person in the flesh? Are you going to pretend they don’t exist? There’s a trans child at my children’s school, and she’s a kid like any other. Should they ignore her? Would you want your child to? Pretending differences don’t exist doesn’t help raise inclusive, welcoming people; it encourages stereotypes and fear.
I wouldn’t call this a middle of the road show, I’d say it’s pretty progressive – it shows a family diverse in race and sexual orientation, and now will have a transgender actor. It’s had success across the board though, which I think is a good thing (even if it’s not quite as funny as it once was).
Agree to everything you said.
I just want to add, I think the truly “middle of the road” show would be “The Middle.” I don’t say that in a pun sort of way-that show does have 1 openly gay character (just came out last season in a quick, but sweet scene). Other than that, it doesn’t push boundaries. I still really enjoy the show though.
This is awesome!
Netflix has basically taken me away from network tv. Never watched this show. In the old days they would say “on a very special episode of…….lol. I guess it’s called progress, so I give them a thumbs up.
Honestly as much as i’ve not wanted to get on board with MF this is one of those shows that is excellent to watch on the fly, Ty Burrell Is a Treasure! they are funny and this is a smart great and Timely addition whether attention grabby or not is normalizing something for middle America alright already
Yeah… I thought it might be a lil attention seeking… Like Canet protesting too much and bringing attention back to himself. This seemed like jumping on a cause celebre. Then I saw a lot of the comments on other sites and did a complete 180.
Most people are still absolutely clueless when it comes to transitioning and transgendered people’s rights. There is a lot of misinformation still out there, and if this kid can get people talking and learning about this issue, that’s more than some people accomplish in a lifetime.
I’ve probably said this before, but the first boy who ever kissed me is a casting associate for Modern Family (and he’s from the Atlanta area so probably had an active hand in this). NBD but it’s my only sort-of Hollywood connection. 🙂 So good on ya, boy.
How come when people talk about trans actors nobody seems to mention Jamie Clayton?
She’s a working trans actress and she does a good job on Netflix’s Sense8.
I loved te show after giving it a second chance and can’t wait for season 2 to air!
When I was 8 and for several years after that I was a girl who wished I had been born a boy. I was a tomboy, had short hair, and was furious when I had to get a training bra. I squished my boobs down until they were flat! Then I got my period at 13 (I was so upset about it) and then became boy-crazy and never looked back. I am still a “tomboy”, but I love being a women who loves men.
I sometimes wonder if I was born now would someone have tried to stop my puberty? I was 100% unhappy about being a girl, but I grew up loving being a female. So I always question anyone who chemically alters their children’s hormones at a young age. I think it could be considered child abuse…
Voice of reason. Thanks for sharing.
You raise a good point that may be controversial, but it warrants thinking about, and I don’t think it’s necessarily transphobic to consider. I have a trans male friend and two trans female friends, and my teenage daughter has several trans male friends and genderfluid and non-binary friends. My daughter’s friends are young, but none of them had their puberty arrested.
I identify strongly with these genderfluid kids, and I think if I’d been aware that was an option when I was their age, I very likely would have claimed that label for myself. I never felt 100% female, but not 100% male either. By the time all of these options became more widely known, though, I was pretty much locked in and more or less at peace.
I do sometimes wonder if all of my daughter’s trans friends will always be that way, or if some of them will find their gender identity shifting like Alexis Arquette’s did. I think it’s fine for them to experiment and find their place.
It’s my understanding that medical interventions at a young age don’t necessarily have to stop puberty forever. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown gender reassignment surgery, that requires psychological clearance. I think you can be given hormone blockers that delay the onset of puberty, but once those are stopped, you will go through it. Maybe someone with more medical knowledge than I have can confirm or refute this? So if someone is not ready at one point but later decides he or she wants to go through sexual development, the interventions can stop.
I think it can be very compassionate though to pause puberty for a trans child. I can imagine how upsetting it could be, and my friends have told me how traumatic it was for them. I totally see your point though that a child may not yet be ready to make that decision for the rest of her life.
Well, there would have been a lot more therapy and doctor visits to determine if you actually felt like you wanted to be a boy, or just wanted the privileges that come with being a boy. This isn’t something as easy as telling your parents and going to get things nipped and tucked. There is a long psychological screening process, and Canada requires all transitioning individuals to live as the opposite gender for a full year before hormones are allowed.
As well, medical professionals do not as a rule surgically alter children, they would suppress hormones without replacing them. Meaning puberty would be delayed – not completely and totally stopped.
The choice still needs to be made later to supplement with other hormones, or let the naturally produced ones do their work which would bring the onset of ‘puberty’. It isn’t quite the same, but it is very similar.
I think Amy T’s point is probably the best compromise. Allow kids to live as the gender they choose, or wherever on the spectrum they choose, and if puberty becomes a concern – hormone suppression until a medically supported decision is made.
and at age 8, it’s unlikely that anything medical has to be done at all.