Beyond Social Media: Seeking Black Trans and Non-Binary Actors on Screen
Representation amidst scarcity.
CW/TW: Brief allusions to anti-trans violence, homophobia, transphobia, and transmisogynoir
Note: I may be a pop culture repository of information (at times), but I’m not a computer so finding every single Black non-binary actor from the past decade+ has been difficult. Thus, please forgive me if any actors have slipped past my radar. Also, I’m aware that there are many previous and current cast members of Ru Paul’s Drag Race that identify, or identified, as Transgender and/or Non-binary…so please be aware that all of these amazing people will not be named herein, only referenced as larger presences in the media proper. Lastly, the issue of Black Trans and Non-binary representation exists beyond the spectrum of (social) media, so let’s always be on the lookout for ways we can help our brothers, sisters, and enbys gain further safety and visibility in every facet of life.🖤
In the past decade, the largest amount of Black trans representation gradually found its footing on television, through shows such as Ru Paul’s Drag Race (including the international variants), the American Horror Story franchise, FX’s (recently concluded) POSE, and many more…but the landscape for those that specifically identify as Non-binary is close to nil, and we’ll…
