By Jos Truitt • @jostruitt • 13 years ago

Degrassi to feature transgender character

The new season of Degrassi, premiering today in the U.S. and Canada, will feature a transgender character. Adam, played by Jordan Todosey, will be a new character at Degrassi High this season, and his trans identity and the ways he is responded to in the school community will be explored.

Degrassi is a show known for confronting controversial issues facing young people. An episode in which a teen has an abortion was aired in Canada but censored in the U.S. The show has queer characters, but Adam is the first trans character to be featured.

I’m hopeful that this storyline on Degrassi will be a good learning opportunity as well as a chance for trans teens to see themselves reflected in pop culture. Some Trans folks are coming out at younger ages, thanks in part to the hard work of advocates like Trans Youth Family Allies. Schools, parents, and young people need to be informed about how to respectfully treat trans youth, and a show like Degrassi could do a lot to educate viewers. The shows writers have apparently gone to advocacy organizations for advice on Adam’s storyline, which I think is a positive sign.

I’m always nervous when trans folks are represented in mainstream media, as it’s usually done poorly. But as I’ve argued before, we need positive representation to humanize trans folks to a wide audience. I hope the inclusion of a trans character on Degrassi leads to positive education about the issues faced by trans teens.

Boston, MA

Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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