"Trial and Error": The Representation of Identity in the TV Show Transparent

Abstract

In this thesis I demonstrated the representation of trans identity in the TV show Transparent by analysing the ways it complexified identity and opened it up to multiple possibilities that could not fit within the binary systems of gender. I did this through the framework of Queer Failure which was coined by Jack Halberstam. I argued that viewing the show through this lens allowed for gender identification to be explored and represented in a nuanced way that does not rely on conformity to the gender binary. It subverts gender rigidity to show identity formation as an ongoing process. Additionally, I evaluated the social impact this representation had on the trans community, concluding that Transparent claimed the space for trans stories in the public sphere and exposed the need for more trans representations in the mainstream.