Every year since 2009, millions of people throughout the world recognize March 31 as International Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV), dedicated to raising awareness and honoring transgender and non-binary people and their contributions to culture and society. Some of the most vital and visible contributions are in the realm of film and television, where storytelling featuring trans actors and characters sheds light on trans lives and reminds us just how relatable and universal the experiences of the most marginalized voices are. 

From a trans woman taking a road trip across America with her best friend to an eighth grader returning to summer camp after coming out, these trans and gender-nonconforming actors and characters are at the heart of the titles on our list, from award-winning series to beloved adaptations to thought-provoking documentaries. Celebrate TDOV by adding them to your queue now — and for more great queer content, check out Most on Instagram and X.

Big Mouth

In Season 4 of the animated series, we’re introduced to Natalie, an eighth grader who returns to camp after coming out as trans. Voiced by Josie Totah and written with the help of Patti Harrison, Natalie is the series’ first trans character. Upon her arrival, Natalie is bombarded with invasive questions, like how she goes to the bathroom, and criticized for not dressing like a “real girl.” She doesn’t take any of it and instead educates her fellow campers on her trans identity. She also happens to be a fully-fledged character with plenty of her own flaws, a feisty attitude, and a love of profanity.

Big Mouth

8 Seasons   TV-MA   2017

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Sense8

Created by J. Michael Straczynski, Lana Wachowski, and Lilly Wachowski, the series follows eight strangers who have the power to telepathically experience one another’ss lives. One of them is Nomi Marks (Jamie Clayton), a trans “hacktivist.” In her past, Nomi used her hacking abilities to get IDs and passports for her trans friends who were unable to obtain documents due to governmental restrictions. Over two seasons, Nomi discovers new powers, falls in love, and solidifies her place among her chosen family.

Sense8

2 Seasons   TV-MA   2015

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The House of Flowers

In this dark comedy, a wealthy matriarch tries to maintain her family’s facade of perfection after her husband’s mistress exposes their dirty secrets. They’re all part of a dysfunctional upper-class Mexican family who operate a flower shop and struggling cabaret show, both called The House of Flowers. The telenovela features queer storylines and characters, including the trans women and drag queens who host the cabaret, lawyer María José (Paco León), who identifies as trans, and Julián de la Mora (Darío Yazbek), the youngest son of the family, who comes out as bisexual.

The House of Flowers

3 Seasons   TV-MA   2018

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Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling

Cue the nostalgia with this 45-minute special from the beloved ’90s Nickelodeon animated series. After being stuck in space for two decades, Rocko and his friends return to O-Town in the late 2010s. Things obviously don’t look the same as they did in the ’90s, and modern technology sure is a lot for Rocko to get used to. Meanwhile, Rocko’s toad neighbors Bev and Ed Bighead are in for a surprise of their own, when their child Rachel comes out as trans.

Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling

0h 45m   TV-Y7   2019

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Tales of the City

A reboot of the 1993 PBS miniseries adapted from Armistead Maupin’s novels, Tales of the City revisits the queer characters of 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco. When the series originally premiered, Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck), a cis actor, originated the role of Anna Madrigal, the trans matriarch of the apartment complex. Although she reprises her role in the reboot, trans actor Jen Richards portrays young Anna in flashback scenes. The limited series also features trans and non-binary talent in front of and behind the camera, including actors Garcia and Daniela Vega (A Fantastic Woman), writer Thomas Page McBee (The Umbrella Academy), and directors Silas Howard and Sydney Freeland (Rez Ball).

Tales of the City

Limited Series   TV-MA   2019

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The Umbrella Academy

After actor Elliott Page came out as a trans man in 2020, his Umbrella Academy character also transitioned and introduced himself to his family and the wider world as Viktor Hargreeves. In the show’s third season, Viktor debuts a shorter haircut and tells his siblings his chosen name. What makes the moment even more powerful is how his siblings accept and support his transition — “Truly happy for you,” as Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) tells him — and then return to their everyday business. Which, in the case of the Hargreeves crew, is nothing short of saving the world.

The Umbrella Academy

4 Seasons   TV-MA   2019

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Disclosure

The documentary provides an in-depth look at contemporary and historical depiction of trans characters on screen, exploring their impact on the LGBTQ+ community and American culture as a whole. Leading trans creatives and thinkers — among them, Laverne Cox, Susan Stryker, Alexandra Billings, Chaz Bono, Leo Sheng — share their experiences and heartfelt perspectives. The documentary revisits past examples of film and television shows that were inaccurate and damaging, opening up an important conversation between the trans community and Hollywood.  

Disclosure

1h 47m   TV-MA   2020

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A Queen Is Born

In the Brazilian drag reality series, hosts Gloria Groove and Alexia Twister take an aspiring drag queen or king under their wing and give them the makeover of a lifetime. The two hosts, who call themselves the Godmothers, lovingly help their drag Cinderellas become the best performers they can be. Think of A Queen Is Born as Queer Eye meets RuPaul’s Drag Race, with plenty of laughs, camp, and sequins.

A Queen Is Born

6 Episodes   TV-14   2020

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Back to 15

Anita (Camila Queiroz) is a 30-year-old woman whose life is a mess. One day, she logs back into her teenage photo blog on her old laptop. Suddenly Anita is transported back to 2006, where she finds herself in her 15-year-old body. It’s the first day of school, when the incoming students are subjected to hazing. While hiding in the school library, Anita runs into César (Pedro Vinicius), a gay student who gets harassed daily because of his sexuality. And when Anita travels back to modern day, César is Camila, who's since come out as trans.

Back to 15

3 Seasons   TV-14   2022

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The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone

This documentary short, which was nominated for a Peabody Award in 2023, follows Australian trans rights activist Georgie Stone as she prepares to undergo gender affirmation surgery. Directed by Maya Newell, the 29-minute film also flashes back to 18-year-old Stone’s childhood and early teens, when she became an activist for trans youth, motivated by her own struggle to access hormone treatments. Her family, friends, and medical team form a crucial circle of support. 

The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone

0h 29m   PG   2022

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Wendell & Wild

Henry Selick’s stop-motion animated feature has no shortage of devilishly enjoyable characters, among them the two demon brothers (voiced by Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key) of the film’s title. Another memorable member of its ensemble is Raúl (Sam Zelaya) — a trans student who becomes a loyal friend to the film’s protagonist, Kat (Lyric Ross). While there are small hints at pre-transition backstory, Raúl appears on-screen as a fully dimensional, masculine-presenting character. “It was very special, because it wasn’t like, ‘Here, with a big, giant, neon sign: I’m trans and it’s the only thing about me that I am,” the film’s editor said. “It was literally just another part of his character and who he is.”

Wendell & Wild

1h 46m   PG-13   2022

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Dead End: Paranormal Park

Like Wendell & Wild, Dead End: Paranormal Park features a trans character voiced by a trans actor — in this case, that character is Barney, voiced by Zach Barack. The animated comedy series from creator Hamish Steele centers on Barney and Norma (Kody Kavitha), two teens who work at a theme park that just happens to be haunted. Accompanied by his trusty dog, Pugsley, Barney runs away from home where he feels unsupported — his parents don’t stand up for him when his grandmother won’t accept his transition. The amusement park becomes his refuge, filled with new friends, crushes, and supernatural residents (not to mention, a Dollywood-esque creator).

Dead End: Paranormal Park

2 Seasons   TV-Y7   2022

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Baby Reindeer

Richard Gadd’s deeply personal 2024 limited series, adapted from his one-man play of the same name, follows struggling comedian Donnie Dunn (Gadd), whose strange and layered relationship with a stalker (Jessica Gunning) forces him to confront a trauma from his past. Among the critical praise and numerous accolades the show received was an Emmy nomination for Nava Mau, who plays Teri, an American therapist and trans woman who meets Donnie on a dating app. Mau’s nomination made her the first trans actor to be recognized in her category. 

Baby Reindeer

Limited Series   TV-MA   2024

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Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

Directed by Page Hurwitz, this documentary feature explores the history of LGBTQ+ comedy and the ways it has continued to inspire social change over the past five decades. The film interlaces moments from the 2022 live special Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration alongside archival footage and testimonials from queer comedy pioneers and rising stars, including trans and non-binary comedians such as Mae Martin, Patti Harrison, Roz Hernandez, and KJ Whitehead.

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

1h 39m   TV-MA   2024

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Will & Harper

Pack your bags for this heartwarming documentary. In Will & Harper, a pair of longtime friends embark on a cross-country road trip after one of them comes out as a trans woman. Those two friends just happen to be actor Will Ferrell and his former Saturday Night Live writer Harper Steele, and the journey became a way for them to process this new stage in their 30-year friendship. “I could almost pinpoint the moment where I’m like, ‘Will sees me the way I want him to see me now,’ ” Steele said in 2024 of their trip, which was captured for the film by director Josh Greenbaum. “It was a wonderful experience to see someone not struggling with accepting me, but working to understand how I wanted him to understand it.”

Will & Harper

1h 54m   R   2024

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EMILIA PÉREZ

Director Jacques Audiard’s daring musical crime drama tells the story of a Mexican cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) who enlists a high-powered lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help fake her death so she can undergo gender-affirming procedures and live authentically as her true self. Emilia Pérez debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to be nominated for 13 Oscars, making it the most nominated film of the year and the most nominated non–English language film in Academy history; Gascón made Oscar history as the first openly trans acting nominee. The film won for Saldaña’s performance and the original song “El Mal.” 

EMILIA PÉREZ

2h 12m   R   2024

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