When the hit sitcom Modern Family goes to air Wednesday night, it will be making history.
The episode will feature a transgender child character, played by 8-year old transgender actor Jackson Millarker.
"This is, I would say, a first that there's an actual transgender actor, who's a child, who's playing a transgender character," said Cameron Schraufstetter, Transgender Wellness Specialist at the Pride Center of Western New York.
Schraufstetter says the increasing presence of transgender people in television programming is positive for the transgender community.
Transgender characters have had primary roles in hit television series, including Orange is the New Black and Transparent. But Modern Family is breaking into new territory: the representation of transgender children.
Schraufstetter hopes the continual inclusion of transgender actors will promote greater awareness about the community, and will allow people to feel more comfortable about coming out.
"It's not that transgender people didn't exist and they just are popping up all over the place. We've been here. It's just, we've had to hide and be in the shadows because we weren't accepted."
 |
Live video, the latest news and no surveys - download the WKBW app |
 |
News, forecast and Bills newsletters delivered to your e-mail inbox |
