Perhaps the most surprising frontier is children’s media. Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe introduced non-binary-coded Gems with she/her pronouns. Disney’s The Owl House features a non-binary character, Raine Whispers, voiced by non-binary actor Avi Roque. In 2022, Pixar’s Turning Red included a trans-positive background detail. Nickelodeon’s The Loud House introduced Clyde’s two dads, and while this focuses on gay parents, the network has since included explicit trans characters.
Most significantly, the Netflix animated series Dead End: Paranormal Park (2022) featured Barney, a trans boy protagonist voiced by trans actor Zach Barack, with his trans identity integrated naturally into the plot — involving coming out to a haunted ride’s ghost, not as trauma, but as connection. Tranny Xxx
The UK’s It’s a Sin (2021) featured trans character Jill Baxter, though cis-acted. France’s Wild Side (2004) is a landmark trans art film. Germany’s Transparent (2014–2019), though created by a cis Jewish man (Joanna Solotoff, formerly known as Jill Soloway) and centered on a trans parent played by a cis actor, sparked many conversations. Perhaps the most surprising frontier is children’s media
Perhaps the most important shift is the emergence of a new directorial lens. Directors like Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca) and River Gallo are creating "tranny entertainment" that isn't about passing or surgery. It is about loneliness, joy, and eroticism without the male gaze. In 2022, Pixar’s Turning Red included a trans-positive
This content is popular because it is honest. Young audiences—Gen Z especially—are rejecting the polished, fake aesthetics of early 2000s media. They want the grit, the voice drop, the texture of real life.