Sex Education’s final season is a huge step forward for trans representation

When I was a teenager, there were plenty of inaccurate depictions of trans people in the media, writes trans author and YouTuber Jamie Raines. But the final season of the popular Netflix show is a huge step forward for our community

Trans people deserve to be represented too (Samuel Taylor/Netflix)

Today it’s still rare for trans people to speak freely about their experiences without facing some form of opposition. That’s where film and TV come in – to say what needs to be said before it can be met with the usual retaliation.

Having shows like Netflix’s Sex Education to depict true-to-life trans experiences is crucial fictional representation for the LGBT+ community. It’s especially valuable when it’s a non-LGBT+ TV show representing us accurately to a mainstream audience.

In the last season of Sex Education, the characters are still coming to terms with growing up and their bodies changing, but this time the show examines even more inclusive identities. The show explores social, racial, gender, and religious diversities, in the process truly showing us what society looks like today. And what’s great is the space provided for many trans characters in a show.

When I was a teenager, there were plenty of inaccurate representations of trans people in the media. We were made to feel like being trans was something horrific – something to be mocked and politicised – without truly informing us of what it means to be transgender, what transitioning was, nor what to expect from it.

Shows like Sex Education are allowing space to accurately represent trans stories. They provide a platform that’s removed from political debate and prominent negative voices from outside the community.

I used to become attached to the few fictional stories that had positive LGBT+ characterisations – we all did! So I feel somewhat jealous of those younger people who are getting to watch these positive story arcs in abundance. For a TV show that was produced for a general audience, Sex Education has been pivotal in showcasing LGBT+ stories. To see LGBT+ teens journey through school, relationships and coming to terms with their identities is something many of us would have wished to see growing up.

At the start of this season we see Cal – played by the great Dua Saleh – use an old tape recorder to document the various changes their body is going through while on testosterone. It makes me wince, but also gives me a sense of happy nostalgia, because I did the same thing (albeit on my YouTube channel). These kinds of moments in Sex Education would have provided such comfort as I was transitioning. The story organically slots into the show so naturally, and it’s this kind of causal representation that would have been invaluable when I was growing up.

It’s great that the show explores core themes that trans-masculine people and others experience. From gender dysphoria, sharing the experience with other trans people and the impact so-called “societal norms” have on us.

The show also doesn’t shy away from the bleak realities of the trans experience, such as healthcare. I’m not one to be emotional over a TV show, but when Cal said they didn’t think the world wants people like them in it, it made me think of the many times I’ve felt a similar way, and it made me cry.

The trans community is so accustomed to seeing their lives treated like pawns in a political game, without any consideration of our lived experiences. So to see a show and fictional characters that depict our emotional, yet exciting journeys, is incredibly meaningful.

Cal’s story in particular is honest and heartfelt. It shows that life isn’t all awful – but neither is it all joyful. To see how Cal interacts with other trans characters like Roman, allies and the wider Moordale town is truly uplifting – it’s all love, celebration, and care. It’s such a fresh, bold approach to depicting transness on screen.

Trans people deserve to be represented too. To see Sex Education portray the reality of what we all go through day in and day out – and in a popular, mainstream show, no less – is wildly affirming. And for young trans kids who are going through the same things I went through at that age, it could be life changing.

Jamie Raines is an English YouTuber and LGBT+ advocate. He is the author of the book ‘The T in LGBT: Everything You Need to Know About Being Trans’