Inequity is not having an equal playing field with other members of society which manifests itself in many ways. It is present in our interactions, laws, and even the media. Sometimes we forget how big of an influence the media plays in our daily interactions. One big way that we experience the world is through the books we read and the television shows we watch. In order to talk about a helpful step in fighting inequity I want to talk about the television show, Orange is the New Black and how it does this. One way that people can become more equal is when they are represented in an accurate way in the media. Specifically in Orange is the New Black, one perspective of the experience of transgender women is presented through the character Sophia Burset, played by trans actress, Laverne Cox. Throughout the show she is conveyed as someone who definitely faces difficulties as a trans person such as not having access to her hormones or dealing with issues related to her relationships with her wife who stayed with her through her transitioning period. Julia Serano in Experiential Gender does a good job of also capturing another experience of being a trans-woman by explaining her feelings regarding womanhood and what it meant for her to also go through her transitioning period. Not only does the existence of these people promote more understanding, it also results in people of similar backgrounds feeling more empowered because they can relate to the people they see in the media.
I think it is imperative that we focus on painting a complete picture about different groups of society, so that people can start to understand different groups of people. Having both personal and fictional accounts in novels and television providing multiple perspectives, respectively are definitely a start so that we can even greater strides to creating a more equitable society.
Serano, Julia. Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity. Seal Press: New York, 2007.