June is Pride Month, and in the latest AGO Hot Takes, trans representation takes centre stage via the insights of drag performer Pearl Teese and comedian Dylan McKeever.

Hot Takes is an AGO series that invites various creatives, artists and thinkers to meet via Zoom and collectively analyze contemporary images in the media, as a means of better understanding current cultural and social moments. Last week, Hot Takes welcomed drag performer Pearl Teese and comedian Dylan McKeever to discuss the complexities of trans representation, using two groundbreaking Time magazine covers as conversation starters. 

In 2014, iconic American actress and LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox became the first trans woman in history to grace the cover of Time. Both Villajin and McKeever remember this as being an inaugural moment in mainstream trans representation. Each reflected on the cover story’s profound personal impact on their lives, while also noting a significant ongoing need for more diversity and complexity with regards to trans representation in media.   

Back in March of this year, Canadian actor and producer Elliot Page was also featured on the cover of Time magazine. In a recent interview with Oprah, Page publicly revealed his trans identity, boldly advancing trans visibility through his global platform. For McKeever, Cox represents more of an aspirational figure, whereas Page inspired in her a sense of responsibility to support and protect those who have recently transitioned. In reflection of both cover stories, Villajin expressed her hope that in the future trans representation in mainstream media will include more people who don’t visually fit into clear gender binaries, providing a broader and more realistic picture of the trans community. 

Watch the full “hot take” discussion, moderated by AGO’s Annie Roper, here, via AGOinsider