11 Ways 2014 Was the Biggest Year in Transgender History
From Laura Jane Grace's triumphant blues to Jared Leto's hollow victory, a look back at the events that put trans in the spotlight like never before
By Samantha Allen, Nico Lang | December 23, 2014
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/11-ways-2014-was-the-biggest-year-in-transgender-history-20141223Transgender people are already everywhere, even if their lives go unnoticed. But in 2014, transgender people truly were everywhere—from the red carpet to the runway, from TV to D.C., and from the cover of Time magazine to the pages of a New York Times bestselling memoir. Visibility is no substitute for change, but 2014 bore witness to plenty of the latter as well, with a series of legal victories that will make it easier for transgender people to find employment, update their legal documents and receive healthcare. Although there's still a long way to go before anti-transgender violence becomes a thing of the past, 2014 is likely to be remembered as an important step toward a more inclusive future.
Rolling Stone has selected 11 of the most notable moments, trends and controversies from this year's transgender tipping point.
1) 2014 was a landmark year for transgender people on TV.
Last week, Amazon's freshman dramedy Transparent was honored with two Golden Globe nominations: for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy (Jeffrey Tambor). Tambor, in particular, looks likely to repeat at the Emmys, just a year after Orange is the New Black's Laverne Cox became the first transgender actor ever nominated for an award at the ceremony. Transparent, created by Jill Soloway (of Six Feet Under and United States of Tara), has garnered acclaim for its humanistic, layered portrayal of a late-life transitioner, Maura, and her decades-long struggle to come out to her very complicated family. The show is partially based on Soloway's own experiences after her parent came out as transgender in 2011.
