Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follow the cisheteronormative
mandates. To face these dialectics, the media can offer alternative discourses, in particular by providing realistic and
non‐stereotyped LGBTQ+ representations. Media portrayals can be seen as both positive and negative. On one hand, they
may offer stereotypical and narrow representations, but on the other, they can include representations that can become
aspirational models ...
Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follow the cisheteronormative
mandates. To face these dialectics, the media can offer alternative discourses, in particular by providing realistic and
non‐stereotyped LGBTQ+ representations. Media portrayals can be seen as both positive and negative. On one hand, they
may offer stereotypical and narrow representations, but on the other, they can include representations that can become
aspirational models and improve visibility. The objective of this article is to explore this second perspective by analyzing
the representation of Jules, a trans female character from the American series Euphoria (Levinson et al., 2019–present).
To this end, we conducted a close reading analysis (Castelló, 2008) of the first season of the series. The results show three
axes of representation that move away from the traditional portrayal of trans characters: (a) a narrative that moves beyond
the “trans fact” and presents complex and plural stories, (b) a representation of the trans individual as an element of value
and love, away from fetishism, and (c) a link between the trans realm and specific spaces of comfort and freedom.
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