Drag Race star Gottmik has called on the entertainment industry to include more stories about trans men.
Back in 2021, the 27-year-old star made Drag Race history when she became the first-ever out transgender male contestant to compete on the long-running franchise.
During her run on season 13, the beloved queen – who goes by he/him pronouns outside of drag – won two challenges and made it all the way to the top four.
Since bursting onto the scene, Gottmik has continued to use her platform to open up about her journey and the importance of trans representation in the industry.
During a recent appearance at United Talent Agency and GLAAD’s The Business of Drag event, the talented make-up artist highlighted the lack of trans men in the entertainment sphere.
“Why is there not way more trans representation in the media – trans men, specifically? Trans men out there and talking about their journeys?” she said, as reported by Variety.
“I’m like, I should do more shit out of drag, because I feel like there should be way more trans guys out there talking about how hard it is.
“And I see so many amazing trans women. I’m so inspired by their stories. I’m like, ‘Where are these trans guys telling their stories?’ I want to be inspired by that too.'”
View this post on Instagram
While Gottmik said she was honoured to be one of the few trans men breaking down barriers in the industry, she expressed the importance of giving space to more “amazing trans men stories.”
“If I had that, I would have probably transitioned so much earlier, so I always want to be loud and proud and out there,” she added.
Gottmik’s recent comments come a few months after GLAAD released their annual ‘Where We Are on TV’ report, which revealed a decrease in trans representation in shows airing between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023.
According to the report, there were only 32 transgender characters – 16 trans women, 11 trans men, and five trans nonbinary individuals – featured on broadcast, cable and streaming.
“At a time when transgender Americans are facing a growing number of dangerous and discriminatory attacks in rhetoric and policy, Hollywood players who are real allies to our community have a responsibility and an opportunity to create stories that humanize trans people and educate viewers about being transgender,” said GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement.
While there was a decrease in trans representation, there were small wins when it came to racial diversity, as, for the first time in the report’s history, streaming platforms featured the majority of LGBTQ+ people of colour (53 per cent overall).
Latest
