ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces 'trans' as a field of study in a broad sense. It draws a short historical overview of the way in which trans has been portrayed in mainstream Western screen media, and how this has gradually changed, not least as a result of the media content produced by trans people online. Phillips and Richardson argue that the representation of trans in mainstream media is a successor to the early media stereotypes of gays and lesbians. The chapter outlines the way in which trans as an identity category has circulated within psycho-medical discourses and how this relates to legislation around juridical gender reclassification and healthcare practices. It also outlines some of the most commonly circulating tropes for the representation of trans people in mainstream Western screen media. These are 'the deceptive transsexual', 'the pathetic transsexual', 'trans as a metaphor for or an expression of psychopathy', and 'the autobiographical imperative'.
