Modern Family is about to make television history—again.
The popular ABC comedy series will feature the first openly transgender child actor in its next episode, Variety reports.
In the episode—called "A Stereotypical Day"—Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson)'s daughter, Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons), invites her new transgender friend (Tom) over to hang out. Cam and Mitch are elated they've raised such a #woke daughter, but their happiness dissolves when Lily makes a jab at Tom. A teachable moment ensues.
"A Stereotypical Day" director Ryan Case broke the news on Instagram yesterday (September 26) when she announced the boy playing Tom: 8-year-old Jackson Millarker.
"This is Jackson Millarker,” Case captioned the photo, above. "He’s 8 years old, from Atlanta, and just happens to be transgender. He plays Lily’s friend Tom in this week’s Modern Family and he’s wonderful. One of the many reasons I love being a part of this show.”
Variety reports that the only young transgender person on television is 15-year-old Jazz Jennings, who has her own TLC reality show ("I Am Jazz"). Millarker's Modern Familydebut will be the first time an openly transgender child actor has appeared on a sitcom.
That's huge. Entertainment is a great way to introduce controversial issues with kiddie gloves. Modern Family has a history of doing this. Cam and Mitchell were many people's first entry points into gay issues; their relationship helped positively shape the narrative around gay marriage in the United States. Simply put, the show helped Americans see that gay people are just that: people.
This new Modern Family episode could do the same for transgender folks. Yes, shows like Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) and Transparent (Amazon) are already working toward this, but Modern Family has a much larger audience. It is a hit sitcom on a major network in a key time slot. Many eyeballs will be on this next episode, which airs Wednesday (September 28). And the fact that the actor is a young child holds extra importance at a moment when trans kids around the country are fighting legal battles to get equal treatment in schools and public facilities.
And that's exciting. Maybe if enough people watch, the ludicrous arguments about what bathrooms transgender people should use will stop.
