Dating While Trans Is Complicated. HBO’s “Euphoria” Pushed Me to Unpack My Online Romances

Dating While Trans Is Complicated. HBO’s “Euphoria” Pushed Me to Unpack My Online Romances

Delilah Friedler

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Like most girls in her generation, a Euphoria, falls in love through her phone. “Literally just had the most amazing night talking to Tyler,” Jules, a high school junior, texts her best friend and classmate, Rue, referring to the crush she’s been messaging for weeks. Jules texts Tyler nonstop: in class, before she falls asleep, and first thing in the morning when she awakes. As she gazes into her screen, she can’t stop smiling. “I’m legit falling for him,” she tells Rue.

But Jules’ romance on the show, which is airing the final episode of its first season on August 4, isn’t quite like other high school love stories on TV. Jules is transgender, and her character is played by the model and actress Hunter Schafer, who is also trans. And that’s just what got me hooked on her storyline: in part because show creator Sam Levinson allowed Schafer to help shape the character, Jules is the best portrayal of a trans girl that I have seen in media. Continue Reading Dating While Trans Is Complicated. HBO’s “Euphoria” Pushed Me to Unpack My Online Romances