Because even after the Caitlyn Jenner publicity push, we just haven’t heard enough about that tiny fraction of the population struggling against biology and reality, TLC and ABC Family are producing shows promoting transgender activists and their conversion experiences.
ABC Family’s Becoming Us is scheduled to premiere tonight, focusing on a teenager whose parents have recently divorced. As if this were not tragedy enough for the young man, his father, Charlie, is transitioning into a woman named Carly. This is the main dynamic of the show.
Karey Burke, vice president of programming and development at ABC Family, claimed that “The journey of acceptance is utterly authentic. Our network has a history and certain currency not being afraid of shows that tackle social issues, that shed light on current affairs.”
Clearly, ABC Family dropped any pretense at family programming a long time ago (don’t forget The Fosters, a real gem starring lesbian parents). With Becoming Us, it’s pushing the outer limits of ‘A new kind of family.’
TLC’s All that Jazz centers around a 14-year-old named Jazz Jennings, who decided at a very young age that he was a girl. Jazz’s parents supported that change, letting him live as a girl from the age of five and giving him hormone treatment from the age of 11 to stop his adolescent development. (Wow, that’s great parenting!) The show focuses on “the typical teen experiences, including dating, sleepovers and high school.”
