New show on The CW will have a non-binary lead character
Jennie Snyder Urman and Gina Rodriguez of the television show ‘Jane the Virgin’ (Frederick M. Brown / Stringer)
US television network The CW has ordered a new pilot for a series that will feature a non-binary lead character.
Glamorous – which is written and directed by Jordon Nardino of Desperate Housewives – will make history when it airs as the first US television show with a non-binary lead character, according to Digital Spy.
The show will follow a non-binary character who lands an internship at a cosmetics company whose products they have criticised on YouTube.
The pilot will be executive produced by Damon Wayans Jr and Kameron Tarlow. The network has not yet announced full details of the pilot, including when it will air.
This pilot will mark The CW’s sixth pilot this season alone. The network has become well known for featuring diverse casts of LGBT+ characters in its television shows in recent years.
Next month, the network will make history once again when Supergirl will feature its first ever transgender superhero.
Meanwhile, The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – which is set to conclude this season – has received praise for its depiction of bisexual characters.
Supergirl star Nicole Maines as transgender superhero Dreamer (The CW)
Non-binary characters
The CW’s Glamorous will mark the first time a US television show has had a non-binary lead character, however Showtime’s Billions made history in 2017 by featuring television’s first non-binary character.
In the show, Asia Kate Dillon – who is non-binary in real life – played Taylor Mason. They also played Brandy Epps in Orange Is the New Black.
Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also received praise from fans for including a non-binary character recently.
In the show, Sabrina’s friend, Susie, identifies as non-binary, and is played in the show by non-binary actor Lachlan Watson.
While representation of non-binary and trans people has improved on television in recent years, actors can still face challenging circumstances on sets.
Controversy with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Last November, non-binary model Jamie Windust opened up about their experience working on Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Windust called the working conditions “atrocioius” and said “misogyny, homophobia and transphobia” were rampant on set.
They made the remarks in a Twitter thread which were subsequently shared widely.
“I want to use this opportunity not to call out people, but to now for the future ensure we try and create safe working environments for trans/NB people where sometimes they’re forgotten,” Windust said.
“They just said we have segregated sections, and that is what we are going to stick to.”
– Jamie Windust
The model said that changing rooms were divided into “male” and “female” and that when they spoke to people on the team about it, they “did not really seem to care.
“They just said we have segregated sections, and that is what we are going to stick to.
“On set, we were split between men and women,” Windust added.
“When we arrived, we’d get dressed and be segregated into male and female, and then there would be one big tent where we could mingle.”
