It is no secret that the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community has faced many hardships from not being accepted by others because of their sexuality, and even committing self-harm amongst themselves because they feel like they have hit rock bottom. Today in our society television and film is a huge outlet for kids and even some adults to help cope with things. Unfortunately, there has not been much representation of the LGBTQ community on the silver screen, which keeps the topic very hushed. However, that was before visionaries like Lee Daniels and others started bringing such taboo subjects into the story lines of modern television.

The issue of someone being transgender has been prominent in our conversations for months now. From the political talk with the bathroom bill to the sports arena over the transgender teen in a girl fight to my area of focus for this story, entertainment. Trans is on the lips of everyone and on the mind director Lee Daniels. In his new Fox series, Star, that follows the lives of three singers and their journey to stardom, one of the reoccurring characters on the show is a transgender model with a bit Cajun tang. New Orleans, Louisiana native Amiyah Scott portrays Cotton Brown, a transitioning transgendered woman who is battling her mother Carlotta Brown (Queen Latifah) acceptance.

Throughout the show, you see the ups and downs of their relationship. One can almost feel the pain of denial felt by Cotton every time her mother doesn’t acknowledge that she is her daughter and not her son. Heartache is felt, as Carlotta just can’t understand why her “son” would want to identify as a “woman.” These scenes are the pictures of real America as they are almost replicas of what is being played out around the country as the LGBTQ community continues to fight for the right to be true to themselves. It is a struggle for the LGBTQ community as a whole to have to deal with this on a daily basis as they try to be comfortable with themselves and within the world we all live in.

“2016 was a really rough year for our community so having Lee Daniels and Amiyah Scott reflect us in a positive light has been a breath of fresh air,” said a Senior Biology major at the University of Houston. “I have watched the show and some parts really make me emotional because I have been there. It is hard when you just want to be yourself but all you get is unacceptance and hatred. I truly believe this show could not have come at a better time, with so much hate in the world we really needed an outlet that gives our community a voice and lets people know we are real people with real feelings.”

With the success following Star and breaking barriers, the transgendered community has steadily been making headlines and proving to the world that they have no desire to slow down anytime soon. Seventeen-year-old Mack Beggs is a junior at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas who took the world by storm when he became the first transgender athlete to win a Class 6A girls’ state championship. Beggs’, who is transitioning to be a boy, victory appeared unfair to many parents who felt as though Beggs should not have been able to compete in the 110-pound girls' division, even though his transition is not completed. Knowing that he would face backlash Beggs requested to wrestle in the boys' division but the University Interscholastic League (UIL) has guidelines that determine an athletes’ gender is based on their birth certificate, which resulted in his request of participating in the boys' division to be declined. With all of the negativity, Beggs has decided to remain positive and use his new found platform to raise awareness for the transgender community.

“I think it’s great that Mack decided to not let all of this negativity take away his success. The fact of the matter is that he won the title fair and square and if he could have competed in the boys' division he would have,” said Trace Myers. “It is important for people to know that we (LGBTQ community) just want to live our lives and not have any problems.”

The day of living their lives without any problems comes closer every time a wall comes down. People will need to continue to get engaged in shows like Star and invest in people like Daniels, Scott, and Beggs who are all vehicles in the movement to help break barriers, make some noise, and gain acceptance for all. Help elevate their voices by watching and telling the stories that often get overlooked! Watch new episodes of Star on Wednesday nights on Fox at 8 p.m.