I do not see anyone talking about the fact that Isaiah Stannard, a trans actor is playing the trans character Ben (Marks). I do not know if the character was adapted to Isaiah background, or if they looked for a trans actor planning for a trans character, but amidst some subpar gay and lesbian representation in the series, this things should be shout out,this actor is getting opportunity and doing great, opening doors and minds for the future in entertainment for trans people do I get a HOOORRAH
Ah, yeah! It’s great! I think it’s not talked about much because I think at least in the fandom, the fact that Isaiah is trans is pretty common knowledge at this point! But it is very much a milestone and and an exciting one!
And actually, Ben’s storyline actually was adapted based on Isaiah being cast in the role:
As it turns out, the original casting call for Annie's kid was for a son named Ben, but eventually, the call was opened up to kids of all genders. After casting Isaiah in the role, show creator Jenna Bans learned that Isaiah Stannard is trans and uses the pronouns he and him, which prompted Jenna to reevaluate that character's storyline
“We realized we had a really great opportunity to tell a story about a character who was gender-nonconforming, but at the same time not necessarily have that be what leads the story,” Jenna told Variety last year. The writers worked with GLAAD to ensure they approached the subject of the character's gender identity thoughtfully. [via Distractify]
I think they did a pretty good job with Ben’s storyline across Season 1 and Season 2—to me, it felt like it did a good job balancing realism and optimism and acceptance by showing that Ben struggled with social ostracism but had the unwavering support and love of his parents who both tried to protect him from his bullies at the same time that they encouraged him to explore who he is without judgment. I thought it didn’t gloss over the challenges of being trans at the same time that didn’t magnify pain for sensationalism, ultimately making Ben’s gender a part of his story but not his only story.
However, I’ve been somewhat disappointed by how little attention there’s been on his transition across seasons 3 and 4. I’d have liked it if we saw more normalizing of the experience of transitioning as a teenager—even with small things, like mentions of taking hormones (something that seemed like it was going to be a storyline after the tail end of a season 2 re: expense) or even things like redecorating Ben’s room to make it a space that better reflected his tastes (season 1 and 2 showed how little interest he had in feminine things, yet I believe the show waited until a few episodes into season 4 before they replaced his floral bedspread).
I actually thought that Annie’s OTT spending at the fundraiser could’ve been meshed with that in an interesting way? Like, especially since she is struggling with Ben’s desire to spend more time at his dad’s, Annie could’ve gone overboard in redecorating Ben’s room, spending a bunch of money to surprise him, but ultimately not taking into consideration that he’d want to be a part of that and that she couldn’t buy his love to make him stay? I basically don’t want it to be something that’s dropped to the point where he’s seen as a cis kid, if that makes sense?
But Isaiah’s role on the show is another reason I think it’s very important to hold Manny accountable for posting something transphobic on Instagram (and by “being held accountable” I mean not excusing his behavior to act like it’s harmless). I’m not accusing Manny of making it a hostile work environment by any means—there’s a photo that shows Isaiah and Manny posing together and they seem to like each other—but I think especially since Isaiah is a young child, it’s crucial to ensure that he’s protected from being exposed to harmful rhetoric.
