As a transgender man, I usually have blended emotions when TV exhibits function trans folks.
Generally it is finished nicely, however transgender characters are written inaccurately and perpetuate stereotypes as a rule.
The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 9 did a greater job than most, although there have been some severe points.
First, kudos to this present for hiring a transgender actor to play Rio.
In too many circumstances, cisgender actors are chosen to play transgender characters, they usually do not all the time totally perceive the character they’re enjoying.
It is onerous to think about the emotions that associate with having a gender identification that does not match your chromosomes or your secondary intercourse traits. It is not one thing that may be simply defined if you have not lived it.
So, it was refreshing for The Good Physician to have chosen an actor who has lived that have to play a personality who has.
However, there have been some missteps right here that rubbed me the incorrect method.
Shaun: What makes one thing a person? I used to suppose it was the chromosomes nevertheless it does not appear so. I do know that Rio was uncomfortable –
Lim: Life is uncomfortable. You simply muscle by means of it.
Probably the most egregious drawback was Shaun’s angle. Sort of, anyway.
In some methods, his beliefs had been typical of people that have by no means encountered a transgender particular person, and since he has Autism, he’s vulnerable to classifying issues in absolute phrases.
However I felt uncomfortable with it for a few causes.
First, many individuals with Autism reject conventional concepts about gender. They do not see a purpose for societal guidelines about gender expression or relating sure behaviors to sure genders.
So, Shaun may have simply as simply been extra accepting of Rio’s gender identification than different folks, and I felt like, in some methods, he was getting used as a mouthpiece for transphobic concepts.
His Autism did not need to imply that he blurted out that Rio had woman components. He may have been inappropriately curious with out veering off in that path.
Shaun: I learn that cisgender folks usually scale back transgender folks to their genitalia and it’s offensive. Did I do this to you and Rio?
Eli: Sure.
Shaun: I’m sorry I did that. Rio shall be going into surgical procedure quickly. He has been calling you however you haven’t been answering the telephone.
Eli: Thanks.
Shaun: Rio is complicated to me too. He has labored so onerous. He had a bilateral mastectomy and is on hormone substitute remedy. But he’s selecting probably the most feminine factor to do.
Eli: It is not feminine if Rio does it.
But, he was keen to be taught and alter his attitudes, which isn’t simple for anybody — particularly somebody with Autism. So I can not totally fault The Good Physician for that.
However finally, it fell to Rio’s fiance to coach Shaun about transgender points, and anybody who’s both transgender or has a companion who’s transgender can attest to how exhausting that’s.
I additionally wasn’t pleased with Lim’s response to Shaun’s musings about how tough life will need to have been for Rio.
I get that her insistence that you simply get by means of the onerous stuff had extra to do together with her PTSD than anything. Nonetheless, it additionally inadvertently despatched the message that transitioning reasonably than simply pushing by means of your gender dysphoria is an indication of weak spot.
Not cool.
Rio’s medical dilemma was fascinating in its personal proper, transgender points apart. The concept that a pregnant particular person had to decide on between having an abortion or risking a a lot worse state of affairs with their most cancers was fascinating.
I felt like he switched abruptly from desirous to terminate as a result of he’d need to go off T to being gung-ho to have this child. Eli additionally modified from being pleased they had been having a child collectively to really feel that termination was the very best answer.
That was by no means adequately defined, and it made me really feel like they had been in a rush to have a narrative a few pregnant transgender man.
Some trans males get pregnant and/or need to be pregnant. Typically, they’ve a tough time medically as a result of being pregnant is taken into account a feminine challenge, along with having to go off testosterone and probably go onto estrogen to make being pregnant doable.
Whereas it is theoretically doable to get pregnant by lacking one or two doses of T, it is not going, and I discovered it unrealistic {that a} man who struggled with gender dysphoria would overlook a shot or two.
I’ve forgotten to take mine infrequently… for about six hours, after which I am in a rush to do it to ensure that I do not expertise any undesirable unwanted effects from being late.
In any case, The Good Physician touched on the problems pregnant trans males face however did not discover any of them totally, and that was a disgrace.
In fact, this affected person solely took up a 3rd of the air time, and there was an equally vital story happening: institutional racism within the hospital.
I assumed that having Claire come to phrases together with her personal internalized racism was an fascinating selection that hopefully makes viewers suppose a little bit deeper about racial points.
At this level, I believe many individuals anticipate tales by which white folks deal with folks of colour inappropriately, however white privilege impacts EVERYONE, and internalized racism is not addressed practically as a lot.
As.a white particular person myself, I do not really feel certified to say a lot past that. I do not need to make assumptions about different folks’s lived experiences, identical to I would not need folks to make assumptions about my experiences as a transgender particular person.
However I did suppose this was an vital story to inform, and I assumed Claire’s query on the finish was highly effective. After all the things that occurred, she questioned whether or not it was doable to succeed as a health care provider of colour with out appearing to “make white folks snug.”
I am curious as to how this can have an effect on her shifting ahead.
We additionally received some actual motion in Dr. Lim’s PTSD storyline.
This was one other story I had blended emotions about. It’s SO frequent on tv to advertise the angle that needing remedy means you are weak, and it felt to an extent like The Good Physician was going there.
I believe the purpose was for Lim to comprehend on her personal that everybody was proper and she or he wanted assist, nevertheless it’s onerous to present any present the good thing about the doubt when there’s a lot stigma related to psychological sickness.
I additionally wasn’t positive about Lim’s attitudes about what remedy would imply for her fame as a non-white particular person ready of energy.
I do not know what it is like for an Asian cisgender girl to be in a management function, and I definitely would not need to deny anybody’s experiences with racism and sexism.
However in Lim’s case, it felt considerably like an excuse.
First, she could not get remedy as a result of she does not have the privilege of needing assist whereas being in a management function. Then, it is nice for Claire as a result of residents can apparently get away with it, however bosses cannot, particularly not in the event that they’re feminine.
Then, Andrews is asking her loopy by suggesting she must take a step again.
It was onerous to inform what was in her head, what was due to her experiences with discrimination, and what was a little bit of each.
I am glad Lim lastly determined to get assist, although, and I hope that no one thought she was capitulating by doing so.
The best way she froze up within the OR may have been harmful for the affected person, and I believe she realized that.
I am additionally shocked that ER docs aren’t required to go to a assist group on the hospital. After I labored on a disaster line, we needed to attend a bunch as soon as a month as a part of the job due to the chance of PTSD or different severe psychological well being points associated to coping with folks in disaster.
Lastly, there was some foolish Shaun/Lea stuff to stability out the intense storylines.
I nonetheless do not suppose Shaun’s emotions for Lea when he was with Carly meant something greater than his emotions for Dr. DeSouza meant now.
And Lea’s answer was ridiculous. I want Glassman had been there to clarify to Shaun that most individuals really feel sexual attraction for all kinds of individuals and that it does not imply something is incorrect with the connection.
Your flip, The Good Physician fanatics!
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Jack Ori is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is accessible on Amazon. Observe him on Twitter.