The Trans Characters That Changed TV and Film

During this Transgender Awareness Week, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation looks back at some of the characters who have helped push the boundaries of acceptance in film and television.

BY Matt Kane of GLAAD

November 19 2012 1:30 PM ET

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
The murder of Brandon Teena and his friends remains one of the most tragic hate crimes of the last several decades, but relatively few people knew Brandon’s story until Kimberly Peirce adapted it into the scripted film Boys Don’t Cry in 1999. Hilary Swank took home an Oscar for her portrayal of Brandon, and millions finally learned who he was, six years after his death.