“I think I created the first trans character for the Disney Channel!– writes one of them Raven screenwriter Norrie Reed on Instagram.
Aired on July 8 on Disney+ in the United States, episode 15 of the 5th season of Phenomenon Raven, written by Reed and titled “The Fierce Awakens” (based on the 7th film in the Star Wars franchise, “The Force Awakens” or “Le Réveil de la Force” with us), Nicki really stands out, the influential actress Julianne Joel, who would thus be the first trans actress to star in a Disney Channel series.
“It’s a dream come true,” as Joel and Reid explained on Instagram, especially for those who couldn’t imagine seeing trans characters on children’s television.
In the dedicated postJuliana Joel shared her childhood dream growing up in a “typical Puerto Rican family” in Florida: to be on the Disney Channel, and more specifically Phenomenon Raven.
“It was my favorite show and Raven Baxter was, I think, my best friend. It was my escape from what I was experiencing inside“, Joel wrote. “Needless to say, I cried in my dressing room after stepping on this set for the first time. That was the moment I realized that not only could I fulfill my childhood dream of being on a version of my favorite show… I could be myself and be an openly trans person.“
The actor also added that being on the show was more important than fulfilling his dream. “Despite the hate and anti-trans narrative in the media and public, it was a victory“. He continues: “I have claimed a dream and a space for myself when much of the world is trying to erase me and my community. And now I’m becoming the person I wish I’d seen on TV growing up.“
Norrie Reed echoed this sentiment, writing that the Disney Channel was also her escape as a “closet Asian queer kid” from Kentucky. “I can’t fully express what it means to me personally that a queer young person from rural America can go to the Disney Channel and witness a fun and nuanced trans character that they can relate to. And I pray in my heart that they hear a very clear message: “You belong to this world and you are entering it.”“
Although Nick would be Disney Channel’s first trans character, the honor of being the first trans character—broadly speaking—to the non-binary character Rain Whispers from the fantasy animated series Luz Osville, voiced by non-binary actor Av. Rock.
Raven follows the adventures of Raven Baxter, now a single mother. The psychic gifted teenager we used to know never imagined that she would later be living in an apartment with the twins…but also her best friend Chelsea and her son!
The first 4 seasons of the new adventures of Raven-Symone’s iconic character can be seen on Disney+.
Source: allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
