"All My Children" Introduces Transgender to the Daytime Show

All My Children, an ABC soap, has once again written a compelling storyline. It is taking on once again a controversy issue, and that issue is transgender. Transgender is described as ones gender identity not matching ones assigned gender meaning, that some men feel like they are a woman trapped in a man's body and vice versa.

On the soap All My Children introduced us to the outrageous and mysterious Zarf, who is played by Jeffrey Carlson. Zarf is a rock star that comes to Pine Valley to meet his destiny. He truly feels his destiny is the lesbian Bianca Montgomery. He finally reveals to Bianca on New Years Eve his true self. Bianca throws Zarf out and wants nothing to do with him at first. This is something many transgender people face, being outcast among society. Also because Zarf is misunderstood and many are closed-minded in Pine Valley, he is put in jail as a possible murder suspect. People tend to fear what they do not know. The truth is transgender people are no different than any other person. They are not confused about whom they are, they just want to feel whole and right with the person they feel they are.

During this week Zarf/Zoe is faced with another obstacle. He is involved in a hate crime, beaten in a park, and left there. When it is reported to the chief of police he puts it on his low list of priorities. He then basically tells Bianca that Zarf asked for it for wearing a dress out in public. This is another issue, outside from TV that transgender people also deal with. Hate and discrimination are very real. On the show it was said that transgender people are four times more likely to be involved in a hate crime than gay and lesbian people. To me that is sad that someone can't be who they feel they are without the fear of being hurt. I wish people would understand that it is something that they can't help. People are people and it shouldn't matter if they are black, white, gay, lesbian, or transgender.

I applaud All My Children for bringing light to a real issue in today's society. Maybe it will wake some people up and help them understand that we are all God's people and a product of him. People should treat others, as they want to be treated and stop living within their closed mindedness and prejudices.