‘Glee’ Introduces Its First Transgender Character, Unique, on ‘Saturday Night Glee-ver’ Episode
After dealing heavily with gay themes since its debut, 'Glee' is finally taking on the issues that transgendered teens face. In tonight's episode, 'Saturday Night Glee-ver,' we were introduced to Unique: a transgendered character who is coming to terms with her identity.
Unique, part of the show choir Vocal Adrenaline, approaches Mercedes and Kurt as a young man named Wade (played by Alex from 'The Glee Project') who wants to wear a dress on stage and unveil his flashy alter ego. It appears at first that he came to the right place, to take advice from two of the show's bravest characters.
But even Kurt, it seems, has a lot to learn. When Kurt advises Wade not to become Unique on stage, it is evident that he doesn't understand what trans people go through. "You identify as a man," Wade tells him, and when Unique takes the stage, it's obvious that this is who Wade is. Unique is the true identity, and Wade is the fiction. Unique, of course, brings the house down with her moves.
It's about time 'Glee' tackled some of these issues, and we really hope to see more of Unique in the future. Not just for her powerful singing voice and fabulous dancing, but in order to bring trans issues to light. This looks like the next step of acceptance in 'Glee.'