16 transgender celebrities who are changing television

Hunter Schafer, Elliot Fletcher, and Laverne Cox are all changing TV.Jordan Strauss & Richard Shotwell/ AP

• More TV shows are featuring transgender actors and characters.
• Laverne Cox started on Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and has since become a superstar and trans activist.
• FX's "Pose" stars multiple trans people, including MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, and Indya Moore.
• Hunter Schafer from "Euphoria," Tom Phelan from "The Fosters," Elliot Fletcher from "Shameless," and Josie Totah from "Champions" are all young transgender actors changing the landscape of television.

As TV continues to become more progressive, more shows are welcoming transgender actors and characters.

In the past, trans roles were given to cis actors, like Jared Leto and Eddie Redmayne, both of whom were nominated for awards for their portrayals of trans characters. But today, transgender actors are taking on these roles and bringing visibility to the community. Television series are at the forefront of this change.

From A-listers like Laverne Cox to new stars like Hunter Schafer, these are the trans celebrities changing television for the better.