This is an incredible time for transgender representation on screen. According to a 2022 GLAAD report, there were 42 transgender regular and recurring characters across all of broadcast, cable, and streaming during the 2021-2022 season. However, we need more trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming storytellers in writing rooms to ensure the stories being told reflect the lived experiences of trans people.. The Trans and Non-Binary Cohort will continue to invest on the next generation of trans and non-binary TV writers of color.

TV writers require a host of resources, peer support and mentorship to level up into this new landscape. According to a 2022 Nielsen study, “people with disabilities are 34% more likely than the general population to feel there isn’t enough inclusion of their identity group in media, and more than half say the portrayals they see inaccurately represent their individual identity groups.” Whereas A-List actors win Oscars for playing disabled characters, disabled actors, writers and directors are often excluded from the very opportunity to represent themselves and present their own stories on screen — especially if they don’t line up with Hollywood’s medicalized, tragic, or “inspiration porn” ideas of what disability is. The Disability Cohort will specifically address the ways disabled TV writers can and are changing the game.

In recent years, shows like Bob Hearts Abishola, Never Have I Ever, and Rosswell, New Mexico have all had storylines that included undocumented characters and issues. However, according to a 2022 report from Define American, 40% of immigrant characters were associated with crime in shows aired between July 2020 and June 2022. It’s unclear how many of those shows actually included writers with the undocumented experience in the writers room. The Undocumented Cohort will unify Undocumented and Formerly Undocumented writers around ideas of community, advocacy and self-representation on TV.