A Present History of LGBTQ Storytelling

Featuring a panel of experts, including Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Entertainment Research and Analysis, Monica Trasandes, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Spanish Language and Latinx Media, Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Vice President of the GLAAD Media Institute, and Tre’vell Anderson, award-winning journalist and author of “We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through Film and TV,” moderator Alex Schmider, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Representation, will ask about each panellist’s work, the progress they’ve witnessed in LGBTQ storytelling, and where they’re pushing the future of LGBTQ storytelling forward.

Register to watch the live stream of this free pre-recorded panel talk on Zoom.

Closed captions will be available.

Bios:

Nick Adams (he/his) is the Vice President of the GLAAD Media Institute. He is a resource for media content creators telling stories about transgender people. He has consulted on hundreds of films and TV shows, as well as video games and Broadway shows, to help them create authentic transgender characters and stories. Nick joined GLAAD in 1998 and transitioned himself at that time.

Tre’vell Anderson (they/them) is an award-winning journalist, noted podcast host, and authoress doing world-changing work around society and culture. Named to The Root’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential African Americans, they have dedicated their career to centering those in the margins, grey spaces, and at the intersections of life. Tre’vell co-hosts two podcasts, “What A Day” and “FANTI.” [pronounced FAN-tie, like bowtie] and wrote the book “We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film,” available everywhere.

Monica Trasandes (she/her) was born in Uruguay and grew up in California. She earned a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. At GLAAD, she worked with writers and creators from Miami to Mexico City to Madrid, helping them improve their LGBTQ+ inclusive content. Monica writes plays and novels, including Broken Like This (Thomas Dunne, St. Martin’s Press) Honors include a profile, “Two Latinas Making a Difference,” on nbc.com. Monica lives in Los Angeles and is the proud mom of a wonderful 10-year-old daughter.

Megan Townsend (she/her) is the Senior Director Entertainment Research & Analysis of the GLAAD Media Institute. She is a content adviser and communications professional with eleven years’ experience in story analysis, data insights, strategic communication, project management, and scalable collaboration. In her current role, she has overseen production and release of 25+ internationally recognized studies on inclusion in film and TV and shaped the conversation on LGBTQ representation as a consultant on hundreds of films, TV shows, books and more including Disney Channel’s history-making series The Owl House and Andi Mack, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Strange World and appearing in outlets including LA Times, Associated Press, The Wrap, Variety, and OUT. Megan joined GLAAD in 2012 and is a graduate of Central Michigan University.

Moderator: Alex Schmider (he/his) is an acclaimed film producer and the Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD where he advises media and entertainment industry leaders and consults with production companies, editorial teams, brands, and corporations on how best to approach transgender and nonbinary characters and storylines. His producing credits include Chasing Chasing Amy (Tribeca 2023), Changing the Game (Hulu), Disclosure (Netflix), Framing Agnes (Kino Lorber), and Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story (Netflix), which have been recognized by the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Emmy Awards, and the Peabody Awards. A member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy, he is also a Board Member of the 19th Newsroom.