The Jeffersons’ Transgender Episode

By Guest Contributor Monica, originally published at TransGriot

The episode entitled ‘Just A Friend’ from the fourth season of ‘The Jeffersons’ was groundbreaking in many respects. It was the first time that an African descended transwoman character was shown on TV who didn’t fit the stereotypes we all know and loathe.

It was also broadcast in 1977.

While I didn’t care for the part where George tried to pass off Leroy as Edie, for the most part the episode is on point. You also have to remember at the time ‘The Jeffersons’ was a Top 10 rated show that many African-American homes watched.

So if they weren’t aware of the trans issue affecting African descended people, they were after that broadcast.

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Leading and Choosing « Peterson Toscano’s A Musing on 02 Jul 2009 at 4:54 pm

[...] woman (who still likes to prank her buddy George). Hilarity and public education ensue. (See clips here.) The episode has some unnecessary silliness, but over all I walked away with a positive portrayal [...]

Comments

Leslie wrote:

I never saw this one, it was great!

Posted 20 May 2009 at 9:49 am ¶
That Queer Chick wrote:

That was better than I expected. I wonder what happened to the middle of the episode, though.

Posted 20 May 2009 at 10:51 am ¶
Wendi Muse wrote:

i used to watch the jeffersons (And good times, and mama’s family and all in the family and…well you get the idea) as a child and i clearly remember this episode. good stuff

Posted 20 May 2009 at 2:05 pm ¶
Tracey wrote:

Yeah this was a really great episode, and probally the best episode of a sitcom involving a transsexual and/or transgender person I’ve seen. It’s great the Jefferson’s got it so right then. The Wayans Brother’s show had one too, where one of Pop’s old singing buddies had transitioned. It was okay….for the Wayan’s Brothers.

Posted 20 May 2009 at 2:39 pm ¶
Purpl3ite wrote:

Dang…

I’ll have to wait till I get home to watch it. School computers don’t work for video.

Posted 20 May 2009 at 2:42 pm ¶
Camille wrote:

I totally forgot about this! I saw this episode once when I was little. I remember it being pretty good, but being maybe 8 at the time, I probably wasn’t thinking about transgender issues.

Posted 20 May 2009 at 5:20 pm ¶
BSK wrote:

Definitely would love to see the middle. But, “I beg your pardon!” Brilliant.

I’m curious, was the actor a transwoman? I am guessing not, but that would be *truly* groundbreaking.

My question is, since I wasn’t alive in the ’70s, do you think this had the impact that you stated in the lead-in? Or do you think Edie was mostly seen as comic relief and something to laugh at?

Posted 20 May 2009 at 8:57 pm ¶
Iggles wrote:

Wow, that was pretty interesting. And pretty funny, well I thought the Leroy scene should have been shorter. I do think it was pretty progressive for the 70s. Unfortunately, transwomen and transmen are still woefully underrepresented in the media. Thanks for sharing.

Posted 20 May 2009 at 11:58 pm ¶
Mod 1 wrote:

Interestingly enough, Sherman Hemsley aka George Jefferson, while not exactly “out” about it, is gay.

I saw him on an episode of “Lifestyles of the rich and famous” sometime ago with his live in partner of many years, who happens to be white.

Posted 21 May 2009 at 6:48 pm ¶
Purpl3ite wrote:

That was more than I expected. The whole Leroy scene didn’t do much for me, and at times Edie was made to be the butt of the joke towards the beggining. They were probably trying to make the transgender topic palatable. But the end up the episode sewed it up.

A big question for me is the impact it had back then. I have to wonder what the general reaction was, if any.

Posted 22 May 2009 at 12:07 am ¶