What’s Worth Watching: Transgender Docuseries Becoming Us

Becoming Us, “#WelcomeToMyWorld” (Monday, June 8, 9/8c, ABC Family)

We appear to have reached a tipping point, as a culture, regarding the representation of transgender individuals in the media. No longer are they limited to playing murder victims or figures of tragedy or perversion. Fox News aside, we’re even started to get the pronouns right. (And, as Jon Stewart sardonically pointed out, Caitlyn Jenner now gets to be judged exclusively on her looks, just like every other woman.)

Docuseries Becoming Us follows high schooler Ben, whose father is transitioning into a woman, Carly. Ben and his girlfriend Danielle have that in common, actually: Her father is also a transgender woman. What’s so important about this particular series is seeing the very real reactions of non-celebrity families, the daily lives full of struggles and small triumphs, like finding a bra that fits. There’s pain, but also an almost overwhelming amount of love.