From books to films, by way of comics, video games, television programmes or social media, the trans and non-binary wave has not only found its way into all contemporary cultural discourses in the form of characters, plots and authors; it has also crept into new theoretical and methodological tools for their analysis and study. 

To speak of trans and non-binary culture is, undeniably, to speak of references. But, like visibility, references are a double-edged sword. We need them to know that we exist, and for society to know it, too, to be able to understand and reflect on our lives and experiences, both individual and shared. At the same time, however, their status as references – coupled with their scarcity – somehow makes them examples. They shoulder the burden of representing an entire community, which is why we often criticize those references who represent us poorly. But there is no single way to be trans or non-binary. And the positive and negative coexist in us in a complex way, one that is often far less exemplary than we would like.

For all these reasons, through this selection, we invite you to get to know some of our cultural references with empathy and respect. They have been with us through happy times and sad. We have seen ourselves reflected in them or hated how they acted on all of our behalf. But there they remain, and they continue to tell us stories about who we are, who we want – or do not want – to be and, especially, how society reacts to our existence – and how we would like it to react.