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My unexpected Pride icon: Adriana from The Sopranos fought for acceptance and safety. I can relate

The mob character’s survival was dependent on her achieving a standard of femininity – and as a trans woman, I empathise. When her body fell short, her protection disappearedI have never been excited about fancy dress, but when I received the invitation to a Sopranos-themed party a couple of months ago, I knew immediately who I wanted to go as: Adriana La Cerva. As a transgender woman, I empathised deeply with Adriana. I loved her wit, naivety, garish glamour and scandalous moments – the same reason I admire so many of the women in my trans community. Just look to Hunter Schafer or Alex Consani if you want a masterclass in all the above.Some of Adriana’s one-liners – “If you think I’m gonna blow this guy for your sick purposes, you are sadly mistaken” – contain the sort of lewd, campy bravado of a ballroom queen. This is not the aspiration of gender transition, of course. But it does approximate to some of the ways trans women respond to their exclusion by a culture that expects women to be respectable, polite and discreet about their sexualities. Continue reading...

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