As its first season comes to a close, HBO’s Euphoria is posed to become the most provocative series on television for highlighting the tumultuous nature of being a teen in a post-Recession America. One of the most compelling characters on the Drake-executive produced show is Jules Vaughn, played by trans actress Hunter Schafer.
Jules, the new kid at East Highland, is introduced to us at a house party gone awry when she runs into the school’s jock, Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi). Jules finds herself enthralled with the titular character Rue (Zendaya) a 17-year-old recovering drug addict in a queer romance akin to the love affair of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. In addition to the dynamics of their friendship and how addiction affects intimacy, Jules is also trying to navigate dating apps, bullying, and identity.
Ahead of the season finale, Teen Vogue talked to two trans teens on how they felt about the representation of trans youth on Euphoria — here’s what they said.
“Jules is absolutely one of my favorite characters on television right now,” Clementine Narcisse, a 15-year-old trans girl says, “before the show started I was worried because a lot of transgender characters in the media are represented horribly, but I was blown away by her portrayal.”
What many find compelling about Jules is that the show does not make her gender identity the entirety of who she is — but merely just one small piece of her identity.
Clementine agrees adding that she loves how the show portrays Jules as a normal teenage girl. “She’s introduced as Jules, not as the trans girl, but just a new girl who happens to be transgender. She’s clearly a positive force of energy for Rue.” Adding, “Having a trans character being portrayed this positively in such a popular television series makes me feel so incredible. She’s such a funny, warm-hearted, and sweet character who is very clearly loved by the show. Also, she gives me a lot of great outfit ideas, so that’s always a plus.”
Seventeen-year-old viewer Zoe shares that although she likes Jules, the audience should remember Jules comes from a privileged background. “I don’t think the show acknowledges Jules is very privileged for a trans woman,” she says. “She’s white, skinny, conventionally attractive, and passes well. She also was able to transition at 13 and have a safe place to live, and this is not the reality for many trans teens, including myself.”
Under the current guidelines of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, hormone replacement therapy is reserved for children 16 and older, while puberty blockers are typically used for those under 16. Transgender Americans face barriers within healthcare, which can make it challenging to receive gender-affirming care; according to a study by Lambda Legal, 70 percent of transgender people say they have been victims of discrimination during medical exams and appointments. Over a quarter of all transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents (almost 27 percent) reported being denied care.
Zoe says that although she doesn’t feel Jules has directly helped with her own transition, “it feels good to know I’m not alone and see a representation of young trans women on TV.”
Ahead of the series premiere last month, Zendaya took to Instagram to warn viewers of the shows graphic content. “Just a reminder before tonight’s premiere, that Euphoria is for mature audiences,” wrote Zendaya. “It’s raw and honest portrait of addiction, anxiety and the difficulties of navigating life today. There are scenes that are graphic, hard to watch and can be triggering.”
Zoe says that she had to stop watching the latest episode as the scene where Nate printed Jules nudes to blackmail her, caused her to have a panic attack. “That scene was really hard to watch for me because I’ve been in a similar situation and it brought up some stuff that I wasn’t quite ready to deal with. It’s hard for me to see another trans girl going through that stuff, even though I know it’s fictional.” Adding, “I’ve been in situations similar to Jules, being stalked and harassed online. It’s just hard to deal with stuff like that for me.”
Perhaps the relationship between Jules and Rue, in whatever iteration, is the most compelling aspect of the show. Clementine says that she loves the way Euphoria handles their bond with “so much love and empathy.”
“Euphoria is one of my favorite shows on air at the moment,” says Clementine, “I’m very excited to see what direction they take these characters.”