Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Virginia! I appreciate your perspective.

I think Mock’s script is actually true to Venus’ (and Dorian Corey’s) interpretation of “realness” as fully transitioning and blending in. This is what Aphrodite, her Pose counterpart, does, and to such a degree that she beats Elektra, who is considered the epitome of the “femme realness” category. She then helps Elektra make the decision to fully transition — what Elektra truly wants — even though her boyfriend is against it.

I brought in Mock’s modern interpretation of “realness” not because Venus/Aphrodite embodies it, but because the show is careful not to create a dichotomy between fully transitioned trans women — like Aphrodite and Elektra — as “real” and trans women who have not fully transitioned — like Blanca, Angel, and Candy — as “fake” or “deceptive.” In other words, Aphrodite’s definition of womanhood is not every character’s definition of womanhood. One of the pluses of the show is that each character’s story is nuanced and there is no “cookie cutter” trans or queer experience.

I would love to hear more about your observation that the stories of transsexuals in the Paris is Burning era and before are being lost. For younger generations, “transsexual” has become a dated word — offensive even — and I think this sense of transsexual history/people as being outdated contributes to the erasure you speak of.