EDGE Interview: Comedian Ian Harvie Was Terrified at Working with Larry David

EDGE: Talk to us about the continued importance of trans representation, and why it matters even more now.

Ian Harvie: It is lifesaving. We have politicians trying to make who we are illegal. It's easier for someone my age to approach this and say, "I have a right to exist, and I understand that who I am is inarguable." When we have young people who are trying to figure out who they are, and who are exploring their genders, it is deadly that we have people telling them that they are wrong and that there's something wrong with them. We all have the right to exist, to be loved, and to thrive. There should never be a law in place that criminalizes who we are.

Representation matters because it will allow people to see that there is nothing wrong with you. You are just like me. I am a happy, productive, loving, and kind trans person in the world, and we should all be able to live like that, so please stick around and don't give up. Again, it is lifesaving, period.

EDGE: As you continue to get more acting roles, what effect do you hope your characters will have on other trans and gender non-conforming people?

Ian Harvie: As a trans person growing up in Maine, I never saw myself in other people other than the butch moms in Maine. There's a real hardiness in the way they dress – parka vest, hoodie, sweatshirt, and jeans. They visually represented how I wanted to be, in a large way. So, we need representation, because it can save lives, but it also allows us to see ourselves and what's possible.

Trans roles can be great storytelling. If you can see yourself [represented, it] gives you hope beyond just living. When other trans people have seen my comedy, I think they've [discovered an alternative to thinking], "I could never do that because of who I am."

I think when we see trans people in roles that we can identify with even just a little bit, it allows us to see what's possible. I would hope that other trans and non-binary folks out there would watch trans people in trans roles and think, "I can do that, too."

For more on Ian Harvie, visit his web page.