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Transgender trailblazer Janet Mock makes history with new Netflix deal

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Janet Mock attends FX Networks’ “Pose” season 2 premiere at The Plaza Hotel on June 5 in New York. Mock is achieving another feat with her new Netflix contract, which makes her the first trans person to establish a development deal with a major entertainment studio.

Janet Mock is achieving another feat with her new Netflix contract, which makes her the first trans person to establish a development deal with a major entertainment studio.

The Hawaii-born best-selling author and transgender rights activist made the announcement with a video posted on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead Twitter account on Wednesday.

“This deal is so bonkers. I, of course, will be writing and directing and developing a few hush-hush projects that I can’t really talk about, but one of them is a half-hour drama and another is a college series. So I’m really excited for that,” the University of Hawaii at Manoa graduate said.

The former People.com editor — also a writer, producer and director of FX’s hit ballroom culture drama series “Pose” — recently signed on to direct an episode of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series “The Politician” — described as a darkly comic show starring “Dear Evan Hanson” actor Ben Platt, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange,.

“Worth It,” Tuesday’s episode of “Pose,” was written by Mock.

Her directorial debut for the sixth episode in the buzzy series’ first season is reportedly being considered for an Emmy Award, which will be announced in July.

“This is the first kind of deal of its kind for a trans person, no less a trans woman of color,” she continued in the announcement. “You know 84% of Americans say that they don’t know and or work with a trans person, and so there’s potential now with Netflix’s worldwide audience to introduce millions, hundreds of millions of viewers to trans people and showing people who may not understand us that we can tell our own stories.”

Mock’s deal is a three-year contract that gives Netflix exclusive rights to television projects from her as well as a first-look option on feature films, “Variety” reports.

She will also serve as an executive producer and director on Murphy’s upcoming show “Hollywood” in addition to her other projects.

The college series referenced in the video will be about a young trans woman, but there will also reportedly be a show about New Orleans after slavery was abolished and a “reboot of a classic sitcom.”

There are no details about when any of Mock’s Netflix projects will launch have been released.

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