When Glee premiered, the show quickly became known for celebrating differences. The cast was full of teenagers from all different orientations, identities, and backgrounds, each navigating their own struggles with self-expression. Yet very few characters represent the struggle for self-expression as powerfully as Unique (Wade) Adams. Sandercock explains that while Glee gave transgender youth visibility, but it also put limits on how they could be portrayed, celebrating them while still keeping them safe for mainstream audiences. Unique’s journey shows the process of the progress and also the restrictions of that visibility.
In early episodes, Wade is seen as talented but misunderstood. Performing as Unique gave Wade the confidence to express his femininity and gender identity, but other characters felt uncomfortable with the way he chose to express himself. In the episode “Saturday Night Glee-ver,” Kurt (another character) misread her gender, assuming she was a gay man dressing in drag, treating her femininity as a performance. However, as her story progresses, Unique becomes more confident in her gender identity, navigating the challenges of intimacy, and expressing her desires in ways that move beyond stereotype. Johnson explains this as transnormativtity: the idea that transgender people are only accepted when they act or look a certain way. Unique is visible, but only when she fits into those limits.
Unique’s struggle for acceptance continues when she is longing for romantic connection. She created an online profile, under the name Katie, to connect with a fellow student. Katie is presented as a thin, white, cisgender woman, the ideal woman society deems as desirable. For Unique, Katie became a way of accessing intimacy she believes is otherwise unobtainable. Sandercock observed how Glees’ handling of this situation was complicated. Online the character chatting with Katie explains that he accepts Unique’s choices while simultaneously misgendering and judging her offline. While the show critiques prejudice, Unique never experiences a real relationship on screen. In real life, storylines like Unique’s, can create unrealistic expectations about attractiveness and desirability. Glee’s representation suggests that people must look or behave in a certain way to be loved or accepted. This can be damaging, creating insecurity, or self-doubt in viewers who feel they cannot meet those ideals, while also supporting ideas about what counts as normal or acceptable in relationships and other social interactions. This showed that while the show had good intentions, it was limited by what was considered appropriate for a teen audience.
A big turning point for Unique’s character was in her performance of “If I Were a Boy,” by Beyonce. This performance showed vulnerability and honesty. Situmorang and colleagues explained that Beyonce’s lyrics showcase emotional contrast to critique the unfairness of gender double standards. The line “I’d listen to her,” shows how women’s voices are often ignored. In the case of Beyonces lyrics to be heard is to be seen, showing interest in someone else’s story makes them feel respected and validated. However, Unique used Beyonce’s lyrics “I’d listen to her,” as a way to express her feelings about wanting to be her true self instead of continuing to push her down inside. Unique interpreted the lyrics as a way to show her struggles as a black transgender teen who just wanted to be seen and understood. This performance was one of the first times Unique was treated as a character with depth instead of someone who is different. After that, Unique gains more confidence and stands up against transphobia. Even as Unique becomes stronger, the show does not let her story line fully exist outside of the audience’s comfort zones.
Unique Adams story shows why representation matters. She starts off misunderstood and ends up confident in her identity. Her performances show the emotional importance of living authentically in a world the resists change, moving beyond stereotype and giving audiences a window into the lived experience of a Black transgender teen. Unique’ story is limited by the show’s constraints, avoiding full romantic experiences, unwilling to push past the audience’s comfort zones. Unique’s presence on Glee was important because it created room for transgender characters to be seen as complex and rather than just falling into common stereotypes. Her story shows that visibility along with authenticity can transform differences into empowerment. This tells viewers that identity is valid on its own, and it does not exist for the comfort of others.
Bibliography
Glee. “The End of Twerk.” Season 5, episode 5. Directed by Wendey Stanzler. Aired November 14, 2013, on Fox.
Glee. “Saturday Night Glee-ver.” Season 3, episode 16. Directed by Bradley Buecker. Aired April 17, 2012, on Fox.
Johnson, Austin. “Transnormativity: A New Concept and Its Validation through Documentary Film About Transgender Men.” Sociological Inquiry 86 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12127
Sandercock, Tom. “Transing the Small Screen: Loving and Hating Transgender Youth in Glee and Degrassi.” Journal of Gender Studies 24, no. 4 (August 1, 2015). https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2015.1021307
Situmorang, N. F., L. P. S. Sibarani, F. V. Simbolon, R. Kerwin, and R. Rangkuti. “Gender, Power, and Emotion: A Feminist Stylistic Analysis of Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were a Boy.’” J-LELC: Journal of Language Education, Linguistics, and Culture 5, no. 2 (2025) https://doi.org/10.25299/j-lelc.2025.22220
colby konig
Ila’s analysis of Unique from the Glee movie was intriguing. She discussed how Unique was not necessarily accepted unless she was put into a stereotypical box that did not accurately describe her. Although, she did not critically analyze nor describe two different versions of the character. She talked about how Glee was trying to give younger transgender people some spotlight in the show, but somewhat took away because they showed that she would not be accepted unless she hid her true identity. She talked about how Unique did make another character essentially, but that made it separate from Unique. It is not an example of how she would be perceived – rather a direct example of how she was perceived when she made a fake profile. She focused on Unique creating an online profile behind a new name, with characteristics such as white, cisgender, thin female, which then got her the attention that she was looking for. She did utilise scholarly sources as well as a non scholarly source, providing balance and direct examples from the show. I think that she missed the point of comparing if she would be viewed differently in the movie if her gender, race or sexuality, rather than giving essentially a new character that had already been created in the Glee movie. I think that she could have used a picture of the character “Katie” to better describe her example, rather than two photos of Unique. Overall, Ila’s idea was great and produced interest and thought from the readers.
Football prediction
This analysis of Unique is spot-on, though perhaps a bit too gentle on Glees limits. Calling her story limited feels almost *transnormative* of itself, given how much it accomplished! Its hilarious to imagine the network fretting about pushing comfort zones while Unique was literally *defining* resistance. The articles witty assessment of Glees clumsy acceptance is spot-on – like, Yes, we accept you… now go perform If I Were a Boy for us. But kudos to the show for giving Unique that stage, even if it was within those awkward teen bounds. The analysis captures the sweet, fierce complexity of her journey well.