The presence of gays and lesbians has become more frequent in mainstream TV. But are audiences really ready for transgender characters?

While Rebecca Romijn is portraying a male-to-female transgender character on the hit show "Ugly Betty," the soap opera "All My Children" is taking the biggest leap. In November, the show launched its first transgender character, Zoe, who received so much positive viewer response that the show has decided to feature a scene where Zoe attends a support-group gathering of six other transgender people sharing their personal stories in a rare, unscripted format. The episode is expected to air March 9.

"I feel really privileged to be part of this project because I think it's extremely powerful because so many people watch it," said David Harrison, an actor who is expected to be part of the support group. "The potential is enormous to help not only trans people coming out, but their families," he said in a statement.

Executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers said the episode will represent an important moment. "The audience will be given the rare opportunity, along with Zoe, to experience the real, unscripted stories and issues experienced by real transgender men and women playing themselves. We are very proud to showcase their compelling stories," he said in a statement.

Since Zoe's introduction, other TV networks have embraced transgender-character roles, including "Ugly Betty" and "The L Word," and FX recently announced the new series "4 oz.," about a male sportscaster's transition. Outside of the small screen, film-production companies have successfully tackled transgender issues with films such as the Oscar-nominated "Transamerica" featuring Felicity Huffman, star of "Desperate Housewives," where she steps out of her character as the practical, supportive and overworked mom and into another as a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)'s Entertainment media director, Damon Romine, said in a statement, "There will never be acceptance of an issue without visibility, and it's these kinds of representations of the transgender community that will ultimately make the unfamiliar familiar."

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