B&B Maya Avant’s Transgender Storyline

It’s been weeks since Maya’s little sister Nicole has shown up on Maya’s doorstep. Ever since she has arrived she has been threatening Maya with telling Rick a secret so big that it will change everything. Rick has praised Maya countless times by saying she is the only woman who has ever truly been honest with Rick. Nicole knows this is a lie and that Rick truly does not know everything about Maya. After weeks of anticipation and buildup, Nicole finally confronts Maya about why she left home all those years ago, why her parents acted as if Maya was never there, and why Maya neglected Nicole and never reached out to her. It’s because…wait for it…. Maya was actually Nicole’s brother, Myron!

What the heck?!

I did not see this transgender twist coming. I actually laughed out loud when Nicole called Maya by her birth name Myron. I know it was supposed to be a serious moment but it just reminded me of all those times Caroline would call Maya Merna and every other name except her actual one. I could just not take the ending of the show seriously and was actually left quite confused. At first I thought this may have been a nightmare Maya was having but it has been confirmed by both Brad Bell Jr. and Karla Mosley (the actress who plays Maya), that this storyline is real and is going full steam ahead. In fact Bell gave an interview to Us Weekly saying that Maya's transgender story is a love story.

In the same interview Karla Mosley also added:

                                                                               

"I didn't expect daytime to be taking on a story like this. As someone who is an artist and an activist I know how important trans issues are — how it's life and death for people at this point. The more that we in Hollywood can help people to understand what it is to be transgender, what that experience might be like for someone, and just to normalize it, I think we have the possibility of really changing some hearts and lives. I think that that's probably part of why they came to me with this — in addition to the fact that it really fits Maya's story in this kind of amazing way that no one could've ever predicted, I think that they also knew that I would be totally ready and willing to talk about these things in an open way."

I can see why Bell is trying to push the envelope and create storylines that are different but also have important social issues. Kudos to Bell to try and develop a story that is relevant to today’s society, however I have some concerns. Maya Avant’s transgender storyline is already creating a lot of buzz and controversy. I have no issues with a transgender storyline itself and I believe Karla Mosley has the talents to deliver a great story, however I’m not sure if the writing is there. I’m not sure if the writing team has what it takes to give this type of story justice. Bell can either deliver a great storyline or totally drop the ball. The story needs to be very carefully written. I already see inconsistencies with the character of Maya that I’m curious to see how they will explain. When we were first introduced to Maya, she was a woman fresh out of jail looking for her daughter. She has always mentioned she did not come from a privileged family. Then how was she able to afford the surgeries and procedures to become and look like a woman? How did she carry a baby to term or was the baby adopted? The baby being adopted doesn't make sense since we've already seen scenes with Maya and the baby’s father shortly after she was released from prison. How could she have been with both Carter and Rick multiple times, and not either one of them suspects something different or unusual? At the very least Maya should at least have a few scars and blemishes from her procedures?

A lot of viewers are voicing their opinions about the story and saying it is not daytime material. Some say Bell is out of his mind and is delusional by thinking he can try and use his soap to educate viewers about transgender issues. People tune in to watch soaps as a guilty pleasure to see romance, drama, and catfights with their favorite characters. If they wanted to be educated regarding certain matters, they would not tune in to a daytime soap opera for that purpose. It seems there are more people against the story then for it, but it is still too early to tell what direction the storyline will go in and the reaction from the fans. 

We want to hear your opinion on Maya’s story. Do you like the direction the character is headed in? Why or why not? Do you think Bell and his writing team has what it takes to deliver a good love story or do you think it will fall completely flat? Share your opinions and thoughts below.