'Glee' Season 6 Spoilers: Coach Beiste Will Be 'Coming Back As Sheldon' For Final Episodes As She Makes Transition [VIDEO]
Fox's Glee is taking on another LGBT storyline for its final season now that Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) has come out as transgender.
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Beiste made the announcement to Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Sue (Jane Lynch) in the latest episode of Glee, titled Jagged Little Tapestry. The coach is changing her name from Shannon Beiste to Sheldon Beiste, going about the transition of becoming a man.
Jones recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the storyline, saying that she will be back near the middle of the season.
"I'm out for the next three or four episodes and come back, I think in episode six," she revealed. "In this episode, I talk about what my next steps are and what I'm having done, so when I come back it's after all of that and I'm coming back as Sheldon."
There will be more scenes ahead with Beiste, Sue and Sam, according to Jones.
"We have some great scenes coming up with Chord and Jane. If anything, as it is in life, all we want is to be accepted and for people to appreciate us for who we are - in makeup and out of makeup," she noted. "I hope it opens up some eyes and hearts."
Issues of trans identity have become more and more prevalent in today's culture, particularly with the recent suicide of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn. Yet there have been more shows dedicated to portraying these issues in a complex way, from Netflix's Orange Is the New Black to Amazon Prime's Transparent.
Jones offered words of encouragement to kids battling with this issue.
"Even for kids who are scared to come out: Talk to somebody," she advised. "And if nobody will listen, you keep on until you find somebody who will listen. I just hope people take tonight's show with an open heart and come away with a full heart."
Glee airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
Watch the promo for the next episode of Glee here:
