GenderLife Forum: The Information Exchange

Tyra Banks will get a great ratings boost out of this, but I think it's positive if the contestant is treated the same as everyone else. It also shows that trans people can be normal and yes . . . pretty. Opinions?


Top Model’ to feature transgender contestant

. . . "Tyra Banks is known for breaking down walls in the world of modeling, and the supermodel-turned-television mogul is at it again — this time doing something she’s never done in the previous 10 cycles of “America’s Next Top Model,” adding a transgender contestant." . . .

Full article here -> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26183073/

nothing about models is normal

As with modeling in general, I think too much adoration is given to a certain "look" while everyone else get's marginalized. Plus, I can already hear people voicing support for the "model-beautiful" TS woman, but no support or worse for the rest of us who struggle just to appear remotely female. I hope I'm wrong, but that is already society's opinion toward genetic women (look beautiful or go hide), so it's the same old story.

What an awesome post! That thought hadn't even occurred to me, but it rings so very true.

I have heard this comment in the past about a transitioned woman:

"Well of course he was supposed to be a woman, look how beautiful he is."

I know the pronouns are wrong, that was how the comment was made.

There was one in The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency show, Claudia, and she was treated quite badly.

Here some clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGmyAXLdkL0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-YUfBq0FO4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqqnDreKCYM

She was used, and shown very little respect.

It's a fact that good-looking people, trans or not, are treated differently than others. I don't think that those who transition young and have the advantage of not being poisoned by testosterone should be looked at with disdain. Beautiful is beautiful. Trans or not.

I also don't think that because some people are better looking than others that anyone should have to 'go and hide.'

Many people are beautiful on the inside or have other traits that stand out as outstanding.

I hope that the press is good for this show. I don't think there's anything wrong with putting a 'pretty face' on our community. Much better than a guy with a beard gender-bending in a dress demanding bathroom rights.

Like someone once said "don't hate the player, hate the game"

Major cudos to Tyra for even taking this step in the first place and I totally 1000000000% agree with Jillian, there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with putting a pretty face on our community.

I for one will be rooting for Isis lock stock and barrel!!!
Get'm girl!!!

Shows like this are a soap opera. They're scripted ahead of time. People go into them, and take them seriously. They look at them as a chance. I personally loved the way that singer from Federal Way made a mockery out of American Idol -- he couldn't sing a lick, but his outlandish outfits kept him in the game.

Tyra seems to be one of the better ones. Janice Dickenson was an asshole. Of course that was her role on her show. Claudia took it as an opportunity. Being treated like she was at the end she has to consider the source. As soon as Janice opened her mouth I hated her, in the first screen, before she even mentioned the word "trans..." She's the kind of person I cannot stand.

Personally, I know beauty works. I'm one of the lucky ones. Being attractive does get one treated differently. Put attractive with a brain and it's scary for others. I see nothing wrong with putting a pretty face forward. People make a living with a pretty face. So what? It's business.

So will she make it on Tyra's show? Who knows?

Ah yes, Sanjaya went a level above them and outplayed them at their own game. Too bad he believed his own hype and left crying.

It's great to have pretty faces representing us out there. My only concern is that those a-hole producers don't care about people's feelings, and less when it's someone they use only for ratings, as was the case with Claudia.

Plus they earn more.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/08/news/funny/beautiful_money/