I predict that Tyra will handle it in the following way:

Isis will be kept around for four or five episodes, just long enough for the other girls to make a spectacle of her and complain about how unfair the rule change is.
Then Tyra will claim to know what it's like to be a transgendered person, having spent some time around Isis.
Once Isis is kicked off, Tyra will have a heart-to-heart with the other girls and attempt to show them what compassion and understanding is, since they will have utterly failed to show any towards Isis.

Aaaand done!

WOW.

While on the one hand, I mean, MAN what a huge step this is for television, whatever the reasons behind it (which I'm sure are far from progressive) -- for us to be in a place where the MSM is going to start (on some level at least) acknowledging ALL women as women, even those born with the "wrong" genitalia -- MAN how awesome.

On the other hand, cynically, I'm almost positive this is a stunt for publicity, which will be squeezed out til the last drop by capturing the other girls saying the most callous, immature, offensive things possible about poor Isis.

Btw, her picture is adorable. I hope she wins!

The show could go the other direction and make her (and trans women) look horrible. The media isn't inherently geared towards accepting trans people. I mean, there are only a few examples in recent television history where trans women have been portrayed as anything other than sex workers.

And that "MAN" crap is annoying, mean, and unbelievable juvenile. You can disagree, but at least do it in a respectful manner.

I agree with The Law Fairy. I hope it is a step forward for transexuals instead of just exploitation by mainstream media, you know, like "Oh I know what will raise ratings, let's get one of THEM!" And I am very curious how the cissexual contestants will act [very curious=very much dreading, but hey, maybe they will impress us all].

I want so badly to believe this is going to go well. I will, out of sheer idealistic sentiment, reserve judgment until I see the episodes [I will be watching it just for this, as stupid as that probably sounds] but I am realistically not very hopeful.

I hope the contestants and judges of ANTM can bring themselves to act with the kind of class and compassion that they have honestly never showed in the past. I hope Isis is a wonderful, nice person who isn't being used as a "character" [which is essentially what the contestants are] to portray transpeople in a negative light. I am not gonna hold my breath, though.

This is my first comment here as I just came across the site.

I'm a transwoman who transitioned, ironically enough, at about the same age that Isis (real name?) is presently. I had some minor (nothing near the magnitude of ANTM) opportunities in the fashion industry which I rejected.

I guess more than anything else I'm distrubed. Sure the inclusion of a trans person might be described as progress. And I would say being depicted as a potential next great model is slightly better than the usual transwoman portrayal as a serial killer or perhaps a sex worker.

However, what I still see is the same commodification of women's bodies for public and commerical consumption. While I support the right of self-determination for all women of course, I'm left wondering: is this really progress for trans people? Will anyone look at trans women and trans people any different (well, other than as objects of course) ? Will it do anything to change predominate attitudes towards trans people? I guess it brings up a lot of issues.

What we won't see on this show though I suspect is any real and substantial discussion of issues, dangers, and challenges that trans women and other trans people face. Rather it will be the token trans person/performer which isn't much different than the token african-american or any member of a number of oppressed groups participating in a corporate show/event, for which a serious discussion of their communities relevant and pressing issues never occurs.

And that "MAN" crap is annoying, mean, and unbelievable juvenile. You can disagree, but at least do it in a respectful manner.

... Carasande, was that directed at me? The word was capitalized for emphasis -- I wasn't really thinking about the word itself so much as using it as an expression ala hot damn, etc. Which, frankly, should have been obvious given the rest of my comment and the fact that I also capitalized "wow" and "all."

ANTM loves to make plotlines out of stories like this, out of what the consider "uncoventional" beauties taking beautiful pictures, or models who've had to overcome obstacles. There was Fatima, the girl from Somalia who'd had female genital mutilation, and there was Heather, the girl with Asberger's. Once they had a photo shoot that was supposed to deal with homelessness, and it was the girl dressing up in expensive, high fashion "homeless" clothes in on a sort of dark set. But those girls never win; they're just an easy way for the producer to create a plotline and plenty of heartwarming interviews and tearful moments, and an especially dramatic episode when they are eliminated. This certainly isn't progress because they're certain to make it into gimmick, a manufactured plotline. However, I have to stay that ANTM is still one of my un-feminist guilty pleasures. It's just so ridiculous that I can't help but enjoy watching it.

Unfortunately I think this is going to be a publicity stunt. Yes I admit it, I've seen pretty much every season, it's my mind numbing un-feminist guilty pleasure :) However, in almost EVERY season there is the "girl that looks like a tranny" (their words, not mine.) Literally every season there are pictures, where in that judging room the judges speak about how one of the ladies has to "soften their tranny face" If they've done this in so many future episodes, I don't see how they can be sensitive to the life of a transgendered individual.

I meant *previous* episodes, not future!

In (weak) defense of Tyra, the "plus-sized" model did win Cycle 9, which surprised the crap out of me. I was just assuming she would be brought on for diversity's sake, kept on for a couple of episodes, then kicked off, like usual. I do agree with SarahMC, though. Seems like more of a publicity stunt than actual trans-acceptance. And I totally agree with AntiMatter that there will be a conspicuous lack of any real substantial discussion of the issues faced by transgendered people today.

"Will anyone look at trans women and trans people any different (well, other than as objects of course) ? Will it do anything to change predominate attitudes towards trans people? I guess it brings up a lot of issues."

The only thing I can think of that even approaches a possibility for shifting predominant views of trans women is that she gets counted as a WOMAN. She is competing in a competition that only allows women to compete, which means that those in charge of casting consider her to be a woman. That, to me at least, shows some glimmer of hope; after all, if ANTM viewers have any doubt about whether trans women are "real women," they might re-think it because what Tyra and the producers consider to be women is more inclusive than their own narrow view? Maybe? I can hope?

"In (weak) defense of Tyra, the "plus-sized" model did win Cycle 9, which surprised the crap out of me. I was just assuming she would be brought on for diversity's sake, kept on for a couple of episodes, then kicked off, like usual."

Was she a "plus sized" person in any context other than modeling? [I honestly don't know.] I've noticed that their so-called "plus sized" women are what I would think of as relatively "average" in the people I see day to day.

LlesbianLlama:
You are right to be skeptical about ANTM so called 'plus-size' models. The winner of cycle 10, who was referred to as plus-size was a US dress size 10. I remember years ago, near the beginning of the show, my now ex-bf half-jokingly said I should go on the show (or maybe the Canadian version). I told him that the first time someone told me I was a plus-size model, I'd want to leave. He was shocked to find out that a size 10 is plus-sized to them.