Transgender Contestant Makes “Top Model” Cast

Isis - www.msnbc.msn.com

Top-rated reality TV show “America’s Next Top Model”, is set to make TV history with the inclusion of a transgender contestant for its 11th cycle.

Isis, a 22-year-old former non-profit worker from Prince George’s County, Maryland, will compete with a host of other pretty faces for a modeling contract and an advertising campaign.

“My cards were dealt differently,” Isis told Us Weekly about herself. Isis, who identifies herself as “a woman born physically male”, also said “I like to help people, but I’m here to follow my dreams”, when asked about being a role model for other people.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) praised the inclusion of Isis in the competition. Neil G. Giuliano, president of the non-profit organization, said in a statement, “The inclusion of Isis on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ offers an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on television. We applaud Tyra Banks and The CW for making this historic visibility of transgender people possible”.

source