Is the Public More Comfortable with Transgendered People?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ieLG2Wrqew

To piggyback off of snughyun's post, there is an American model named Isis King who actually appeared on the popular TV show America's Next Top Model. The above link is a YouTube video I found of Isis's second appearance on the Tyra Show, hosted by Tyra Banks (which is the same host for America's Next Top Model).

In our class discussion, we touched on the question of if transgendered people are now more widely accepted in society. Comparing Tyra's interview with Isis King to Oprah's interview with Thomas Beatie, it's obvious that Tyra is quite comfortable in talking with Isis. In fact, the first time Isis was on the show, Tyra surprised her with introducing Isis to a doctor that was willing to perform on Isis a sex-change surgery, which has was a long-term dream of Isis's. In observing the audience, the people are in a standing ovation for Isis, rather than having jaw-dropping countenances.

Isis was quite was quite successful on America's Next Top Model and will be appearing in the All-Star season. I found her success inspiring in that in a model industry, where the appearance of femininity is valued the most, Isis has been able to break that mold, and has many supporters/fans. Therefore, I think that on a whole, we as a culture are becoming more progressive in accepting transgendered people Furthermore, we even deem it as beautiful.

Another aspect that I found intriguing was that Isis also has a boyfriend. This was also similar to Thomas Beatie and his wife Nancy because Isis boyfriend also knew Isis as a male before the sex-change. I thought it was touching to hear him talk about his love for her, because he saw past her physical body and loved her for her personality. Just like the Beaties, Isis and her boyfriend also consider themselves as a heterosexual couple. The bottom line is that it didn't matter what the physical body type was, the couples loved each other disregarding that they had the same sex organs as each other.

Seeing another transgendered person put themselves out there in the eyes of the public with supporters makes me believe that we are on the right track to accepting people who are different from the "norm."