Transgender 'Top
Model' Contestant Booted Off Show

Willowy model Isis King, who gained notoriety for being the first transgender woman to compete on America's Next Top Model, was eliminated from Tyra Banks's reality competition on Wednesday night.

Banks and her three fellow judges decided King had to go after too many uninspiring photo shoots and catwalk sessions. King's last photo shoot required her to wear a bikini, which made her noticeably uncomfortable. The 22-year-old handled her elimination with grace, but was clearly sad to leave the show. King was the fifth contestant (out of 14 finalists) to leave Top Model, currently in its 11th season.

King -- a pre-operative transgender woman -- endured mocking from some of the contestants, support from others. Her inclusion on the popular show -- airing on the CW network, whose viewer demographic skews younger than most networks -- was seen as a breakthrough in transgender acceptance. Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, called King's position on the show an "unprecedented opportunity." (Neal Broverman, The Advocate)