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)
