Model, actress, and designer Isis King may have been born biologically male, but ever since childhood she knew she was woman. Establishing a transgender identity does not come easy though, and at 23, Isis was homeless, living at a New York City LGBT shelter. After finding work as a background model for an America’s Next Top Model photo shoot, host Tyra Banks took an interest in her, and asked Isis be a part of the show’s next season. Within months, Isis was in the national spotlight as the first transgender contestant on Top Model, and she has used her platform to follow her dreams ever since – attending college for fashion design, expanding her modeling and acting career, and serving as an activist …
Model, actress, and designer Isis King may have been born biologically male, but ever since childhood she knew she was woman. Establishing a transgender identity does not come easy though, and at 23, Isis was homeless, living at a New York City LGBT shelter. After finding work as a background model for an America’s Next Top Model photo shoot, host Tyra Banks took an interest in her, and asked Isis be a part of the show’s next season. Within months, Isis was in the national spotlight as the first transgender contestant on Top Model, and she has used her platform to follow her dreams ever since – attending college for fashion design, expanding her modeling and acting career, and serving as an activist for transgender people everywhere.
Struggling for acceptance
With all the recent attention on Caitlyn Jenner, the transgender community has been in the spotlight like never before. But there is still a long way to go when it comes to acceptance and visibility for those with a little less star power. “There have been 17 murders of trans people of color in 2015 alone,” says Isis, “and there are just not a lot of opportunities for trans women of color in general.” Trans women of color have “usually no privilege” says Isis, and often have had troubled upbringings. “When you’re ostracized, when you’re kicked out of the house when you’re young, it can be difficult to find opportunity,” says Isis. Some women resort to sex work, a “dangerous profession” that unfortunately is the only job many ostracized transgender women can get. Progress is still a process; Isis implores that we are “trying to create more opportunities to make the world easier and safer for transgender women”.
Watch the rest of the interview with Isis King here
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