Victoria’s Secret Should Make History By Casting This Transgender Model

Victoria’s Secret isn’t exactly known for inclusivity, but a Change.org petition with over 27,000 signatures is angling to have VS cast transgender model Carmen Carrera as an Angel in their December 10 show. Carrerra, you may remember, gained notoriety on RuPaul‘s Drag Race, where she placed fifth, and then signed with Elite Model Management. An informal poll of my coworkers reveals that Carrera is smokin’ hot, and would make an super sexy Angel.

The petition, started by one Marco Regalado, highlights not only prejudice from outside the LGBT community, but within it, as well. It states that featuring Carrera in a widely publicized, highly visible event ”will help to end femmephobia within the LGBTIQQA community and it will show the entire trans community that you embrace them as your patrons.”

Given that Victoria’s Secret isn’t really one to bow to consumer pressure (a petition to have VS make mastectomy was shot down), I don’t see it as being particularly likely for Carrera to become the first transgender VS Angel, although the visibility of a trans model in such a mainstream venue would be fantastic. Keep in mind that Carrera is not the first trans model to make headlines—Lea T had an Elle Brazil cover and Andrej Pejic (who is mostly known for being androgynous, not trans) had quite a moment, but the VS show would be highly publicized new ground for trans models.

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A quick note about The Daily Mail‘s coverage of this (and yes, I know expecting any integrity whatsoever from The DM is an exercise in futility): how are they so unaware of how to properly refer to transwoman? I’ll let them slide for mentioning that she was “born a boy named Christopher,” because I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that she revealed that information willingly on RuPaul’s Drag Race. But what the hell is this?

While it’s unclear exactly how far along she is in her transition, she wrote on Facebook in March: ‘I have transitioned from male to female. I’ve crossed the finish line. Stop trying to pull me back.’

It’s not The DM‘s damn business where she is in her transition. Are you freaking kidding me? If she says she’s a woman, she’s a woman. What, do they want to get in there a check out her plumbing? Go to hell.