A former contestant on wants a transgender lead for the reality TV franchise. Josh Seiter, who came out as transgender in May and now identifies as a woman, believes the dating show should better reflect the diversity of today’s society. “America is changing,” Seiter, who uses she/her pronouns, told the .
“It’s not just a bunch of middle-aged cis white people anymore, and the LGBTQIA community makes up a large portion of our country now. Yet we’ve seen zero representation for trans women and men on the franchise,” she explained. While Seiter lauded the casting of current Bachelorette Jenn Tran and Grant Ellis in the next season of , she still thinks the network can do better.
“How is the show a staple of Americana and our broader culture if they are leaving out the same individuals that make this country so unique and vibrant?” Seiter asked. “I mean, it’s good they’ve decided to finally cast an Asian woman (Tran) and Black man (Ellis) as leads recently, but where are the trans women and trans men on the show?” Seiter continued: “There’s so many young trans individuals who don’t see any representation when they turn on the television and I think that’s a shame.” She added: “Shows with cultural influence like can do so much to make young trans people feel seen and heard, but they have yet to do it.
” Seiter, now an OnlyFans creator, said that she wouldn’t mind stepping into the role of the first transgender Bachelorette if producers want.