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Bachelorette star Josh Seiter who now identifies as a woman DEMANDS the franchise cast a transgender lead and says viewers are sick of seeing 'cis white people' on TV
Former Bachelorette star Josh Seiter has called for the franchise to cast a transgender lead on its next season.
Seiter, 37, who came out as a transgender woman in May, told DailyMail.com that it was important for the dating franchise to reflect the diversity of modern America.
'America is changing. 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,' Seiter explained.
The Chicago native, who uses she/her pronouns, said she was pleased to see the franchise become more inclusive with the casting of Jenn Tran as the first Asian Bachelorette, and Grant Ellis as the second Black Bachelor, but feels the network still hasn't gone far enough.
'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? I mean, it's good they've decided to finally cast an Asian woman and Black man as leads recently, but where are the trans women and trans men on the show?' Seiter asked.
Former Bachelorette star Josh Seiter, who now identifies as a woman, has called for the franchise to cast a transgender lead on its next season
Seiter briefly appeared on Kaitlyn Bristowe's season of The Bachelorette in 2015
'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 continued.
'Shows with cultural influence like The Bachelor can do so much to make young trans people feel seen and heard, but they have yet to do it.'
Seiter, who currently works as an OnlyFans creator, also stressed the high suicide rates among transgender people as a reason that more representation was so desperately needed.
'It's no wonder suicide rates are so high among trans individuals when all we ever see are heteronormative cis narratives in entertainment,' Josh said.
'We need to start normalizing being transgender and one way we can do that is by portraying our stories on television.'
Seiter also said that she would be interested in stepping into the role as the franchise's first ever transgender Bachelorette.
'I'm not saying I need to be the first female trans lead, although, given the fact my Instagram is one of the most popular pages online and has millions of hits per week, we know the ratings would go up if I was cast in that role,' she boasted.
'[The franchise] has so much power, and with that power should come a certain responsibility to represent ALL people in their storylines; not just average-looking white people with questionable plastic surgery. We can see that on Botched.'
'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?' Josh asked
Josh said that producers casting Jenn Tran (pictured) as the franchise's first Asian-American lead still wasn't enough to reflect America's diverse population
Seiter then stressed that she wanted the transgender community to be an inspiration for the young children across the country.
'At the end of the day, I want to live in an America where an eight-year-old child assigned male at birth who is struggling feels safe enough to tell his parents that he wants to change his gender. But that won't happen until we stop hiding our trans population on television and start sharing the spotlight with them,' she said.
Seiter announced her plans to transition to a woman back in May.
While fans were initially supportive of the 38-year-old's decision, some have since questioned her intentions and accused the reality star of 'trolling' for attention.
Seiter, who was caught up in a death hoax last year, raised eyebrows in her gender journey by refusing to shave her body hair and claiming that she felt 'more feminine' when she wasn't wearing a wig.
Seiter announced her plans to transition to a woman back in May
The former male stripper is pictured before (left) and after (right) transitioning into a woman
Speaking to DailyMail.com about the backlash, Seiter insisted that her transition was the real deal - and said that her haters were just jealous of her gorgeous good looks.
'I am getting lots of hate from the LGBTQ community and people that fancy themselves gatekeepers — despite them preaching about love, tolerance and acceptance,' the former stripper said.
'I find it ironic that a movement that values freedom and charting our own unique path is also one of the most judgmental. I've actually found a lot more support from my conservative friends than my so-called liberal friends.'
Seiter said that she was largely unfazed by the backlash and rampant speculation around her gender identity.
'I think most are just jealous that I am a beautiful trans woman. I noticed I look better than most of the trans women hating on me in my DMs and comments, so I think the hate is just jealousy disguised as concern,' Seiter sniped.
'It's sad my transition has so many people up in arms.'
'We need to start normalizing being transgender and one way we can do that is by portraying our stories on television,' Seiter told DailyMail.com
Seiter first announced her intention to transition on May 20 in an open letter to her 960,000 Instagram followers.
'I have struggled with my gender identity - and resulting feelings of guilt and shame - for as long as I can remember,' she wrote at the time.
'I spent the last three decades trying to keep this side of me private. I felt I had no choice, given my upbringing in a strictly religious, conservative family.'
She went on to share that she had 'projected the image of a strong, masculine son and brother' to the world, but no longer wanted to hide her true self.
While Seiter received an outpouring of support from fans at the time, the tide soon shifted, with many accusing the Bachelorette alum of 'faking' her transition for clout.
'He's (sic) doing it for attention!' one follower raged, while another wrote, 'This has to be a social experiment to see our reactions.'
Another commented, 'If you are no longer a man, start shaving your face. The makeup and beard is not matching at all.'
Since starting her transition, Seiter has not removed her body hair or shaved her face.
'I'm gonna keep it,' she said in a recent video.
'I like my facial and body hair. It makes me feel comforted. It makes me feel soothed. It makes me feel safe. And I like the way it looks.'
Seiter has raised eyebrows in her gender journey by refusing to shave her body hair and claiming that she felt 'more feminine' when she wasn't wearing a wig
In a follow-up video titled 'stop policing women's body hair,' Seiter lashed out at criticism she'd received for sporting a five o'clock shadow.
'It's hair. I decide what I wanna do with it. Newsflash - [cisgender] women have body hair. Trans women have body hair. It's just a matter of what we're gonna do with it and it's nobody's business,' she said.
In another Instagram video, Seiter complained about women's clothing sizes after her muscular, 6ft frame was unable to squeeze into a large woman's blouse.
She also said that it was unfair that she, as a transgender woman, had been forced to pay for dinner while on a date.
'I just want to go on a date and have the man be a gentleman and treat me like a woman,' she said.
Seiter later claimed that she was the victim of transphobic abuse after she used a women's public restroom.