NEWS Tyra Banks ready to name America’s next top ‘trans’ model? Angela D'Amboise | August 18, 2008 NEW YORK, NY — Could this be the season America’s Next Top Model scores a Cover Girl contract for a trans woman? On the heels of the judges declaring the first plus size model a winner last season comes news this season will introduce the show’s first transgender contestant. According to Us Weekly, one of the 11th season’s 14 contestants was born male, and the decision to include her in the program is garnering praise from gay rights organizations including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "My cards were dealt differently," 22-year-old Isis told the magazine, though she says she doesn’t necessarily see herself as a role model for the trans community. "I like to help people, but I'm here to follow my dreams," she says. According to Showbiz Spy, GLAAD head Neil Giuliano applauds the move, saying it’s a huge step forward for trans rights. “[This is] an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on television,” he said in a statement. “We applaud Tyra Banks and [TV network] The CW for making this historic visibility of transgender people possible." Isis currently works as a fundraising assistant at a non-profit organization in New York City. – Issued by Gay Link Content Related news What is the history of transsexual surgery?