‘Bachelorette’ Alum Josh Seiter Comes Out as Transgender, Calls for Trans Representation on the Show!
‘Bachelorette’ Alum Josh Seiter Comes Out as Transgender, Calls for Trans Representation on the Show!
Josh Seiter is advocating for a significant shift in The Bachelor franchise, calling for more inclusive representation on the popular dating show.
“It’s great that The Bachelor franchise is finally casting a more diverse group of people (it took long enough) but real progress has not been made until they cast a trans woman lead,” Seiter, 37, expressed through her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, August 13.
Seiter, who was a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette in 2015, publicly came out as transgender in May.
Earlier this week, Seiter revealed the intense backlash she’s faced since coming out, including disturbing death threats.
“I’ve had death threats, people telling me they’re going to hang me, they can’t wait to see me so they can kill me,” the reality star shared in an interview with the Daily Mail on Monday, August 12. “These are all messages I have in my [direct message inbox].”
Seiter explained that, while she’s no stranger to negative comments online, the level of hostility she’s encountered since her announcement has been alarming. “I feel like everyone always has an opinion. Usually, it’s bad. Usually, the people voicing the opinion have a horrible opinion,” Seiter said, noting that she has grown accustomed to dealing with criticism on social media.
“I don’t take life advice from people screaming at me on social media. That’s just never how I’ve lived my life,” Seiter continued. “When I was a male stripper, people were saying nasty things about me. When I did OnlyFans, people said nasty things about me.”
What has been particularly surprising for Seiter, however, is the reaction from within the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Ironically, I’ve actually found that the far left and the LGBTQ community have been some of the most vitriolic and mean towards me throughout all of this,” she claimed. “So that’s a very tough issue for me because I haven’t been met with acceptance, tolerance and open arms like the left loves to preach about.”
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Seiter came out as transgender in May, sharing her journey in an emotional Instagram post.
“I have struggled with my gender identity — and resulting feelings of guilt and shame — for as long as I can remember. I spent the last three decades taking great pains to keep this side private,” Seiter wrote. “I felt I had no choice, given my upbringing in a strictly religious, conservative family. As I’ve gotten older, I have tried my hardest to project the expected image of a strong, masculine son and brother.”
Since coming out, Seiter has been open about her experiences, both positive and negative, as she navigates her new reality. Despite the challenges, she remains committed to advocating for greater inclusivity in mainstream media, including pushing for a transgender lead on The Bachelor.
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Avigail is an Entertainment blogger at All About The Tea, who specializes in The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Potomac. Avigail has a background in marketing. She’s a Brooklynite living in the Bahamas, with a passion for travel, writing, reality TV watching, pop culture and spoken word.