“ANTM” contestant Kyle McCoy opened up about queer equality and the annoying criticism she gets all the time

While it’s great that reality shows like America’s Next Top Model have become more diverse, apparently it’s also causing some conflict — particularly amongst queer participants who want to represent their non-generic gender category, but aren’t being given a proper opportunity.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, gender-queer ANTM eliminee Kyle McCoy talks about queer equality.

She emphasizes how even though she was there to represent her community in a positive light, she wasn’t welcomed with open arms.

"I got a lot of pushback from both the judges and the viewers with regard to similarities they saw between myself and Ruby Rose, who’s obviously a prominent androgynous figure in the media. I was told and have been told online, “There’s already a Ruby Rose; we don’t need you."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOxaORcDU_F

She goes on to explain the absurdity of that thought process, and makes an excellent point. “That, to me, is silly, because we have so many male and female models who share looks and and other similarities, but nobody says, “We already have a blonde model” or “We already have a male model.” 

True diversity means having as many representations of different groups as possible, so the idea that only one gender queer participant should be showcased makes no sense.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN5ETgIj3_7

We’re glad that McCoy spoke up about her experiences, and hope that it reminds the fashion industry that diversity does NOT mean including a “token” representative among a sea of homogeneity, nor should it be assumed that all gender queer people are the same.