Don’t you love when a random piece of news renews your fragmented faith in humanity? That’s precisely how I felt when I learned there’s a Thailand-based modeling agency opening a trans-only branch in LA this summer.
The announcement is just another groundbreaking move by Apple Model Management, who made history last year as the first agency IN THE WORLD to include trans models alongside cisgender models.
“Our strong commitment to developing them as successful models is never about quantifying or qualifying their gender,” explained LA agency director Cecilio Asuncion. “It’s never a question of if they are women or men, it’s about their passion and commitment to being the best possible models they can be.”
Asuncion also happens to be the activist-filmmaker behind critically acclaimed documentary What’s the T?, which chronicles the lives of trans women and their presence in the modeling industry throughout history. Legends like Candy Darling, Octavia Saint Laurent, and Caroline Cossey (Tula), for example, had talent in spades, but failed to reach “their full potential” because of societal stigma.
“This has to change,” Asuncion said.
Hell yes it does. Six models have already signed with Apple, but they’re looking for more! West Coast represent.
Image via The Advocate
Read more at Bust.com:
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