Big Brother contestants in hot water for referring to trans contestant as ‘it’
Contestants on the US version of Big Brother are facing a backlash for referring to a contestant as āitā.
The live feed on Sunday on CBS showed Jason Dent and Cody Nickson, both conestants on Big Brother 19, sitting in a hot tup.
They were joined by Jessica Fraf and Matt Clines.
Discussing Season 17, Graf brought up contestant Audrey Middleton, who was the first out trans contestant.
āShe was the first transgendered cast member,ā Graf says.
Dent asked: āWhat the fuck does that mean ā she was a she?ā
Nickson replied: āIt was a dude dressed up as a womanā.
To which Dent replied: āOkay it was a dudeā.
At that point, Graf said they were āwalking such a thin lineā.
Later on the feed, Graf referred to Middleton using female pronouns, but Dent responded: āOkay but it was a he.ā
Dent later asked: āWas it a he first, or a she first?ā
Clines laughed at that point but said it was problematic that Dent had continually referred to Middleton as āitā.
Middleton responded to the controversy, writing a lengthy post on Twitter.
She said: āYou are not born with emotional intelligence, you are conditioned to have it.
āThe people who lack it are the one who are too afraid to try to understand what value it truly has. If you are someone who is radically opening yourself to things you will live the most purpose-filled life of all.ā
The Washington Blade reports that Nickson, 32, a construction worker, has used the term ātrannyā multiple times this season.
Ramses Soto, another contestant on the show who is openly gay, has not been filmed addressing the issue.
