Iconic dating show Blind Date just welcomed its first trans contestant
Ciara is the first-ever trans Blind Date contestant. (Bravo)
Blind Date made history as it introduced viewers to its first-ever trans contestant, Ciara.
When Bravo announced that it was rebooting Blind Date, which originally ran for 10 seasons from 1999 to 2006, it promised that the show would be updated “with diverse couples”.
The series made good on this pledge on Wednesday, February 19, by welcoming Ciara, a trans woman.
Before going on the show, Ciara said she was “very nervous, of course,” telling The Wrap that it had “been a minute” since she’d last been on a date.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said, explaining that the cast and crew had put her at ease.
“I actually, at some point, forgot the cameras were there.
“Everybody was very nice and accommodating and that made me feel very comfortable, so that part was amazing.”
During the episode Ciara went on a date with a cisgender man, Tucker.
She said that as a young trans person, “it would have meant the world” to have seen a match like hers.
“I know we have women like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox who are amazing representation for transgender women… [but I hope the show allows] that door to be open for cisgender men who are trans-attracted to follow.”
While Ciara liked her date, she has since moved to a new city, meaning that they haven’t seen each other.
“[Tucker] had never been on a date with a transgender person and I think he handled that very well.” she said.
New dating app lets trans folks take the lead.
The trans community recently welcomed a new app designed to give trans people a secure dating environment.
While people of all genders and sexualities are welcome on Butterfly, “trans folk take the lead,” developed David Ronald Minns told Metro.
“Trans people on other dating apps either have to send a lot of messages and expect high rejection rates or sit back and wait to be contacted, either scenario is far from ideal,” he said.
As well as offering users 24 gender options and 10 sexuality options with which to identify, Butterfly features an auto-correct feature which prevents people from sending transphobic abuse.
