Tim Gunn 'Conflicted' About Trans Models
Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn says he's 'conflicted' about the inclusion of transgender models in fashion campaigns, citing bone structure.

The Advocate | Parker Marie Malloy

In a Huffington Post, interview published Monday, Tim Gunn admitted that he feels "conflicted" about the concept of transgender models. He was responding to a question about a recent campaign from Barneys New York, which features several transgender models.

"The fact that fashion designers would put basically adolescent-shaped boys or men in women's clothes is head-scratching for me because, anatomically, women and men have different shapes," the Project Runway star told HuffPo. "So, to be looking at women's fashion on a tall, skinny guy with no hips, there's no way you can project yourself into those clothes."

Gunn later told the interviewer, "I'm conflicted. On one hand, I don't want to say that because you were a man and now you're a woman, you can't be in a women's fashion show. But I feel it's a dicey issue. The fact of the matter is, when you are transgender — if you go, say, male to female — you're not having your pelvis broken and having it expanded surgically. You still have the anatomical bone structure of a man."

Full article at the link

I used to watch Project Runway on a fairly regular basis.

This is kind of disappointing, to be honest.

Let me add, though, I am really very, very impressed with the comments by Andrej Pejic.

Quote from: Jamie de la Rosa on February 28, 2014, 03:03:01 PM
Tim Gunn 'Conflicted' About Trans Models
Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn says he's 'conflicted' about the inclusion of transgender models in fashion campaigns, citing bone structure.

The Advocate | Parker Marie Malloy

In a Huffington Post, interview published Monday, Tim Gunn admitted that he feels "conflicted" about the concept of transgender models. He was responding to a question about a recent campaign from Barneys New York, which features several transgender models.

"The fact that fashion designers would put basically adolescent-shaped boys or men in women's clothes is head-scratching for me because, anatomically, women and men have different shapes," the Project Runway star told HuffPo. "So, to be looking at women's fashion on a tall, skinny guy with no hips, there's no way you can project yourself into those clothes."

Gunn later told the interviewer, "I'm conflicted. On one hand, I don't want to say that because you were a man and now you're a woman, you can't be in a women's fashion show. But I feel it's a dicey issue. The fact of the matter is, when you are transgender — if you go, say, male to female — you're not having your pelvis broken and having it expanded surgically. You still have the anatomical bone structure of a man."

Full article at the link

Tim Gunn is a fool, he doesn't even belong or function in the higher echelon of fashion - that's what kinda makes this statement even worse; he's for the masses and general public. Because of his 'reach' he is spreading a message that it's okay to critique and scrutinize the trans community in relation to fashion. I personally don't care for him and never have, his only credential is that he 'reinvigorated' Parsons. He's not a revolutionary or inspirational person. The people in fashion who matter are not transphobic; i.e Jean Paul Gaultier, Riccardo Tisci, Thierry Mugler (back in the day) all embrace/d trans models. This guy is a garish television entertainer; not a Diana Vreeland or Carine Roitfeld so I really don't give a damn! Andrej is an intelligent and insightful person did an amazing job addressing him.

OK, why on earth would it matter if a model is cis or trans?   All that should matter is whether she makes the clothes look amazeballs or not.  Some of us are conventionally beautiful and fill the clothes out nicely.   Chromosomes shromosomes.

This is just his opinion and I dont take it too seriously. I bet if he was not told in advanced about half the trans models, he probably would not know if they were trans or CIS and to him they would just be another "acceptable" runway model. So then the question becomes, once he finds out, does his opinion of them change...or does he become "conflicted".