‘Bachelorette’ Star Josh Seiter, Who Came Out As Transgender, Urges Franchise To Cast a Trans Woman Lead

Josh Seiter, a former contestant on The Bachelorette, is advocating for a groundbreaking change within the popular reality TV franchise. Seiter, who publicly came out as transgender in May 2024, has called on The Bachelor franchise to cast a trans woman as the lead, a move she believes would mark a significant step toward true diversity and inclusion.

In an Instagram Story, Seiter, 37, expressed her thoughts on the show’s progress in diversity. “It’s great that The Bachelor franchise is finally casting a more diverse group of people (it took long enough), but real progress has not been made until they cast a trans woman lead,” she wrote.

Seiter, who appeared on season 11 of The Bachelorette in 2015, has faced significant backlash since coming out as transgender. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Seiter revealed the disturbing threats she’s received since her announcement. “I’ve had death threats, people telling me they’re going to hang me, they can’t wait to see me so they can kill me,” she shared, noting that these messages have filled her direct message inbox.

Despite the hostility, Seiter remains resilient, dismissing the negative opinions directed at her. “I don’t take life advice from people screaming at me on social media. That’s just never how I’ve lived my life,” she said. Seiter, who has previously worked as a male stripper and participated in OnlyFans, is no stranger to harsh criticism. However, the intensity of the backlash since coming out has been particularly surprising to her.

What’s more disheartening for Seiter is the lack of support she feels she has received from the LGBTQ community. “Ironically, I’ve actually found that the far left and the LGBTQ community have been some of the most vitriolic and mean towards me throughout all of this,” she claimed. This unexpected response has left Seiter grappling with feelings of isolation, as she had hoped for more acceptance from those who advocate for inclusion and tolerance.

Seiter‘s journey to embracing her true self has been a long and difficult one. In her emotional Instagram post announcing her transition, she shared the internal struggle she faced with her gender identity, which was compounded by the expectations of her conservative upbringing. “I have struggled with my gender identity — and resulting feelings of guilt and shame — for as long as I can remember,” Seiter wrote. “I spent the last three decades taking great pains to keep this side private.”