Transgender women have increasingly been receiving gongs this year for roles in sports, acting, modelling and academia – despite a backlash from gender critical campaigners.
Alex Consani was this week honoured as Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in London, ahead of five other women who had been shortlisted for the accolade.
Previous winners included Kate Moss, Georgia May Jagger and Cara Delevingne.
The 21-year-old’s victory comes amid the BFC increasingly shortlisting various fashion names from LGBTQ and other ‘underrepresented’ groups for its awards.
And the decision follows recent controversies relating to the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year prize and the corporation’s 2024 list of the 100 most inspiring women, which included a transgender Colombian scientist.
Orlando Pride and Zambia striker Barbra Banda was named last week as BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, in a public after five nominees were picked by a panel of experts including coaches, players, administrators and non-BBC journalists
While she is not transgender, Banda’s place in the running for the annual prize was still criticised by women’s rights groups because she was previously left out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 by team bosses over allegedly high testosterone levels.
Meanwhile, actress Karla Sofia Gascon became in May this year the first trans woman to be presented with a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.
And this week the BBC included transgender Colombian scientist Brigitte Baptiste on its annual 100 Women list for 2024 – with critics branding the move ‘breathtakingly insulting’.
Award-winning model Consani started modelling in 2015 and is known for having distinctive bleached hair and and eyebrows.
The California-born star wore a ripped Union Flag dress by Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu during the award acceptance speech on Monday.
She used the opportunity to honour black transgender women such as model Connie Fleming who she said ‘really fought for the space that allowed me to flourish today’.
The other fashion stars nominated were British model Alva Claire, Los Angeles-born Amelia Gray, Anok Yai – from South Sudan, Liu Wen, from China and Mona Tougaard – born to Danish-Turkish and Somali-Ethiopian parents.
Yai voiced her support on social media following Consani’s victory after being tipped by many online for the prize herself, having been the second black model after Naomi Campbell to open a Prada show.
The British Fashion Council has said the Model of the Year award ‘recognises the global impact of a model who over the last 12 months has dominated the industry’.
It added: ‘With an influence that transcends the catwalk, the Model of The Year has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, garnering numerous editorial and advertising campaigns throughout the year.’
After being presented with her award by model Ashley Graham and Baby Reindeer actress Nava Mau, Consani said: ‘I am the first trans model to win this award.
‘Now more than ever it’s an important conversation to be had, about how to support and uplift one another in this industry – especially those who have been made to feel insignificant.
‘Because change is more than possible, it’s needed, and this is a step in the right direction.’
Consani previously became, alongside Valentina Sampaio, the first trans model to appear on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last month.
Women’s rights campaigners this week hit out at the naming transgender biologist Brigitte Baptiste on a new BBC list of ‘influential’ females.
Baptiste said in 2018 Ted Talk that a ‘transsexual’ palm tree had been discovered and said the ‘change of sex and gender has been reported regularly in science’.
The move to add her to the list comes days after the BBC was blasted over the Women’s Footballer of the Year announcement, with Zambian player Barbra Banda winning despite having been axed from a tournament for allegedly failing to meet sex eligibility rules.
She was withdrawn from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament two years ago pre-emptively by team bosses for allegedly having levels of testosterone which would have meant she would not have been allowed to compete.
However, she has since competed in other international competitions.
Other women on this year’s BBC 100 Women list includes actress Sharon Stone, Brit singer Raye, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, visual artist Tracey Emin, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
Baptiste is described in her citation as a ‘trans woman’ who ‘explores the common patterns between biodiversity and gender identity’.
The BBC says she uses a ‘queer lens to analyse landscapes and species in a bid to expand the notion of ‘nature’ to better protect ecosystems’.
But critics have hit out, with Kate Barker-Mawjee, chief executive of the LGB Alliance, posting on X, formerly Twitter: ‘This is Brigitte Baptiste, one of the BBC’s women of the year picks. Another breathtakingly insulting move from the woman-haters at the BBC.’
Another person raged: ‘This makes me so angry. There are so many talented women out there who have accomplished so much and they are ignored.’
A different poster wrote: ‘I’ve gone past angry to totally f*****g bemused. I just can’t understand this lunacy. Is there something in the water at BBC HQ?’
Baptiste, who has been dubbed a ‘powerhouse of ecology’ has previously argued that it was prudent to do away with ideas of ‘naturalness’ in nature, saying: ‘There is nothing more queer than nature’.
Speaking of its top 100 women’s list, the BBC said: ‘BBC 100 Women acknowledges the toll this year has taken on women by celebrating those who – through their resilience – are pushing for change, as the world changes around them.’
Fiona Crack, founder of BBC 100 Women and co-controller of BBC World Service languages & deputy global director, said: ‘At the BBC, we are proud to shine a spotlight on these extraordinary women, from high-profile figures to those whose remarkable contributions often go unrecognised.’
Barbra Banda’s place in the running for the annual BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year honour has been criticised by women’s rights groups.
She was previously left out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 by team bosses over allegedly high testosterone levels.
There was an angry response online, with former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies calling the decision ‘just bloody ridiculous’.
Round-the-world sailor Tracy Edwards branded the decision ‘the destruction of women’s sports’ and the Women’s Rights Network said there were ‘no words’.
And Harry Potter author JK Rowling responded to news of the award by posting: ‘Presumably the BBC decided this was more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women’s faces.’
The Cannes Film Festival recognition for Madrid-born actress Gascon, 52, who starred in Jacques Audiard’s musical comedy Emilia Perez, came in May this year.
She gave an acceptance speech on behalf of the film’s female cast, which won the best actress award as an ensemble.
Female co-stars in the Spanish-language film included Zoe Saldana, 45, Selena Gomez, 31, and Adriana Paz, 44, who were not present at the closing night of the prestigious awards ceremony on the French Riviera.
During her acceptance speech, tearful Gascon said: ‘To every trans person suffering every f***** day with hate – this is for you.’
Addressing potential critics in her speech, she said: ‘We all have the opportunity to change for the better, to be better people. If you have made us suffer, it is time for you also to change,’ she added.
Commenting on the jury’s decision to split the best actress award four ways, jury president Greta Gerwig said: ‘Women together – that’s something we wanted to honour when we made this award. Each of them stand out, but together transcendent’.
Gay lifestyle magazine Attitude was criticised in October 2023 after naming transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as its Woman of the Year.
The US TikTok star, who has documented her transition on the video sharing platform, accepted the title at the Virgin Atlantic sponsored awards bash in London.
But critics slammed the decision, accusing the awards of ‘gaslighting women everywhere’, with feminist campaigner Maya Forstater calling it an ‘insult.’
Gender critical campaigners have also condemned the University of Pennsylvania for nominating transgender swimmer Lia Thomas for a top student sports’ award.
And a transgender legislator from Minnesota was named the state’s Woman of the Year honoree by newspaper USA Today in March last year.
Leigh Finke, a former academic, journalist and author, was honoured alongside several other people – including former First Lady Michelle Obama and the United States women’s football team.
While the state’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan praised the award, some were less than thrilled – including former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who posted online: ‘What will ever be left for biological females?’