Model Plastic Martyr Speaks Out About Transphobic Comments From Lea Michele

Model Plastic Martyr, who is transgender, says Glee star Lea Michele made transphobic comments toward her at the 2010 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, according to The Sun.

The model said in an interview she was washing her hands when Michele confronted her and said "Excuse you, you're in the woman's bathroom."

"She brushes me off and continues laughing with her friends... It was a bathroom packed full of women, so it made everyone else feel uncomfortable. I was dressed, I felt glamorous, and to hear that from somebody who I thought was so beautiful. I went from feeling like I was on cloud nine to feeling like a circus freak."

The actress opened up in her comments about her transition at the time and the dangers of treating transgender individuals as such.

"I was passable, but not as passable. I hadn't had any surgery yet and was still undergoing laser treatment. She knew. I was just starting hormones and was very vulnerable during that period, you look in the mirror and there's this dysphoria, this disconnect. To have that amplified by other people is just very damaging and dangerous for trans people, it's why so many commit suicide."

If you're transgender and in crisis, you can reach out to Trans Lifeline, and LGBTQ+ youth can reach out to The Trevor Project.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos