Model Says She Was Fired Over Gender Identity Without Prior Disclosure

A transgender model identified as Owen has recounted how she was hired for a routine lifestyle clothing photo shoot booked on short notice. During all preliminary communications via chat—including the shoot date, time, and location—no conditions regarding gender identity were disclosed. When she arrived at the shoot on August 4, everything proceeded normally until crew members approached her after she had changed into clothes for the session. They told her, "Are you transgender? The brand owner isn't okay with it. You need to go home." Owen said she was shocked and asked the team to negotiate with the brand owner, since she had already traveled to the location and was ready to start. The team declined, saying the brand owner would not budge, though one crew member later offered to personally top up a low compensation package that fell well short of her standard rate.

Owen explained that she typically posts a profile card to modeling recruitment groups with basic information like her name, measurements, and contact details. The client then contacts her through LINE to finalize details, and this job booking proceeded smoothly with no inquiries about gender. She noted that this was her second or third such incident, though previous cases were less severe and resulted in negotiated compromises rather than outright dismissal. She also clarified that for still photography shoots, gender identity should not be a relevant concern since no voice or verbal communication is involved. For video work requiring dialogue, she said she would disclose her status upfront to let the client decide.

Owen called on brands and recruiters to explicitly state any gender-identity requirements or other specific conditions in their job postings so models can make informed decisions before applying.