Carmen Carrera Stands Up for Trans Rights

Trans star Carmen Carrera fights for respect after appearing on a degrading episode of Cake Boss.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

June 13 2012 6:29 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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RuPaul's Drag Race star Carmen Carrera, who recently came out as transgender, says she was humiliated by her appearance on the reality show Cake Boss, and the program's network, TLC, has pulled the episode.

Carrera was part of a set-up where she flirts with the Cake Boss's Cousin Anthony, who does not know she is transgender. Carrera says she informed the producers to describe her as "born as a man" or a "transgender woman." Instead, the show's host, Buddy Valastro, informed Cousin Anthony on air that he had been flirting "With a man, baby!" Cousin Anthony then runs away in horror. After seeing Monday night's episode, Carrera was appalled to be part of a Jerry Springer-like stunt, instead of a teachable moment about transgender people.

"Let me make this clear. CALLING A TRANSGENDER WOMAN A MAN IS WRONG," Carrera wrote on Facebook. "Period. It's degrading, it's rude, and it's very hurtful. I may not have been born a woman, but I'm NOT a man. I told them I would[n't] mind if they said 'born male' or 'was a male.' After taking this journey it's not fair at all to be lied to by the producers."

Carrera launched a Change.org petititon demanding a public apology from Valastro; it has nearly 8,400 signatures. In response, Valastro did apologize and offered to bake a cake for Carrera, who came out as transgender on an episode of ABC's What Would You Do? TLC announced on Wednesday the Cake Boss episode was pulled from rotation and executives are reviewing whether the offensive bit can be edited out or if the episode must be permanently pulled.