MTV's Are You the One? has already made history as the first reality dating show to feature an entirely sexually fluid cast, but tonight's episode is even more groundbreaking for its transgender representation.
We meet Kai, a queer transmasculine nonbinary human who has chosen to medically transition, who details his experience within the first five minutes of the episode.
Kai, as well as the rest of the cast of the fifteen loveable singles, get to know each other and he quickly forms a connection with Jenna. At one point, Kai pulls Jenna aside and asks for her emotional support as he takes his hormone injections.
It's a groundbreaking moment for transgender representation on television, especially reality TV. Many of the trans stories we see on TV and movies today focus on body dysphoria or the physical transition or some type of trauma porn, so we don't often see stories about trans people simply wanting to find love. (Unless you're watching Pose or Euphoria, which you should be!)
We get to see Kai post-transition and searching for love. While his transness is part of who he is, it's not all that he is, and the representation feels momentous.
That doesn't mean he's not as messy as the rest of the house though...
"There’s no guidebook to this,” Kai shares in the confessional. “I mean, there are literally books on relationships for heterosexual people of like Dating for Dummies, but how about Dating Trans People for Dummies? That doesn’t exist.”
Are You The One airs Wednesdays on MTV at 9/8c. Watch the clip from the episode where Kai takes his hormones below:
