Meet Zeke Smith, The ‘Survivor’ Contestant Outed As Transgender By A Fellow Competitor

","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"},{"text":"Smith has moved forward, both in the competition and in his life, posting an instructional message on how to be a true ally for trans people.","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"}],"displayType":"section"}]},{"elements":[{"text":"https://twitter.com/zekerchief/status/852325430535217152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","displayType":"twitter"},{"elements":[{"text":"","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"},{"text":"Survivor doesn’t often encounter teaching moments of this caliber, but the episode faced as a major lesson, not only on how to be a genuine ally, but also on the relations within the LGBT community. As trans people face life-threatening discrimination in the current political climate (the statistics on violence against trans women of color is particularly troubling), this episode served as a microaggressive representation in how exactly not to perpetuate transphobic violence.","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"},{"text":"Social media’s reaction was supportive, a hopeful sign in the battle for transgender rights in this country.","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"}],"displayType":"section"}]},{"elements":[{"text":"https://twitter.com/klainer721/status/852324084847345664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","displayType":"twitter"},{"elements":[{"text":"","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"}],"displayType":"section"}]},{"elements":[{"text":"https://twitter.com/cityofthefeels/status/852325105602580480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","displayType":"twitter"},{"elements":[{"text":"","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"}],"displayType":"section"}]},{"elements":[{"text":"https://twitter.com/Cuttoshort32/status/852332975991783424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","displayType":"twitter"},{"elements":[{"text":"","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"},{"text":"Luckily, Smith’s castmates were accepting and he was able to learn, but unfortunately, at the expense of trust.","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"},{"text":"“I have hope for Jeff Varner,” Smith said. “I just choose to hope from afar, thank you very much.”","level":0,"displayType":"paragraph"}],"displayType":"section"},{"text":"Laverne Cox Hardball: Travis Weber Debate & Full Video","level":3,"displayType":"header"}]}]; var articleType = 'ARTICLE'; var favoriteImage = ''; var articleDescription = 'https://www.instagram.com/p/BS0LPmbFyJt/?taken-by=zekerchief&hl=en'; var slide_index = parseInt(0); var slide_json = createSlides(slides, articleType, favoriteImage); var initial_slide = slide_index; var initial_url = location.pathname + location.search; var base_url = '/2017/04/13/zeke-smith-survivor-contestant-transgender-photos-full-story-details/'; var next_gallery = '/2017/04/12/corinne-olympios-boyfriend-bachelor-in-paradise-details/'; var first_load = true; var has_scrolled = false; var title = "Meet Zeke Smith, The ‘Survivor’ Contestant Outed As Transgender By A Fellow Competitor"; var path = base_url