Transgender model Geena Rocero named one of Glamour's 'Women of the Year,' sparking outrage

NEW YORK CITY (TND) — Transgender model Geena Rocero is among several individuals who were named “Women of the Year” by Glamour magazine this week.

The list, Glamour writes,is meant to “honor our favorite feminist heroes and game-changers in their field.” Also making the list was actress Millie Bobby Brown and singer Mary J. Blige.

In the Glamour article, Rocero recounted her time as a transgender teenager in the Philippines who participated in beauty pageants. She explained her family “mostly accepted her gender nonconformity from a young age.”

Rocero later moved to the U.S., where she had the opportunity to legally change her name and gender marker, something transgender individuals in the Philippines are unable to do. She then pursued a career in the fashion industry.

Social media users weighed in on Glamour's decision, with many expressing opposition.

“You’re actively participating in and promoting female erasure,” one saidon X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Men pretending to be women are men. You are on the wrong side of history. Shame on you.”

“How regressive, excluding women from a woman's award in favour of a man,” another said. “Almost like the Women's Liberation Movement never happened.”

READ MORE | Maxim names transgender woman to 'Hot 100' list in Australia, sparking debate

The award also drew the attention of popular X account Libs of TikTok, which decried the decision.

“@glamourmag gave the ‘Women of the Year’ title to Geena Rocero- a MALE,” the accountwrote. “Geena claims to have known he was trans at a young age and received sex change surgery after moving to the US as a teen.”

Maxim Australia earned similar criticisms last month when it named transgender woman Danielle Laidley to its “Hot 100” list. Laidley, a former Australian football player, ranked 92nd on the list of 100 women.

READ MORE | Dylan Mulvaney named 'Woman of the Year' by British magazine

Transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney also received a similar honorwhen she was named a British magazine’s “Woman of the Year" last month.

"Some see me as the woman of the year, some see me as a woman of a year and some change ... and some people don't see me as a woman at all," Mulvaney said during an acceptance speech for the award.