Police are investigating a complaint of an alleged ‘hate incident’ in which a transgender model was denied a job as a female porn star after the photographer discovered the model still had a penis.
Ria Cooper, who became the UK’s youngest transgender person aged 15 before later transitioning back to male age 18, and then to female again later, has accused the photographer of ‘transphobic behaviour’. Cooper said the incident could prevent a future career in the modelling industry.
According to claims reported by the Hull Daily Mail, after posting pictures on social media of a new glamour portfolio, a man reached out to Cooper. He claimed that he could advance her modelling career, and offered her money to have sex with him on camera.
When the man discovered that Ria had male sexual organs, he broke off contact, saying he would not work with her because she still had “a c**k”.
In a private message, the man reportedly said: “Why don’t you send one of yours, my friend just told me — sorry Playboy won’t accept that.”
Speaking to the local newspaper, Ria said: “I am reporting this as a hate crime. It’s like calling someone who is black the ‘N’ word. It doesn’t matter if I have c*** or not. The pictures should be judged as they are. It says on my social media profile that I am a ladyboy, I didn’t ever say that I wasn’t and I thought he knew.”
The aspiring model went on to say: “I want to be a glamour model and a porn star — that’s what I want to do. I don’t think I should be treated like this. I just think those comments could easily make someone commit suicide. It is so bad that I have gone to the police.”
A spokeswoman for the Humberside Police told the paper: “We received a report of a hate incident… The report has been logged and will be investigated.”
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