Whoopi Goldberg's New Reality Series Follows Transgender Models Breaking Beauty Standards

Whoopi Goldberg is set to executive produce Oxygen's new original series Strut, which highlights transgender models who are changing the game in the modeling industry, Oxygen Media announced on Monday. The series will follow a group of models from Slay Model Management, the world’s first exclusively transgender modeling agency, as they strive to change gender and beauty standards while pursuing stardom.

"This show is important right now, because for all of the positive advances the community has made and continues to make, transgender is still a hot-button word that gets people hysterical,” Whoopi said in a statement. “People tend to focus on the stereotype instead of the person, and this series will give viewers a unique opportunity to spend time with real people who are struggling with the same challenges we all face as we make our way through the world. You may even be surprised to discover that you have been seeing and interacting with transgender men and women in ways you didn’t even realize!"

The series will debut on Oxygen later this year. "Strut follows a group of inspiring and resilient trailblazers who are working to change the modeling industry and the world around them, by simply being true to themselves,” Rod Aissa, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Oxygen Media, said in a statement. “These individuals will empower viewers as they live their lives fully and unapologetically, despite facing many obstacles throughout their journey."