‘Naked and Afraid’ Features First Openly Trans Contestant

Ever since I was a young girl, I always dreamed of someday growing up to be the first transgender contestant on Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid. And now my dreams are shattered, thanks to Quince Mountain.

Mountain, a trans man from Wisconsin who now lives in Alaska with his wife, appeared on Sunday night's episode of the naked people survivalist show, which is now in its 10th season. When not crushing my dreams and stealing my goals, Mountain competes in "grueling" sled-dog races, the Reno Gazette-Journalreports.

"Being trans and surviving what I did gave me a leg up on coping skills," said Mountain during a phone interview from his home in Wisconsin. "I think I have a lot of mental toughness."

In a clip from the episode, Mountain meets his fellow competitor: Teresa Owens, a police officer from Florida. He introduces himself as transgender by way of explaining his top surgery scars.

"I know I look a little different," Mountain tells Owens. "I have scars and stuff from surgery. I am transgender."

"Really!" says Owens. She later tells the camera that she thinks "we're still going to be able to work together as well as we would if he was a big burly man," which makes me, the first transgender Out dot com staff writer to ever write about Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid, wonder what she thinks trans is? Anyway, enjoy the clip above. Visibility, bay bee!!

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