Meet Rye, The First Transgender Model of ModCloth’s Latest Kick Ass Campaign

Sean Griffis
Apr 08, 2015

ModCloth, you have our hearts (and a chunk of our style budget) forever + always. Hot off the fashionable heels of the company’s anti-Photoshop pledge, all-size-inclusive clothing line and real women bathing suit campaign, the online retailer has gone and given us all the feels once more by debuting its first dress named after a transgender woman <3

In September ModCloth launched #fashiontruth — an outlet that provides clothing in a range of sizes + where the company casts all types of women from its community for modeling. This campaign wants to establish a sense of belonging between shoppers and the brand as they shine a spotlight on a particular member every month. April happens to be a monumental one as writer and comedian Rye Silverman is currently in the #Fashiontruth Spotlight, making her a new funny one to watch and, oh yeah, the fashion outlet’s first transgender community model.

Rye first caught ModCloth’s attention after regularly contributing to the Style Gallery, a spot where users upload their purchases to “inspire and admire.” The active community member (who shared with ModCloth that she prefers female pronouns) explains why the social page was so important for her and her personal style: “The Style Gallery did so much for me in regards to really gaining confidence to both assert my own style, as well as take risks and chances and draw inspiration. Everyone on there is doing so much fun stuff with their clothes, and it’s great to be part of that.”

Rye’s story pre-pending-ModCloth fame is a pretty cool one. After doing standup for years, she knew the only way to keep succeeding at the profession was to be fully open with the audience, so that’s exactly what she did at the age of 27. She told ModCloth that that age “was when I finally faced my fears about it [being a transgender woman] and knew I couldn’t carry the secret of it, and was tired of feeling ashamed about it. My act had already started getting much more personal and honest and so coming out onstage seemed an obvious and necessary step. In general the audiences have been receptive, some occasional scary moments but overall I feel like if I can just get a few jokes out, I’ll be okay.” Go, girl!

Not only is Rye featured this month on ModCloth, but she also is the company’s first transgender woman to have a dress named after her. The All About Rye Dress ($100) has a purple and red plaid pattern with a flared skirt and pockets, accented with button hearts. It totally goes along with her style, which she described in depth to the company as one that evolves over time but currently is a “quirky or edgy twist on vintage.” Rye dishes: “I love rockabilly-type stuff or circle skirts that have interesting prints on them. The two garments I currently get the most positive responses to are my Mew-seum Visit Dress and my PacMan-themed circle skirt. I’ve noticed in the last year or so more and more of my skirts and dresses have fun prints. But when I’m kind of just looking for a more relaxed, chill look I shift into a more ’90s vibe.” Hey Rye, we love the ’90s, too!

While the news of a clothing company featuring a transgender woman may not seem like a big deal to some, the visibility of a spotlight like this actually is. Rye echoed that sentiment to BuzzFeed, “I think there has started to be this great sea change towards real bodies and authentic beauty and I hope to see that continue. I know I’m a bit of an extreme case but I still love the way we’re really moving towards letting people see that they’re beautiful.” We heart you Rye + ModCloth. <3

To find out even more about Rye, check out her favorite ModCloth styles or go read her blog Chick Like Me. It’s filled with info on her upcoming comedy album (out April 28).

Will you be purchasing the All About Rye Dress or any of Rye’s other ModCloth #Fashiontruth looks? Let us know in the comments.

(Photos via @modcloth + ModCloth)

Meet the Trans Military Vet Who’s Mentoring Trans Youth in America

Every Body celebrates inclusivity and the representation of human beings in every shape and form.

Giovonni Santiago, the 32-year-old activist based out of Akron, Ohio, has always been fighting. It has been a part of his DNA since spending time in the Air Force from 2006 to 2010. When Santiago was not fighting for his country, he was fighting for his own rights.

Until 2011, “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) was the official United States policy on LGBTQ+ identities within the military. While Santiago was not officially out as a transman while he served, he began his transition process while still in the Force.

What followed next were feelings of being bypassed by commanding officers and segregation from the rest of his unit. As a trans, Black individual, Santiago realized that something had to change; if his own experience wasn’t ideal, he could only imagine how it was for other transgender individuals in the military.

When a back injury forced him out of duty, Santiago found himself at a place where he could finally take action and speak out for those without a voice. He candidly shares that it was in early 2015 when he logged onto Facebook and read the news of a transgender teen who had committed suicide after being bullied. Though Santiago was well aware of the grim suicide rates among transgender people, at that moment he was so tired of seeing the same tragic narrative take place over and over that he thought to himself, “I have to do something about this.”

In the spring of 2016, he launched the META Center with the support of his friends and family. He explains, “I wanted people like to me to see that there is someone who’s just like them, whether it’s because I’m Black or brown, or whether it’s because I’m a veteran, or whether it’s because I’m just like a regular person, that [people who are] these things are capable.”

At the META Center, Santiago and his team mentor trans and gender-variant youth while offering families support and information as needed. The center, which works with up to 25 transgender youth in Akron, holds everything from social gatherings to support groups to give youth a chance to “fully connect” with other young people like themselves. He also hopes to be a grounding presence in their lives.

Beyond helping transgender youth, Santiago has not forgotten about his veterans. After undergoing a gender transition aided by VA medical support, he discovered that he was his doctor’s first transgender patient. At the beginning of 2014, that doctor asked him if he would feel comfortable speaking to a panel of doctors about transitioning and how to better serve trans veterans in general. After a year or so, a team approached Santiago and his doctor, Dr. Megan McNamara, about developing a program that would offer transgender support services to those in the military.

In November 2015, the G.I.V.E. Clinic opened its doors in Cleveland, Ohio and became the first transgender-specific Veterans Affairs clinic in the United States. The clinic provides treatments like hormone therapy and counseling to those who need it in a safe and secure environment. While Santiago is not there daily, he assisted with the launch and is proud that the clinic now sees 70 patients annually, even with President Trump having proposed a US military ban on the service of transgender men and women. (That ban, for now, has been blocked by federal judges.)

As transgender issues increasingly come to the forefront, Santiago says there’s still a lot of ground left to cover. For one, he would like to see more coverage and dialogue on trans people of color in the media. “You always see when they talk about trans people that they’re always white, mostly attractive, heteronormative trans people,” he observes. “That’s almost always the narrative, and I think that that is what the media still gets wrong in the local and national level. That’s the problem we have to fix.”

For now, he will continue to do his part in making considerable groundwork for transgender rights in America.

(Image one by Ryan Deloney and Image two by Shane Wynn)

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“Protective” Peter Gallagher Is “So Grateful” Mischa Barton Survived “Toxic Fame”

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!
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Cynthia Nixon Reveals That Her Eldest Son Is Transgender

Yesterday’s Trans Day of Action (TDOA) marked milestones for many in the LGBTQ+ community — including New York governor candidate Cynthia Nixon.

The Sex and the City star took to Instagram to honor her eldest of three children, Samuel Joseph Mozes, born Samantha Mozes, with a sweet post celebrating his accomplishments.

“I’m so proud of my son Samuel Joseph Mozes (called Seph) who graduated this month,” she wrote. “I salute him and everyone else marking today’s Trans Day of Action,” she wrote, adding the hashtag, “TDOA.”

TDOA is an annual march/rally that shines a spotlight on continued violence and discrimination in the transgender community. It was first organized by the Audre Lorde Project back in 2005.

The photo showcased mother and son posing together during graduation at Samuel’s alma mater, the University of Chicago.

Nixon, who is currently campaigning to be the first queer governor of New York, has long been a proponent for LGBTQ+ rights.

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Today is such a heavy day for all of us in the queer community. It's been two years since the devastating shooting at the #Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Take good care of each other today and everyday—proudly, carefully, and with love.‬

A post shared by Cynthia Nixon (@cynthiaenixon) on

Back in May, she expertly clapped back at a jab made by former NYC Councilwoman Christine Quinn, who called the actress an “unqualified lesbian,” with a cheeky tweet that read as follows: “It’s true that I never received my certificate from the Department of Lesbian Affaris, though in my defense, there’s a lot of paperwork that’s required.”

She also helped to set up Fight Back New York in 2010 in an effort to level the senate playing field by working to defeat those who opposed same-sex marriages.

As she herself said in 2017 speech on the subject, “As LGBTQ+ people, we know how important coming out is. But I would argue that our coming out has never been more important than it is right now. Whether we are lesbian or gay or transgender Muslim or Mexican or any one of a number of other categories I could name, we are allies united by our otherness.”

What do you think of Cynthia’s post? Share over @BritandCo.

(Photos via Astrid Stawiarz/Getty)

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See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

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A post shared by Barbara Palvin (@realbarbarapalvin)

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

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Elle & Dakota Fanning Will Collab On Apple's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

  • Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
  • The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
  • The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

Amy Sussman/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

Ron Lach/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

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This post has been updated.

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