A discrimination suit against a modeling agency in New York City was filed in federal court on Tuesday by a biological female identifying as a male who alleged that the agency ended his modeling career after labeling him "insufficiently masculine," the Washington Examiner reported.
Frances Coombe, a 30-year-old native Canadian, alleged that both Muse Model Management and its president Conor Kennedy violated civil rights that protect a person's gender identity, according to the New York Post.
"It is no surprise that models evolve their looks, and I had been moving towards more androgyny for quite some time," Coombe, who is seeking at least $300,000 in lost income, plus additional damages due to a hurt reputation and emotional distress, told the Daily Beast.
Coombe alleged that other models who have also made the move to more androgynous look have not been met with the same pushback, the New York Post reported.
In the suit, Coombe said his conflict with Muse reached its peak when he told the agency that he no longer wanted to model as a female and instead make a switch to strictly male work, after which the agency terminated his contract.
Coombe also accused Kennedy of saying in 2021 that there is no such thing as genderless work, telling him that the agency will "be sending you to women's wear jobs, and you have to separate your private life from your work life."
According to the suite, when Coombe would attempt to model men's swimwear, Muse would "insist" that he wear a bikini.
Coombe alleged that last year he took new photos to present as male to the agency and began taking testosterone, after which he suffered through a "rapid decline" in opportunities and income.
Carlos Carvajal, an attorney for Kennedy criticized Coombe's suit, saying "Muse represented Frances Coombe for over 10 years as a model. It's surprising and disappointing that Frances has filed this lawsuit, after a decade of working together, that lacks merit and is legally flawed. We look forward to clearing Muse of any alleged wrongdoing."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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