Ryan Cassata unsuccessfully auditioned for the show but was contacted again after increased media interest in trans people such as Caitlyn Jenner

A 21-year-old musician says he has turned down repeated invitations to reaudition for the reality TV show American Idol because he fears the show’s producers are seeking to exploit his transgender identity.

Ryan Cassata auditioned for the 2015 season last October but was unsuccessful. The producers told him his performance was not “contemporary enough”. This year a casting director got back in touch, inviting him to reaudition for the 2016 season.

He has posted an open letter on YouTube, addressing the producers of the show, which he describes as “pre-casted”. In it, he says: “I’ve received many phone calls and emails begging me to try out in front of the executive producers of the show in the past couple of months.

“I’m not interested. Last year I was interested and I tried out but you didn’t want me … being transgender wasn’t such a hot issue in the media like it is now.

“I realise that you only want me because I’m a transgender person who happens to be a singer, not because I’m a singer who just happens to be transgender.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ryan Cassata’s open letter to American Idol on YouTube

Cassata quotes phone conversations which he believes reveal American Idol’s motivation for getting back in touch: “You want someone that’s transgender and you don’t want someone ‘that people might make fun of’ or someone who ‘looks too much like they’re men who transitioned to women’.”

He points out the stereotyping is not limited to trans people: “You told me that American Idol wants ‘sexual blonde girls who are dumb’ and ‘black girls who are dramatic’.”

Since Cassata’s audition, the former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner has come out as transgender in a high-profile TV interview, followed by a documentary series focusing on her transition. She won an ESPN courage award and is now nominated for a Teen Choice award. The profile of trans people has also been raised by Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, which stars trans and non-binary characters played by Laverne Cox and Ruby Rose.

Cassata has a YouTube channel, with more than 23,000 subscribers, where he posts songs and talks about issues affecting the trans community. As well as live gigs and talks, he appeared on several US TV shows in 2009-10 to talk about his transition and, he says, remind young people ‘there are other youth like them’.

But he did not tell the producers he was transgender and believes they found his prominent online profile before getting back in touch. He says he had to refuse the invitation to reaudition several times.

American Idol’s producers said in a statement: “American Idol searches far and wide to ensure that talent in any part of the country has a chance to audition. There are various ways for individuals to audition including our open , posting their auditions online, our east and west coast bus tours, through partner apps, etc.

“Our audition team has often reached out to former participants to audition again. Many find that their voice improves over a year and they have greater success in their second or third attempt. American Idol is about finding great talent and the show welcomes diversity in its participants. We will look into the veracity of the statements in Ryan Cassata’s open letter.”

Fox announced in May that the show, which used to top the ratings but has been in steady decline, is to be cancelled after 15 seasons.

The top comment on Cassata’a video is a message of support left by another trans YouTuber with a growing profile. Aydian Dowling received extensive media coverage after he entered and won the public vote in Men’s Health magazine’s Ultimate Guy competition. The competition has a broad focus on “overcoming obstacles, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, giving back to their community and loved ones, and defining success”.



He writes to Cassata: “So glad you stood up for us and didn’t just take the role they wanted you to play.”

Cassata says he is not looking for an apology from American Idol, but is trying to raise awareness among trans people of the risks of being manipulated by the media. He told the Guardian: “We need to protect transgender people and part of that is positive and educational representation … I just want the media to be more honest.”



In his open letter he says: “I feel that American Idol would exploit me and maybe exploit the transgender community for the purpose of TV ratings and profit. That’s not the right reason to go on television and that’s not the right thing to do for my community.”