Zeke Smith Speaks Out About That Tragic Survivor Game Changers Episode
Thrust into the national conversation when he least expected it, Zeke Smith opens up about that brutal Survivor Game Changers moment from last night.
There is never the right time to be outed. The worst possible time might be on television. The possibility that someone could have discovered that Zeke Smith is a transgender man was always present when he first hit the island back in Millennials vs. Gen X, but it was a sudden attack by another member in the LGBT community that shows that not everybody within the “community” is as communal as they should be.
Last night on Survivor Game Changers, Jeff Varner made the desperate play by questioning Zeke Smith about why he wasn’t forthright in the fact that he is trans. It was a moment that was months in the works, with GLAAD working alongside CBS to make sure that they portrayed it properly. Part of that process was to give Zeke a platform to voice his thoughts on the matter, and he did so with gusto.
He spoke with People Magazine as part of their upcoming issue (in stores tomorrow), reiterating his notion that he came to play Survivor as a strategic mastermind, not as the ‘first transgender castaway.’ It’s also here that Zeke was brutally honest in his assessment of Jeff Varner in that moment.
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"I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are dangerous and fraudulent. That reasoning is infinitely worse than him outing me because it’s the same one used to discriminate against, attack and murder trans people. What’s great is that nobody bought it. It’s important people see he lost that fight. The message should be clear that hate will always lose."
More from Season 34 Game Changers
- Survivor Game Changers wins GLAAD Awards’ Outstanding Reality Program
- Survivor Awards 2017: Best episode of the year
- Jeff Probst defends Survivor Game Changers’ outlandish idol count
- Big Brother 19’s handling of transphobia makes me proud of Survivor
- Survivor Game Changers: 5 Players we most want to play again
An odd tidbit to come out of this ordeal is CBS’ decision to air it in the first place. The problem is (in a way that makes it hard for Varner to defend his decision) Jeff chose the most visible moment on the show to pick his moment of attack. Zeke Smith being outed will have an effect on the rest of the season no matter what, so it’s not like you can just edit around it. The best way to approach the moment, from an editing perspective, is how CBS (and Jeff Probst) approached it.
Earlier in the day, before Survivor Game Changers episode 7 even aired, Zeke talked to Hollywood Life about being outed on the show, not mentioning who it was for spoiler purposes.
"When you tell people you’re trans, you get two reactions: Either they look at you funny and pull back, or they go, ‘Aww, that must be so hard.’ I’m a goofy, fun-loving guy, so neither of those reactions work well for me."
That’s the most important part about the rest of the season for Zeke Smith; how people will react to him for the rest of the season. Time and time again, people vote out the best people possible (whether “best” means strength, social play, likability or ability to eloquently deliver a rousing speech) because they fear losing out on the million dollars to a better player. I really, truly fear that he can go far, but fall short, for the wrong reasons based on the new perception of others.
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If there’s one piece of Zeke Smith content you should read, however, it’s his own words shared on The Hollywood Reporter as a guest columnist. In it, he shares his personal tale as someone transitioning, the struggles he faced and how Survivor helped changed his life for the better.
"To adventure is to invite hazard into your life. The thrill of adventure comes from accepting this risk, and the reward from confronting whatever might be thrown at you. But you cannot control the hazards you face, be they repeated misfortune or the harmful actions of others. You can only control how you respond. It’s up to you to decide whether the hazard will define you or you will define the hazard."
It was amazing to see the brilliant poise Zeke Smith embodied when surprised with a personal revelation that went beyond the game in the moment. With months focused on how best to share his experience in all its gritty details, Zeke opened up in a marvelous way that shows the strength of his character.
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Survivor Game Changers looks to shift the focus away from this controversy next week with a two-hour episode airing at 8 p.m. ET next Wednesday.