While sitting at a restaurant in Prishtina this past winter, I overheard a conversation between two waiters. Their discussion was difficult to ignore. “I understand that people are free to live however they want,” said one of the waiters, “but how should we explain it to our kids? On one hand, we can’t say it’s wrong, but we can’t tell them it’s right either.” The other waiter nodded in agreement. 

The two waiters were discussing Edona James, the first trans woman to compete on Kosovo’s most-watched reality TV show, “Big Brother VIP.” While the show had only aired a few months prior, James had quickly become an audience favorite and topic of discussion far beyond that restaurant. Alongside her growing popularity, she disrupted the comfort of those who preferred to remain unaware of an openly trans Albanian woman. 

The broader societal conversation about James was marked by confusion, alarm and ultimately, fascination. Her representation in Kosovar media was informed by a state of societal shock, which has proven to be a profitable enterprise for reality television. 

Media coverage on shows like “Big Brother” is inherently sensationalist and scandal-ridden, with reality stars often being reduced to clickbait headlines that spark controversy for views. However, this type of coverage becomes disturbing when media outlets use a trans woman’s identity to manufacture controversy. While other contestants on “Big Brother” were also subjected to sensationalist reporting, James was exploited by media outlets because of her gender identity. As such, she has become a tool for Kosovar media to construct a compelling scandal, further dehumanizing her. 

James’ popularity before “Big Brother” 

In order to fully understand James’ positionality in Kosovar media, it’s worth examining her very first interviews from 10 years ago, comparing them to the media coverage during “Big Brother.” James was introduced to the Kosovar public through an interview with Privé TV in 2014 titled “Edona James: the Albanian who Crossed the Rainbow,” echoing a recurring Albanian myth that “crossing the rainbow” changes one’s gender. A journalist who worked for Privé at the time, Vlorijan Halili, claimed that he discovered James through her appearances on RTL, a German TV program about show business. James emigrated to Germany during her childhood and established herself as a well-known figure in German media. 

According to Halili, the fact that James was presented as both Albanian and trans intrigued him; he knew she would make a good story. “I thought to myself: there’s something here. It needs to be explored,” he said. After Halili reached out to her multiple times, James agreed to be interviewed and was apparently very open to sharing her experiences. Still, it’s evident Privé took advantage of her open personality to create a compelling story. “She became a sensation,” said Halili.

James was misgendered from the outset of the Privé interview; she was identified with the masculine form of the word “Albanian,” or “Shqiptari,” in the episode title. The interviewer revealed her deadname and used derogatory language to introduce her, painting a sensationalist narrative of James’ transition by claiming that she is “an Albanian man who no longer wanted to be the man of the house, so he decided to become a woman.” The interviewer further dehumanized her by mentioning that she now “has sex with men” and has “changed her organs.” 

As the first Kosovar trans woman to come out on TV and reveal that she had undergone gender affirming surgery, James received hateful and negative backlash in the media after this interview. The hate speech against her was a reminder of the constant danger that trans women face in Kosovo. James has said that this experience deterred her from coming back to the country for a decade.

James was also invited as a guest on the “Ami G Show” in Serbia, where the interviewer posed invasive questions about her transition, asking whether she has “operated on everything.” These interviews did not attempt to genuinely understand James on a personal level. Instead, they imposed a theatrical narrative on her to attract more viewers. She was stripped of her personhood because she was a trans woman, valued only for the sensationalist headlines that she could contribute to. 

Recent online media coverage of James continues to perpetuate this dehumanizing narrative. In November 2023, Gazeta Express released an article claiming to reveal a photo of James pre-transition, when she was only six years old. The headline reads: “A small boy, this is what Edona James looked like at 6 years old.” Other articles written by Sot News and Pamfleti refer to her as “Transgender Edona James,” emphasizing the word transgender to maximize views and engagement. Pamfleti has also directly used James’ deadname for an eye-catching headline. Albeu published an article sharing alleged photos of her “before the surgeries,” with a headline that reads: “Are you curious? This is what Edona James looked like before her surgeries.” 

Some articles even use derogatory language to refer to her identity. This demeaning media coverage only inflames existing prejudices against trans women and leads to their further marginalization. Instead of James being represented as a real person, her entire existence is reduced to a scandal. 

Media companies should not promote disrespectful and discriminatory narratives about trans women for profit and should be held responsible for not abiding by ethical standards of reporting on LGBTQ+ issues. The language being spread by these articles only makes it more difficult for trans women to integrate into Kosovar society, as they are turned into caricatures and spectacles. 

James as a positive and beneficial figure in Kosovar society

Although Kosovar media continues to sensationalize James’ experiences as a trans woman, participating in “Big Brother” has given her a chance to connect with audiences directly and express herself freely. Rather than having her presence moderated and filtered through an interviewer, as has been the case in her various TV interviews, James has used “Big Brother” to show viewers that she is a multi-faceted person. Her popularity and likeability lie in her humor, courage to speak her mind and honest personality. These qualities have made her go viral on TikTok and gain a loyal fanbase. 

It seems that there is a discrepancy between public opinion on James, which is largely positive, and the damaging media coverage that uses her gender identity to generate profit. In fact, a report by Freedom House found that James has positively contributed to shifting public perceptions of transgender people in Kosovo. The support she received during her time on “Big Brother” has been instrumental in forging a more accepting society, but there is still a long way to go as far as media representation is concerned.

James was exploited by the media and turned into a face of controversy and scandal not because she was a reality TV contestant, but because she was a trans woman. If the rights of trans people are to be prioritized, the discrimination trans women face in Kosovar media is an issue that needs to be addressed. Most importantly, media outlets that perpetuate damaging narratives need to be held accountable and understand the consequences of reducing trans women to sensations. 

Unethical and unprofessional reporting not only reinforces negative perceptions of LGBTQ+ people, but also leads to violence against them. James has recently shared many instances of the hateful or even threatening comments that she receives on a daily basis, and the articles mentioned in this story only fuel these harmful sentiments against her. In order to build a society that protects trans women, media companies must respect their agency and treat them as the humans and citizens they are instead of exploiting their experiences for views and profit. 

Feature Image: Atdhe Mulla / K2.0

This article was produced based on the media monitoring conducted by the Reporting Diversity Network, with financial support from the European Union. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of Kosovo 2.0 and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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