’90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way’ Season 4 Includes a Trailblazing Transgender Storyline for the TLC Franchise
90-Day Fiancé is one of TLC’s beloved series for several reasons. The show has helped highlight other cultures and has provided endless entertainment, meme-worthy and equally cringe moments. Like other shows, the 90-Day Fiancé franchise took a while before it incorporated its first gay storyline.
One of its spinoffs, 90-Day Fiancé: The Other Way takes on an inverse format where the Americans move to foreign countries for love. The show is currently in its fourth season, and it includes a trailblazing transgender storyline for the TLC franchise.
Here’s what you need to know about the franchise’s LGBTQ cast as well as Gabriel Paboga, the first transgender member.
’90-Day Fiancé’ introduced its first gay couple in 2020
TLC introduced 90-Day Fiancé in 2014. Since then the show has experienced great success and resulted in several spinoffs which have always featured heterosexual couples. That changed in 2020 with Stephanie and Erika from 90-Day Fiancé: Before The 90 Days who became the first same-sex couple on the franchise.
Stephanie and Erika met in Australia and although they didn’t have a smooth time together, they made history for the TLC show. Another spinoff decided to explore the avenue by introducing its first male same-sex couple, Kenneth and Armando, in the show’s second season. The Other Way followed Kenneth, 60, and his 34-year-old partner Armando in Mexico.
The fan-favorite couple met in an online support group for gay dads and clicked instantly. Kenneth said he’d always been a fan of the franchise so when he saw that The Other Way showed Americans moving to foreign countries for love, he decided to ask his partner Armando to try it out. They were already living the show after all.
Kenneth and Armando are not only the show’s first male-sex couple; they are also the first interracial same-sex couple on The Other Way.
’90-Day Fiancé: The Other Way’ introduces a transgender storyline
The Other Way might not be done making history as it yet again introduces a trailblazing storyline with Gabriel Paboga. 90-Day Fiancé‘s first transgender star narrated his experiences growing up as a girl and his journey transitioning.
Recounting the gender confusion he felt as a child growing up, Paboga said of his transition, “It’s not like you just wake up one day and you’re like ‘Oh I’m trans.’ No. It’s a feeling that you feel your entire life.” Paboga said he first began dressing like a boy when he saw his cousin’s friend dressed like a boy.
“Once I found out that girls can wear boy clothes, I started with basketball shorts and I just wore them every single day,” he said. The reality star came out as lesbian at 16 because he didn’t know people could change genders.
Things didn’t click until when he turned 22 when he stumbled on a video of another man’s transition. “I knew. I didn’t have no doubts in my mind,” he said in the show’s premiere episode.
What to expect from Isabel Posada and Gabriel Paboga in Season 4
Paboga and Isabel Posada met while the former was traveling to the latter’s home country of Colombia for work. The Florida native said he felt chemistry with Posada like nothing he’s experienced before. When they first met, she didn’t know he was trans. But Paboga made sure to tell her, coming out to her the next morning after meeting her.
Paboga said Posada was very supportive of him, accepting him without question. The new season will see Paboga propose to his girlfriend. However, they are both scared of breaking the news of his transition to her parents.
The 31-year-old star said he intends on asking her parents for her hand but Posada thinks they may not respond well to the news and is concerned they may ask her to choose. There’s no telling how things will go, but from the trailer, Paboga gathers the courage to tell Posada’s parents the truth about himself.
