Transgender Contestant Outed During Emotional 'Survivor' Tribal Council

Survivor: Game Changers became more than just a game Wednesday night when one contestant crossed a line in the heat of the moment. Jeff Varner was on the chopping block and fighting for his life during tribal council when he said something that shocked everyone. After trying to get everyone to vote for Ozzy, Varner turned to Zeke and asked, "Why haven't you told anyone you're transgender?" Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment, but once they processed what just happened, they all rushed to Zeke's defense. Everybody started yelling at Varner saying that he went too far, and it wasn't his place to out someone like that. At first, Varner tried to defend his actions, but then he started to realize the shameful mistake he had just made. When Ozzy said, "Jeff, you should be ashamed of yourself," Varner replied, "I am a little bit." The shame continued to settle in for Varner as he made it clear that, as a gay man, he fights for the rights of the LGBTQ community in his home state of North Carolina. Zeke stayed pretty quiet through all of it, as Jeff Probst and the rest of the tribe said plenty for him. When Zeke finally spoke, he did so with the utmost dignity and class as he explained how far he's come since his first season of Survivor. Zeke said, "I've started two fires with just bamboo. I've won challenges. I've been part of blindsides. I've done all kinds of crazy stuff and I am a changed, stronger, better man today than I was then," Zeke continued, "So, you know, what? Varner, it's really not cool, but you know, I'm fine."