Jin Xing, a 53-year-old television host often called China’s Oprah Winfrey, holds strong views about what it means to be a woman.
She has hounded female guests to hurry up and get married, and she has pressed others to give birth. When it comes to men, she has recommended that women act helpless to get their way.
That might not be so unusual in China, where traditional gender norms are still deeply embedded, especially among older people.
Except Ms. Jin is no typical Chinese star. As China’s first — and even today, only — major transgender celebrity, Ms. Jin is in many ways regarded as a progressive icon.