Yes, putting a transgendered star front and center raises plenty of eyebrows and questions: For instance, what was the casting call for available suitors like? We can all think of friends who would join the casting-call queues to appear in America’s Next Top Whatever, but how many of those friends are looking to court a TG lady?

“We had, believe it or not, lots and lots of guys who were interested in competing,” says Lisa Sherman, senior vice president and general manager at Logo. According to Sherman, TLS was created with Addams in mind, and the network ensured that each suitor was legitimate. “You never know for sure,” Sherman says, “but we took extra care as we vetted this for that very reason. We took extra precaution to make sure that this was going to be a very fun and safe environment for her.”

In the pilot episode, when we meet the bachelors, their motives certainly seem legit. Peter, a media consultant, describes himself as not completely straight and open to dating a transgendered person. Blaine, a smarmy salesman from the San Fernando Valley, exclusively dates TG women and thus believes he has the edge over his fellow suitors. And likable Jim, an Ohio-based writer, catches our attention when he reveals that he’s in fact a trans man. All this leads to an agreeably juicy setup for Addams, who—with the assistance of her best friend, Andrea James (also a TG lady), and houseboy (and gay comedian) Alec Mapa—will put each man through the ringer in her quest to find her No. 1.

While Sherman says she hopes the show will capture a strong trans audience, you can’t help but wonder if nontrans viewers, groomed on tragic cinema like Boys Don’t Cry and Logo’s own well-meaning docs about trans life, will appreciate Addams in the role of all-American girl. “This is really about the love and happiness that a person like Calpernia who has transitioned seeks, not the hardships that they face,” Sherman says. She’s right, but TV so far has featured trans women only peripherally (see Ugly Betty and Dirty Sexy Money) so it’s anyone’s guess if Addams will be embraced as a star.

But therein lies the possibility for TLS to show its legs. While many shows with queer characters reek of exploitation while incrementally advancing LGBT rights (like Will & Grace with its witty-but-sexless gays), let’s hope this one makes good on its promise to give TG viewers a reason to cheer.

“We are obviously not a political organization, we’re in the entertainment business,” says Sherman in true network-executive fashion, “but I do think there’s an enormous power in telling stories in the media that ultimately do change hearts and minds. Hopefully, over time, [these stories] will get people more comfortable with the life and love of trans people.”

Transamerican Love Story airs Monday 11 at 9pm on Logo.