Just me existing, as an openly black transgender woman from a working-class background, thriving, is a political act. My brother always reminds me that if you are black in America and you're alive, you deserve a round of applause. There are so many forces that don't want us to be alive, and so just being openly who I am, and happy and thriving, is a political act.

We are born as who we are, the gender thing is something that is imposed on you.

I think transwomen, and transpeople in general, show everyone that you can define what it means to be a man or woman on your own terms. A lot of what feminism is about is moving outside of roles and moving outside of expectations of who and what you're supposed to be to live a more authentic life.

Believing that you are unworthy of love and belonging or that who you are authentically is a sin or is wrong, is deadly.

We shouldn't demonize the woman who wears high heels and we shouldn't demonize the woman who doesn't wear high heels. We should accept all forms of comportment.

I'm always skeptical about representations of trans people, especially when trans people are not making the work.

I honestly just want to make myself happy most, and if other people like it, then that's great. If they don't, then I'm still happy.