Beyoncé says it was Mathew Knowles, her father, who made her understand discipline and work ethic, what it means to come in early before class starts to stretch, or to work on your dégagés or your pirouettes or whatever it was. I was a turner! So to come in early and then to stay afterward and to just soak up everything that the teacher has, that's really what it's about - the striving for excellence.

I believe if we have something that we love to do, that can save our lives. That can get us through.

If you have a problem with people living their lives and being authentically who they are, you really should go and do some soul-searching.

The preoccupation with transition and with surgery objectifies trans people, and we don't get to really deal with the real lived experiences.

I'm terrified of saying the wrong thing on stage with bell hooks.

I believe that when we love someone, we respect them, and we listen to them; we feel that their voice matters. And- we let them dictate the terms of who they are and what their story is.

It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist.