Identifies as
Male
Pronouns
Gender-neutral
Life's work
"My ultimate goal is to become a fashion designer. I believe fashion is another form of activism so with that being my goal, I believe I will be able to express unlimited variations of what fashion and activism means to me."
Neighborhoods
Austin and Oak Park
Hobbies
"I like to watch movies, read books, enjoy some quiet time and to hang around my friends. Watch TV and surf the internet."
What is the best thing about being trans/ gender-variant?
"I'm not quite sure. I believe it's a double edged sword. Only due to sometimes it can be something that you feel confident doing, then at other times you feel as if you're not a statistic, you won't succeed. Sometimes it becomes more of weighing out options on your part to make sure your representation doesn't get lost within stereotypes."
Do you have a coming out story?
"When I was a sophomore in high school I started to realize that I wasn't officially comfortable in my own skin. I remember wanting to have a liberating moment and I thought about the people around me and how I wanted them to view me as being a honest and real person. I struggled to find out how to do that at first, but a light bulb went off, and I began to shed layers of my former self and embraced the person I've always wanted to be which I'm currently living now."
Do you consider yourself an activist?
"Yes I do. I remember being a youth of color, and not knowing what I could do to make me feel more a part of queer community. I didn't want to be a youth of color complaining about what opportunities I don't have, but be a part of a movement that lets me identify a problem and make change. I believe I'm speaking for millions just like me when they see me I want them to know that they can do it as well and don't be afraid of change."
What issues, if any, outside of the queer community do you care about?
"I strongly believe in equal opportunities, due to everyone being denied from something in some shape of form, and I feel if we have a government that helped decrease barriers we would be living in a more restorative world."
What do you think are the most important issues facing the trans/ gender-variant community?
"Discrimination. It's hard for folks to look besides what's in front of them but think about what this person can bring to the table in some way."
To nominate a person for T in the life, email: Kate Sosin sosin@windycitytimes.com