Janet Mock has long held a career in media — perhaps most famously for her work as a director, writer, and producer on FX’s “Pose,” for which she made history as the first openly trans woman of color hired as a writer on any television show.
She’s also an outspoken advocate for queer folks of color. This past May, in honor of APIA Heritage Month, she partnered with Diageo to host Blend Out by Diageo, a celebration that raised a glass to multihyphenate creators who refuse to blend in by showing up as their authentic selves.
In a year that has seen unprecedented anti-trans legislation and violence, POPSUGAR is highlighting the perspectives of trans and nonbinary folks throughout Pride Month. These leaders are sharing ways they protect their joy, reminiscing on moments of gender euphoria, and suggesting how allies can support the LGBTQ+ community right now. Explore all of our coverage here, and read Mock’s story, in her own words, below.
I’ve written two memoirs — “Redefining Realness” and “Surpassing Certainty” — about many moments of gender euphoria, but one of the firsts was connecting in girlfriendship and sisterhood with my best friend Wendi, with whom I grew up and transitioned together through the halls of our high school in Hawaii. We are both mixed Kanaka Maoli (indigenous Hawaiian) trans women and were able to explore, share, contrast, and expand our ideas about our bodies and gender in sisterhood — together.
We would sit and flip through magazines like Vibe and Teen People, we would watch MTV together and mimic Destiny’s Child and all the video vixens, we would get glammed up in our CoverGirl and Wet n Wild cosmetics and do little photo shoots, we would perform to Spice Girls at school dances — we did everything! Having that community with another trans sister was pivotal for me — not only was I able to have a reflection in her, but I also knew that I was not the only. I was not alone, and that has been a building block for my own confidence and self-love journey. I wish that sort of communal experience for every single young person, regardless of their gender or sexual identity.
Source: Read Full Article
