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Q: It sounds like you really admired Caitlyn Jenner for her courage. And then that changed?

A: Then she started saying things. … She said in an article (in Time Magazine) that it makes people uncomfortable to see a man in a dress, and that’s how she saw trans women who don’t pass (aren’t convincing) as female. … I think she’s (since) realized, “I am a figure in society, in the media. People listen to me. I need to be careful of what I say.” … I think (some) people still don’t like her. Me, I get it. I think she is actually trying for real. She has no choice but to represent us. She was thrown into this.

Photo by Chris Pizzello / Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Q: Why do you feel Jenner is not representative of the trans community?

A: She is probably the only person in the entire world who has ever said, “I am trans” one day and then three months later come out, and has “completely transitioned” in the view of society. No one has money to have access to hormones and completely hide out for three months, have no one see them and then they come out looking like who they actually are. … If that could happen, everyone (who is transgender) would do it. Because it’s a very awkward period when you’re first starting hormones, no matter if you’re a trans guy or a trans girl … people don’t know if you are male or female, and they kind of look at you, and it’s uncomfortable and you can’t use any of the public bathrooms. It’s just horrible, when you’re first starting hormones, when you’re first coming out. People are confused. … She’s very lucky and the issue was that she (appeared to not understand that) privilege. But now I think she is understanding it because she has talked to so many people in the community. When she accepted her (ESPN’s Arthur Ashe Courage) award, she mentioned the suicide rate and the murder rate, (among) trans women, especially trans women of colour. … The fact that it was her award about sports, but she talked about something that is more important — for me, it (showed) she cares so much.