WATCH: Secret Lives of Americans Profiles Trans Man

The Pivot series joins a young African-American trans man as he comes out to his colleagues and employers, after years of hiding who he really is.

An emotional episode of Pivot’s Secret Lives of Americans will feature a trans man coming out at work.

Cayes, a young African-American trans man living in Long Beach, Calif., hadn't shared his transgender identity with his work colleagues out of concern it would impact his job. He works as a behavior interventionist at an elementary school, and as a part-time caretaker for a single mom’s son. He loves working with kids and hopes coming out won't jeopardize his opportunity to do so, but he also doesn't want to live in the shadows anymore.

Assigned female at birth, Cayes says he has known he was different from the moment he could think. He began transitioning and has lived as man since 2009. After reading about a young trans person who committed suicide, Cayes decided to it was time to come out, even though his family wasn't initially supportive of his identity. He says he doesn’t want other transgender people to feel ashamed.

Participant Media (the company behind films like Waiting for Superman, Food Inc. and Inconvenient Truth) produces the original docu-series Secret Lives of Americans. The new episode airs on Pivot this Friday at 10:30 p.m.

Watch an exclusive clip below: