The Pose star has uploaded a candid, heartfelt explanation of her experience as a trans woman
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY CAROLE BETHUEL
Actor and activist Indya Moore has announced that she now uses she/her pronouns, and no longer identifies as non-binary. The Pose star has also added the name “Lillah” to her Instagram bio, but has not commented on this further.
Indya shot to stardom after she starred in the groundbreaking show Pose, playing the character of Angel Evangelista. Since then, audiences have seen her in everything from Father Mother Sister Brother to Nimona.
In a video posted to her Instagram, she offers a message of “solidarity” to the trans and non-binary communities. She explains that she has several friends who have autoimmune diseases, and that she has been reflecting on her own experience as a trans person through this lens.
“In an autoimmune condition, the body’s cells are fighting itself. It exists in opposition to itself. This isn’t because the cells are evil, it’s just because the immune cells are receiving a signal that its own tissue is foreign from itself. This is a very close analogy to what it feels like to exist in a trans body, for me,” she said on an Instagram Live.
Fans and celebrities were quick to express their support for Indya. Pose co-star Dominique Jackson, wrote, “❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ always.” Actor Alyssa Milano added, “You’re so special. And thank you for teaching me.”
Indya later went on to speak about the expectations placed on trans women, for example not having body hair. “I wanted to be free from the expectation placed on me because I’m a woman and because I’m trans,” she said. “The expectation for trans people to perform is tenfold. All I wanted was to be free. […] To not have to wear nails, to not have to wear makeup, to not have to do any of these things. To be as comfortable in my skin as anyone else. Without having to exaggerate myself to be respected. Non-binary identity gave that to me – to have that fluidity.”
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