In a powerful interview with Indya Moore, the model and Pose star spoke about the need to continue to break boundaries. Moore, the first Black transgender woman to speak at Essence Festival, revealed to the audience that they take no honor in being first.
“It’s hard for me to find honorableness in being the first because honestly, it should have already been happening. So many incredible and revolutionary Black trans women came before me. They should’ve received the attention I am getting now,” Moore explained.
The actor, who uses they/their pronouns to identify, also used the opportunity to acknowledge the Black trans community and its desperate need for allies. Moore found it their mission to use the platform at Essence Festival to speak to cisgender men in the audience and the biases they may carry.
Moore said they “experience my gender within a frame of combating homophobia, combating transphobia. My choice to identify as non-binary is used to constantly disrupt gender constructs and gender norms. At the end of the day, homophobia effects us all.”
The actor concluded their interview by highlighting the importance of visibility and representation.
“Black trans women are still dying every single day. They are fighting to be visible because it matters and it changes lives,” they added as the heartwarming conversation came to an end.