“Our show deals with Michael being gay in like, 45 seconds of the pilot. It allows me to gain perspective, to be more accepting of others, because I know what it feels like to know you’re not like everyone else. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! “I’m scared that I’ll be judged, rejected, made uncomfortable, that people will look at me differently.”, But she said, “I have come to believe that God made me transgender. But Totah said she knew she was a woman since five years old, long before she even understood what the word gender meant. In June, the artist formerly known as Charice Pempengco reintroduced himself to the world as Jake Zyrus. Josie credits TLC‘s I Am Jazz, which tells the story of trans teen Jazz Jennings, for giving her a way to describe how she felt — and what she had to do next: “I looked over at her in the middle of the show and said, ‘This is me. Totah was credited as J.J. Totah on these shows, as well as Disney’s Jessie, where she had a recurring role as Stuart Wooten between 2013-15. “As I learned more information about hormone replacement therapy, I knew that this was what I had to do. So, listen up y’all: You can jump on or jump off. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. I don’t feel like I was put in the wrong body.

It allows me to gain perspective, to be more accepting of others, because I know what it feels like to know you’re not like everyone else.”, (Note: Josie requested that production photos from her work be used instead of current photos), Glee's Josie Totah Comes Out as Transgender Female. Then I found myself playing that role once I got into the entertainment industry, and people kept assuming my identity. You may know the 17-year-old from her roles in Jessie, Glee, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, as J.J. Totah. And I’m scared that I’ll be judged, rejected, made uncomfortable, that people will look at me differently. Totah, now 17, who charmed audiences as J.J. Totah on television shows like the Disney Channel’s. “Acting has always been my passion,” she wrote. I was even introduced that way before receiving an award from an LGBTQ+ rights organization. I’m transgender. Kylie Jenner got DRAGGED for what she tweeted, Lana Del Rey got into a SAVAGE fight with a fan wh, Tori Spelling swoops in to support Brian Austin Gr, Who did Kim Kardashian vote for?? 'Champions' Star Josie Totah Comes Out As Transgender In Emotional Essay, The former Disney Channel actress wrote, "I'm ready to be free. And I need to go through this.” My mother, who is immensely supportive and gracious, said, “Okay, let’s do it.” Three days later I was meeting with my pediatrician, who referred me to a specialist, who put me on a hormone blocker. But I also feel like I let myself be shoved into a box: ‘J.J. | Perez Hilton, Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest celebrity gossip. Since then, she’s starred on “Champions,” had a multi-episode arc on “Glee” and appeared as Peter Parker’s classmate in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”. I’m transgender.

Preparing to start college this fall, Totah said she plans to continue acting and hopes to portray both cisgender and trans female characters. Will Celebs Get Creative In Quarantine?! And, as a semi-religious person who went to Catholic school, I have come to believe that God made me transgender. As I learned more information about hormone replacement therapy, I knew that this was what I had to do. “Having people come to me and tell me that even though they can’t personally relate to my experience, how much I’ve helped the find light in their life, loving themselves, and accepting themselves — it’s just been such a wonderful experience. And it was fun to see her and the other girls wear dresses and put on lavish musical numbers. And, in 2015, Totah landed the role of precocious singer Myron Muskovitz for several episodes on, But as Totah entered her teens, she hit her lowest point. In fact, she told her millions of fans that they could either “jump on or jump off”. In the past, I’ve halfway corrected people by telling them I identify as LGBTQ. [Image via Ivan Nikolov/WENN.]. I also couldn’t be myself. It’s a highway that feels endless, and though it comes with many stoplights, it boasts a clear, green view. And my name is Josie Totah.”. And my name is Josie Totah." I’m ready to be free,” Totah said. I’d be in my room and I’d have to run and slam the door and lock it, and then my mom would be like, ‘Come say hi!,’ and I’d pretend to be asleep because I didn’t want to face them.”, And when it came to auditions, things got even more complicated. “There are still things that scare me,” she admits. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be accepted, that I would be embarrassed, that the fans who knew me from the time when I acted in a Disney show would be confused.”, But I realized over the past few years that hiding my true self is not healthy,” she continued. Get all the latest election results from across the country, with up-to-the-minute maps and more. “When my friends and family call me Josie, it feels like I’m being seen,” she adds. Josie also has some important words for people who don’t have a transgender person in their lives: “This is not something that just happened. So, listen up y’all: You can jump on or jump off. I understand that they didn’t really know better. I’m going to gun for those roles, be it a transgender female or a cisgender female. Earlier this year, she starred in the aforementioned NBC series Champions, where she played an ambitious theatre student. It felt like a lie. Totah penned an essay for TIME where she detailed her reasons for making the announcement. There are still things that scare me. I’m grateful for roles I’ve gotten to play on shows like Champions, and I know I’m lucky to be able to do what I love. “Is there hair on my face? ", Josie Totah On Life After Transgender Announcement, Palm Beach County currently has an emergency order in effect that requires wearing face masks and coverings when in most public places.

“I get very deep on the 5. Josie Totah Didn't "Come Out" — She's Always Been Here Before revealing her gender identity, the Disney star formerly known as J.J. Totah took a break; she's back with a new style and sense of self. Looking Back On Every Spooky & Sexy Halloween Costume From 2019! I hid the girls’ clothes I really wanted to wear under sweatpants and sweatshirts.

In some ways, I felt like I was lying by letting people believe I was that gay boy. “Like many trans people, I developed serious anxiety as I hid who I was,” she explained. “No one [was insensitive] on purpose,” Totah acknowledges. I plan to play roles I haven’t had the opportunity to play. But in a brave essay in TIME, the rising star is finally revealing her truth. I’m scared that being transgender is going to limit me in that way. “I know now, more than ever, that I’m finally ready to take this step toward becoming myself.