Carmen Carrera

“Beauty is the ability to utilize the tools provided in order to showcase your spirit in order to show your true soul.”

“All you have to do is respect me. Use the right words. If you don't consider me a woman, then use trans woman. Whatever works for you. But don't try to use something that's a slur or something that's meant to degrade who we are.”

“My favorite hip hop album would be the 'Miseducation of Lauren Hill.'”

“I'm a show girl at heart.”

“Being a woman means everything to me.”

“Before my transition I felt trapped, and now I've been set free.”

“Being a voice for my community is something that I don't take lightly.”

“It's important to have transgender representation because we represent the forthcoming generation, and their new perception on the standard of beauty - which I believe is being true to yourself, loving yourself and others.”

“I want to be respected as a woman, as a mother, as a wife. That's why I transition.”

“I run into a lot of ignorance and stupidity. It gets really frustrating, but you have to take yourself out of it and realize what's happening in the bigger picture.”

“Drag has always been an open space where anyone within the LGBT community can express their creativity.”

“I always love working with other creative talent.”

“I like to think of myself as an active American in our politics, but I get lost sometimes watching everything.”

“I consider myself an activist for women like me, who want to be confident and don't want to be judged.”

“Every one of us deserves the right to have a great education that's going to prepare us and give us the tools that we need in order to thrive outside of school. It's our government's responsibility to make sure that everyone is included.”

“Courtney Love gave me advice on how to stay focused. She told me I have a lot of positivity and I have a lot of light and to just stay on that path, because it's easy to become affected by the negativity.”

“For a long time trans people have always been a joke. Our reputation has always been the bottom of the barrel and it's not fair.”

“Regardless of whether you're in a gay or heterosexual relationship, you're going to go through your ups and downs.”

“My coffee usually is very light, very sweet with milk preferably Almond Milk but if not available I take whole milk but I'm trying to go vegan, so I try for at least soy.”

“I got kicked out of Catholic school, by the way, because I was too feminine. I was too feminine and I had a crush on this boy named Anthony and the nuns were not having it.”