I’ve always been a physical person, but team sports were fraught with gender problems since grade school. It’s a big deal to be a trans person out in the public square who is able to act rather than simply being acted upon. In appearing on “Naked and Afraid,” I want to show what I can accomplish, without having to deal with people questioning my credentials. When I told friends I was going on “Naked and Afraid,” they worried I’d be rendered a caricature. That my experience growing up as a trans person was the fictional performance.

Source: New York Times June 23, 2019 12:56 UTC