Second, it is very interesting in that as a successful model of women's wear, Stav has no plans on altering her body. I consider "myself a trans person".
This is a very interesting article well worth reading the whole piece. Below are the starting paragraphs.
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Stav Strashko |
MAY 27, 2016
At 23 years old, Stav Strashko has all the trappings of a typical burgeoning fashion model. The Kate Moss cheekbones, the innate cool factor, the lithe 5-foot-11 frame, the flowing hair, and the kind of jet-set lifestyle that begets residences in both Italy and Israel. Then, of course, there’s the starring role as the hot blond babe in this season’s Diesel commercial (cast alongside Joe Jonas, no less). But there is something less expected about this rising fashion star, a fact that may elude even the industry’s most discerning casting agents. Stav is featured in the women’s section on her agency’s website (alongside supers Karolina Kurkova and Helena Christensen), and the most compelling aspect of her success is the journey she took to get herself there.
“I was born a boy, and I consider myself a girl,” Stav explains, pausing a moment to clarify. “I consider myself a girl only because of the world we live in. For example, if I wear a skinny jean, a crop top, and makeup, people see me as a girl, so I feel obligated to say I am a girl. But I would rather live without definition.”
Unlike Andreja Pejic, the first transgender model to land a major cosmetics campaign — and who has publicly discussed her gender-confirmation surgery — Stav has no plans on altering her body. “I do consider myself a trans person. By definition, transgender doesn’t include only those who have had surgery; it’s just someone who identifies with another gender,” she points out. “But I never wanted to go through the surgery — I feel comfortable in my body. I have a boyfriend who loves me the way I am. I don’t want to change anything.” And she shouldn’t have to. Stav represents a new generation that refuses to conform to societal standards about gender and gender expression. That said, the freedom to explore one’s identity without limitations comes with a new challenge.
Finding the language to communicate and, more important, to understand her own identity wasn’t always easy. “No one ever told me what being gay or transgender was. The only time I heard those words used was as an insult,” says Stav, who grew up in a fairly conservative community in Tel Aviv, Israel. “So, when I realized I was attracted to boys and to my feminine side, I didn’t know how to deal with it. It took me a long time to build the confidence to know that this is normal.”
Read more here and see more photos. A success Story.
fantastic option for someone who wants to and has a right to self define :)
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