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Some people say there's a reason that Victoria's Secret wouldn't put me or any woman who doesn't fit within a certain spectrum on the runway.
I identify with my body, but I don't identify it as male or female; I just identify it as a vehicle to help me bring my awareness around the world.
Clothing shouldn't be a societal shackle. It should be art and truth and a way for us to show the world what we want out of it. It's environmental armor.
Designers and advertisers like the idea of my breasts, waist line, long legs, and long neck - but have literally made gagging noises at my facial features.
I'm constantly told in the industry that I don't look like a woman, so therefore, I can't be put in editorials and campaigns because people wouldn't get it.
My body is sometimes this thing I look at and think, 'What strange, alien thing grew around my consciousness?' It's like this weird fungus that's just there.
Use she, he, it, one, they. You could call me mow mow, and I honestly don't care. A pronoun is just a sound. All I'm listening for in that sound is positivity.
I feel more comfortable in men's clothing, and I'm a lot of more convincing as a boy than as a gendered female. But with women's clothing, I feel more empowered.
The biggest problem with the beauty industry is that it treats its customers as if they have a lot to be corrected rather than things that should be highlighted.
What it means to look like a woman or man changes regionally - from mannerisms to clothes to posture to makeup to even your vocals - so I just observe, and I replicate.
Dove is encouraging people to set their own standards worldwide. To be their own unique selves. To not allow others to shame them for accepting their own bodies and styles.
Fortunately, unlike my teachers and classmates, my parents never forced gender roles or even a ended identity on me. I grew up on a farm, so all that mattered was working hard.
When I first started out modelling, I was binding my chest at gigs to make sure my physique was able to be 'passable' as male. But now, I never bind. It's highly unsafe and unhealthy.
Fashion really does change the world. It changes how people feel about themselves. It changes what people are comfortable with sexuality-wise. It changes how people accept themselves.
I saw how much money people spent in the fashion industry, and I was like, 'Oh, man, if someone can spend this much on clothes, they certainly can spend five dollars a month on causes.'
Modeling is also the first job I've ever had where it's my job to love myself. While many people think that modeling would chip away at your self-esteem, it's actually bolstered mine tenfold.
I get a lot from people who are in oppressed situations and say they were gonna give up. A lot of people have reached out and said they were in bad situations and really need me to be successful.
The reason people wear the things that they wear and accept the standards that they accept is because most athletes make a good portion of their money in advertising and doing campaigns afterwards.
I think the fashion industry is limitless. Not everyone sees me as being part of their vision. But the people that have seen me, some of them have seen things in me that I hadn't even seen in myself.
My style really comes down to me trying to be efficient by wearing what's going to get me the most out of the world. Whether that means wearing an Armani suit or an H&M dress, that's what I'm going to wear.
We the people have the power to decide who we want to see in our advertisements and how we want the world to be portrayed. If we show that being ethical and being diverse is profitable, they're going to market to us.
We've established a world that's binary gendered, and I don't want to be disadvantaged at all. If being male is going to be more advantageous than being female, I'm all about it. I don't really think it's that important.
Being an androgynous model is one thing, but a lot of what we're up against is the way we stand for certain values, such as our sexualities, or if people with our look are common enough to be part of the consumer market.
When I get dressed, I don't think about what other people think. I only think, 'Is this me? Is this my truth? Am I able to move through this world with confidence? Am I able to move through this world feeling that I am I?'
I went out to California; I was pursuing my degree in genetic engineering and civil law at U.C. Berkeley, and I had to pay my way through school. I eventually got a scholarship, which was great, but in the beginning, it was very hard.
Part of the beauty of Victoria's Secret modeling is that they are called 'Angels' for a reason - because they're aesthetics are supposed to be unobtainable. But so are mine. No one could ever be me. Look exactly as I do. Be exactly as I am.
I ended up in Colorado working in wilderness fire prevention. My job was to run around with a chainsaw and cut down trees during a blaze. It was really fun. When I first got out there, that's when I realized how passable of a male I could be.
I believe that if you want gender, then you can have it. If you want to label yourself, then sure. If you want to use history to describe who you are, then there is nothing wrong with that. But don't limit me on the way that you limit yourself.
When I walk down the street in a dress, people think I'm transgender. The issue isn't that I'm embarrassed to be thought of as transgender: the issue is that people treat transgender individuals so violently, especially if they think it's male to female.
The first thing you put on in the morning is your lingerie, and you have to look at yourself and tell yourself that you're beautiful, and that's really hard to do when even a simple catalog can't confirm that you're wearing something appropriately or look good enough.
I grew up having to do manual labor because people always told me that I was an ugly girl. I've never had the permission to be myself except for when I'm doing manual labor. Because in manual labor, it's about, 'Can you pick this up, can you move this here,' and I could.
Men are taught they are going to make a lot less in the fashion industry, so they don't bank their entire lives on it. They're very supportive. Women, on the other hand, are more competitive. They always assume I'm trans and say, 'How did they make clothing in your size?'
I think it's a different kind of activism. Like, women shouldn't have to step into men's roles to be empowered. They should be able to step into themselves. So that's what I try to bring, that we shouldn't be thinking of it as menswear or womenswear; it should be clothing for people.
'Educate, don't hate.' That's my motto. The reason why there's so much pushback against diversity and against minority communities is because people are afraid to make mistakes and ask questions. They feel that they'll be chastised if they use the wrong label. It's too scary for them.
Victoria's Secret should highlight real women that actually purchase their clothing. I would love for them to start featuring more real bodies and diverse women. Victoria's Secret has the ability to tell people, 'It's okay,' when they wake up in the morning. They have the ability to change lives.
When a lot of people wake up in the morning and put on their underwear, the first thing they feel that day is terrible about themselves. When you see that your body is not what other people want, it can be really devastating. I have so many friends that I grew up with who have had serious eating disorders.
I lost a bet with another model. We were watching a Cleveland Browns game, and she told me I should be a model. I said that models are pretentious people who don't eat. She said, 'If you choose the winning team, I'll do you a favor. If I choose the winning team, you'll go to a casting call.' She won, so I went.
I used to feel guilty about having nice things, because there was so much good I could be doing with that money. I always tell people that, if you can afford what I'm wearing, then you can afford to make a difference. But fashion has taught me that it's not a bad thing to love yourself and take care of yourself.