Teddy Quinlivan is opening up about her identity for the first time.
The 23-year-old model formally came out as a transgender woman in an exclusive story for CNN on Wednesday (September 13).
“It’s political, but I’m also doing it for myself. I was ready to come out, but I think the times we live in elevated the sense of importance and urgency,” Teddy says of her decision.
“When you come out as transgender to the world, on a platform, there may be some backlash. People might be violent against me because of something I never chose. That makes me nervous, but I’m really excited to share my story with the world. My optimism outweighs the fear.”
Teddy walked in several New York Fashion Week runway shows in the past few days, including presentations for Marc Jacobs and Coach.
“Hopefully my story reaches people in the same way that the stories of Laverne Cox and Janet Mock have (already) reached trans people. There are not a lot of openly trans people in media, and I think it’s really important to show people that not only am I trans, I’m (also) very successful and good at what I do.”
In addition to the CNN story, Teddy also shared a video about her journey on her Instagram: “My Name is Teddy I’m Transgender,” she captioned the post.
Watch Teddy‘s powerful video below!
