Josie Totah has announced that she identifies as female, specifically a transgender female. The former Glee and Champions star, 17, says she was ‘shoved into a box’ on gender and sexuality during her child acting career and now feels free to speak her truth. In an open letter published by Time, the star – who knew that she wanted to be female since five – says ‘hiding her true self was not healthy’ and it gave her serious anxiety. She wrote:
‘I know now, more than ever, that I’m finally ready to take this step toward becoming myself. I’m ready to be free. So, listen up y’all: You can jump on or jump off. Either way this is where I’m heading. ‘My pronouns are she, her and hers. I identify as female, specifically as a transgender female. And my name is Josie Totah.’ Previously, Josie says she became typecast as ‘J.J. Totah, gay boy’ after breaking into acting at 11. But Josie says she ‘always knew on some level’ that she wanted to be female, regularly asking to wear dresses and living in fear of male puberty. At 14, her ‘immensely supportive and gracious’ mother agreed to meet with a pediatrician and begin Josie’s journey with hormone replacement therapy.
HRT before puberty involves a hormone blocker that would halt the development of the secondary sex characteristics of a man. With this, Josie ‘hit the ground running,’ though she acknowledges there are still everyday obstacles ahead like identity documents and gender markers.