Chella Man: "Joy Is the Foundation of Gender Identity and Expression"

"Hopefully" is a word Chella Man uses often in a 2020 YouTube video addressed to his future self. "Hopefully you stand taller, head held higher," he says to the camera, sharing all his wildest hopes for the kind of person he'll be years from now. Humble, free, happy. Through his words, he reaches out for the kinds of distant luxuries many already take for granted. Getting out of the shower and wrapping the towel around his waist instead of his chest following a healed top surgery. Being able to comfortably run his hands down his own shirt.

Since his video, present-day Chella released his own film, titled "The Device That Turned Me Into a Cyborg Was Born the Same Year I Was," exploring themes close to his heart as a Deaf, transgender, and gender-queer artist. He also joined the board of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in NYC and walked the runway for Milan Fashion Week. But despite these personal milestones, the world around him hasn't grown the way his former self might've anticipated. In 2023, the trans community is facing more resistance than ever in the form of legislation designed to control and even outlaw trans identities. Surrounded by so much hatred and vitriol, is it still possible to feel the kind of joy past Chella dreamed about just a couple years ago? Hopefully.

In a year that has seen unprecedented anti-trans legislation and violence, POPSUGAR is highlighting the perspectives of trans and nonbinary folks throughout Pride Month. These leaders are sharing ways they protect their joy, reminiscing on moments of gender euphoria, and suggesting how allies can support the LGBTQ+ community right now. Explore all of our coverage here, and read Chella Man's story, in their own words, below.

For me, gender euphoria is literally the word connection. It's like every layer of you feels validated and displayed on a spiritual level, on a physical level, on a mental level . . . it's just connection. I actually felt true gender euphoria very early on as a child. I looked exactly the way I wanted; I presented very stereotypically masculine; I had very short hair.

Other people would call me a "tomboy." I didn't like that word, because it felt almost like they were calling me a fake boy. I've always known who I was since day one. As someone who identifies as nonbinary, I've embraced both my femininity and my masculinity, but at that time, as a really young child, I didn't even know those terms. I just saw it as energy.

I think joy is the foundation of gender identity and expression. It's just manifesting who you really are. And what's more joyful than that?

These days, I practice self-preservation, and I'm very intentional about when I give my energy out and where. I also am very careful with how I use social media right now. A lot of media outlets are reporting on trans violence, which is extremely important. But it can be very triggering as a trans person to be bombarded with what, at this point, feels like genocide. Our siblings are being murdered or assaulted or taken advantage of on a daily basis. So I'm being very careful with how much media I consume. And I'm reinvesting a lot of my energy back into my own healing process.

There's an endless list of different things that allies of the queer community can do to support. You can educate yourself online, you can watch queer content, queer movies, or just take your friends who are queer out on a date. And obviously, donate — give back to the communities and places like the ACLU or the Ali Forney Center that are fighting to support queer individuals every day.