4 days ago
Model Munroe Bergdorf talks the magic of loving another trans woman
Munroe Bergdorf has experienced the magic of love, and it took another trans woman to show it to her.
Bergdorf, a history-making model, writer, and trans activist, opened up about her love life on the podcast Rylan: How to Be in Love with host Rylan Clark. She said that the most significant thing in her life that changed her view about love was the first time she fell in love with a woman, and specifically a trans woman.
Discussing her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, Ava, who has passed away, Bergdorf said it was the first time she felt true love.
"Because I realized how much love was what I thought it should be, rather than what it actually is," Bergdorf said. "And I never thought I would fall in love with another woman, especially a trans woman, because I hadn't processed or allowed myself to understand that I, as a trans woman, deserve love."
"We're constantly told that trans people are, like, an abomination. That people shouldn't even be friends with trans people, we shouldn't employ trans people, we shouldn't let their kids near trans people. All these awful things that ultimately make you feel unlovable," she continued. "So, then, when another trans woman comes along, you've got all of this internalized hatred oftentimes. Then that whole relationship opened my eyes. And I was like, 'Of course she deserves love, so of course I deserve love, and then why can't we love each other?'"
That relationship also expanded her idea of her sexuality, as she had only been with men before.
Bergdorf said that the relationship made her realize that any time a man showed her attention or affection, she would feel lovable. She was seeking that male validation instead of finding actual love.
Bergdorf said that nowadays, she identifies as queer, but doesn't want a label to limit herself. "I don't really feel the need to define myself by a box, because I feel like you end up becoming box-shaped oftentimes," she said.
Bergdorf recently released the her book Talk To Me: How to Talk About the Things That Matter, and has an upcoming documentary, Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, coming out July 15. The documentary takes an intimate look at her life and serves as a rallying cry for trans rights.
Watch the Love & Rage trailer below.
This article originally appeared on Out: Model Munroe Bergdorf talks the magic of loving another trans woman
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