My name's Gia Ichikawa.
I am originally from Deerfield,
Illinois, a suburb right outside of Chicago,
where there was very little LGBT representation.
Growing up in a Japanese American household,
I had very supportive
parents who never neglected
my feminine ways.
Actually, they would buy me Barbies for Christmas.
They would allow me to put on shows on
their dining room table.
At the age of five,
I actually discovered Nihon buyo,
which is the traditional dance form found
in Kabuki theater,
where traditionally men dressing as women
and men.
Expressing myself as a woman,
I guess, at the time. I didn't even know that years later,
this would have resonated with me in a much more personal
and deeper level.
I saw my first show at the age of 18
who was a trans person
and I just remember seeing her
and being like,
that is me.
I remember doing that for the very first time
and I just remember feeling so liberated.
Soon before you know it, I was working the circuit
in Chicago,
Boystown, and making a name for myself
as Gia Gunn.
At 21, I tried out for Drag Race
and I got on like that on my very first try.
Just landed like fresh tilapia.
That literally changed my life.
I was soon then a celebrity
in the LGBT community.
I was traveling the world.
I was getting up in drag every single
day of my life to the point where I wasn't really living
as a boy anymore.
I was more in drag than I was as my
everyday life. Not realizing that I
was damaged inside.
Not realizing that I was neglecting still
who I was. I was
suicidal and very depressed.
There was a point where it just got so bad
and I said, you know,
unless you want to die,
unless you wanna not exist here on Earth,
you need to do something about this.
We're losing so many people in our community
each and every single day, whether it be due to homicides
or suicides. I just really
hope that I can provide an inspiration
for those in a way that
I wish I had that when I was younger.
I'm going to call my dad.
Parents always make people feel better.
I love you. God is with you.
Do not be afraid.
Do I look cute? Okay.
Treat me good, angel.
When it comes to trans people,
I think people on the outside are very focused
on surgery.
Well, what have you had done?
What are you going to get done?
The infamous question: are you gonna cut it off?
These are very dangerous
and inappropriate questions that people
need to understand are not ok to ask people
in general. Being male
or female has nothing to do
with what you have between your two legs.
It has everything to do with who you are as a person.
You know, I got the call to be on the show this
summer and I literally struggled really,
really hard with accepting the offer.
Being in the public eye
and also doing something like a transition
is difficult.
Because
people are looking for answers
and people expect you to
have all the answers.
But I don't.
I'm still learning about being a woman.
I'm still learning about the woman that I am.
But I know that by
simply being visible,
by being me,
and being unapologetic about who I am as a
person,
that it's helping other people have
faith. Sometimes I wish
that I would've transitioned sooner.
But,
at the end of the day, I think
I'm at exactly where I need to be.
But I do feel that it's
my duty and that I have been given this opportunity
to re-enter the work room
embodying who I am.
Most importantly,
just bringing my trans brothers
and sisters with me to the
main front. And trying to use my
platform to give these individuals
the exposure that we have deserved for years.