Corey: We have really made a mark on being a Trans femme couple.
Our trans ness and our womanhood is all about who we are. The medical steps are about feeling at peace.
I'm about to have sexual reassignment surgery. I've had nervous points.
There's so much that goes into preparing for a trip like this.
I can't wait to wear this swimsuit. A beautiful red bikini.
The dream you know.
Jari: I'm Jari Jones. I am a photographer, actress, model, mostly I’m an activist.
Corey: I'm Corey, Daniella. I'm an actress, model, activist and community builder.
Jari: We have been together now for
two and a half years.
I always say it’s three, but two and a half years. But we've been best friends for almost eight years.
Corey: We were not both out as Trans when we met. We met, Identifying on the gay queer spectrum.
When we met, I barely even knew what Trans was.
And I think in so many ways, we took all the first steps exploring our genders together.
Jari: I remember the first time I ever wore a dress, and Corey was like, look, that's it. It clicks.
I really took her opinion, the most serious. And I feel like if I had her like approval,
who gives a hell like what everybody else says.
Corey: When I was a little kid, I knew very well that I wanted to be a girl.
Sometimes I would wish that there was another boy that was like me.
Basically, I was wishing for a Trans girlfriend, what I found in Jari years later.
Jari: I think one of the greatest parts of discovering myself was having somebody like Corey.
Corey: I remember when I grew out my peers like this
I used to play with my peers and pretend like I was a princess. I think about like, how much
joy I got out of this like little bit of long hair.
Jari: So it was a constant battle with my hair.
I wanted braids. I wanted dreadlocks for so long I used to hate like go to the Barber was like I used to dread it
Corey: Traumatizing. Jari: Like traumatizing.
Let's go be models.
Corey: It's my experience as a feminine person who has always been told, I'm too feminine.
Now I'm celebrating that, I'm owning that.
And for once in my life, instead of taking the labels that are put on me i'm labelling myself.
I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be feminine, I'm proud to be Trans.
Jari: Totally.
Jari: So we're headed to the fluid project.
Corey: A gender less store. Jari: First gender less store
in New York and they do community building, workshops there. They really love content
of gender non conforming people that we're going to do
a little shoot. Corey: We did first shoot there.
Jari: We have really made a mark on being one a trans femme couple,
and two just being trans people in general.
We have done the New York Times cover with Ryan McGinley.
We have done the Chromat campaign, which is a really prominent bathing suit campaign here in New York.
Being able to do movies and being able to be on TV, be able to do these campaigns.
We get messages all the time, and a lot of them come down to Wow, I've never seen this before.
Corey: We do these photo shoots pretty often.
Jari: Yeah, a lot of brands are really kind of marketing towards LGBT community, which I think is great.
I think last year alone we did almost eight campaigns. I think I'm going to continue to be the representation,
that we didn't have really being like a model for, for young queer kids. I think that's super important.
Corey: It's empowering to be working in fashion because I get the chance to celebrate myself,
my community, my partner, right and like my body.
Jari: For years, the fashion has been one single look tall, skinny white.
And now that we have people like us, you know, something like that people who are really
are trying to break those standards.
We are, we are considered as the pioneer of ungendering fashion.
Corey: Thinking about my body and my relationship to my body,
it can be so complicated, it when I would imagine my best self and my body, you know, I always
imagined my genitalia differently.
Even what makes my vulnerability with Jari so strong is that she affirms that in me.
I'm packing to go to Thailand, to go to Bangkok to have sexual reassignment surgery.
I'm so excited. I'm going to Thailand because my dream surgeon and my dream technique
are performed there, because of the level of aftercare that is not provided in the United States.
Jari: Of course, like anybody else who's a partner, I'm terrified.
But I know she's making the right choice. So I'm happy for her.
And I'll be there and when she comes out
Corey: I couldn't be luckier that I have such a supportive partner.
The medical steps are just about feeling that peace within ourselves.
Jari: And they're personal.
Our trans ness and our womanhood is all about who we are. The medical steps are about
feeling at peace, feeling comfortable and safe.
Jari: Yes.
Corey: Within who we are, within our body within the society.
Jari and Corey: Thailand Here we come.
Corey: The damn surgery. I just remember like, this excitement. We got to the hospital, I checked in.
It was pretty good, so quick, it was like we were saying bye like before you knew it.
Jari: Yeah they were like taking her away
I was like oh well.Bye
Corey: So I remember when they first took out the packing
and I saw my vagina for the first time. It was so incredible.
Jari: It was like... Corey: seven days after,
and it just, it already looked like everything I hoped and dreamed for.
I would say the hardest part of recovery was probably coming home was not to run, jump lift objects.
According to the doctor more than five pounds, which is very hard for three months
to keep up especially since I had to go to work before then.
Jari: Yeah, it got hard. Like everything we do, we push through. We get it together.
But I would do it all over again.
Corey: All over again and again, and again.
Corey: It's really incredible like how much she did for me during this process.
Like I just don't even know how I would have like made it through this, this surgery without her.
Corey: I think I feel like we will figure it out.
Jari: Yeah. Corey: So I just have optimism that
Jari: It’s going to work out.
Corey: Yeah and there's not going to be any more limitations,
it's like we can go anywhere. We can do anything.
Jari: Anything.