Amos Mac/ Photo credit
Charlie Poulson, a 24 year old Trans-man model , has an atypical self-made history unlike Caitlyn Jenner Originally from Des Moines, IA, Charlie started transitioning from female to male at 19 years old, in a time and place where resources for transgender individuals were few and far between. With a humanistic and personable approach, Charlie paved the way at Iowa State University for other transgender students to be their authentic selves by openly speaking about his transition experiences in both classrooms and media
The Hype Magazine sat down with Charlie to talk about how he felt about the Caitlyn Jenner media frenzy along with all the attention the trans community has been given just in recent months and Poulson definitely pointed out some truths that are missing from his more famous peers headlines.
Some experts from the interview include
“What’s the most misconstrued info about being trans that you would like to clear up?
The most common perception I see is the media embedding the idea that trans people are monsters, when in fact, sometime’s we’re just as boring as you are. Living in and transitioning through our current society has given me a thick skin, something that’s come with time, however it brings me a certain peace with myself that doesn’t allow me to put up with those that don’t mean well. I simply feel sorry for those who refuse to educate themselves, and when they’re ready to do so I can only give them the best self-resource out there: Google.
I see that you raised a substantial amount of money for your transition which has been totally left out of the current spotlight. Can you give us an straight forward answer to that reality?
The reality is that transitioning is expensive, both monetarily and mentally. When you don’t have millions of dollars to put into transitioning (which most trans people don’t) you have to not only think of a way to raise the money you need for basic trans healthcare, but also decide on an order of what’s most important. Do you save money for hormones first, or do you raise money for surgery first? Sometimes hormones or surgery aren’t even a consideration, and it’s a case-by-case and personal basis. Something that’s less known to the public is the mess of health insurance only sometimes covering the necessities for their transgender patients. It becomes discriminatory when a cisgender woman (someone who is born female and still identifies as female) is covered for menopause-related hormones but a trans woman is denied estrogen. Our mentality as a society needs to shift from “transgender health care is elective” to “transgender health care is life saving and necessary.” Many trans people, including myself, have experienced doctor visits where the professional that they’re paying to see has absolutely no idea how to treat a transgender patient because “it wasn’t covered in medical school.” I would like to have the peace of mind everyone else has that if I’m in an emergency medical situation that I won’t be in danger because the doctors or nurses simply don’t know what to do.
Charlie was also asked about his own path toward
“What’s next for Charlie Poulson?
My main goal is to change the way our culture thinks, expiring the perception that trans people are lesser human beings and reviving the reality that we were once gods and goddesses in ancient times. All while collaborating on timeless work with brands and individuals who are ready to drop the monotony.
Where can people find you on social media etc?
Instagram: @charliepoulson
Twitter: @CharlesPoulson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlief2m”
It’s refreshing to hear a different perspective on a topic the world is so focused on.
