Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
I grew up in Turkey and I spent my childhood in different villages in four corners of Turkey. I studied business administration at the university and worked in finance, advertising, and magazine journalism. I also wrote and sold two very popular songs as a songwriter but then decided to change my life and followed my dream. Currently, I am working as a freelance transgender fashion model.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
But on a deeper level, I want to be a trans activist who helps trans children, teenagers, adults, and their families. I am a volunteer now at San Diego Lgbtq Center. I do not want to be a social media activist, I want to work on the ground, speak to trans children and tell them there is nothing wrong with them and educate their families. What is the point of traumatizing a 6-year-old child by pushing pre-defined gender roles on them when they know who they are? Now I am the main model of “transbaes “ organization which supports all trans community content creators and artists.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
After I graduated from the university, I was aware that I could not transition in Turkey so I decided to completely hide myself. So, I was working as a manager in a company, at that point my best friend visited me at my workplace. He noticed that I was not doing well mentally and physically. To give you an example, I am 132 ibs right now, back then I was 198 ibs.I told him that I had suicidal thoughts. I was using antidepressants and was constantly researching different suicide methods. The worst part was that even though it was a medical professional who was prescribing these antidepressants to me, my mom kept throwing them to the garbage. Her justification? “You just sleep when you take those pills”. At that point, my friend gave my CV to a company in Athens, emphasizing that Greece was a very open country for trans people where I could transition and it was also the easiest country for me to immigrate from Turkey. When I was working as a social media moderator, it was stable life like any other office jobs. But I wanted to show myself as a model at USA. Then I quit my job, got my flight ticket and came to San Diego. Now it works and I am runway model. If you really want to change something just do it and do not listen no one. Actions are more real.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
I have done several courageus things regarding reinventing myself and my career. But, I can say that leaving my career behind and moving to America for modeling was the most courageus one since it had implied many uncertainties.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
All idols are not alive.
Drop your social media links.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/erabayrakofficial