00:00 I have been judged as a trans mom every day of my life.
00:03 I've had people tell me, "Give that child back."
00:06 Like, we're doing a disservice to her.
00:08 They like to say I have forced my kid to be gay.
00:11 If it was up to me, Mariana would be a Kardashian.
00:15 How would you describe your life growing up with your mom as your mom?
00:19 How did I learn about my mother being trans?
00:23 Me and my cousin had a disagreement, an argument.
00:27 So, he wanted to be petty and blurt it out.
00:31 And I had to sit there and think, like, "Okay, well, I know my mom ain't no man, but my mom not like most women."
00:38 So, I came to the car and me and her sat down and I asked her, and she told me.
00:45 How old were you?
00:46 I was like 12, 11.
00:50 11, 12.
00:51 My heart dropped to my feet, 'cause I had a vision in my head that I would wait
00:55 'til a certain time in Mariana's life that she would be a little more mature.
00:58 But actually, she took it very well, better than I could have ever expected.
01:03 And it kind of was like water off a duck's back, you know?
01:06 Breath of Fresh Air, we can just open up and be 100% transparent with each other.
01:10 Before I started transitioning, I used to feel a little out of place,
01:14 because I knew that I was different, but I really couldn't put words to it
01:17 and didn't know what I needed to do to feel more complete with myself.
01:20 I identified as male when I first adopted Mariana.
01:23 In that same year, I started my transition.
01:25 I was about 22 years old.
01:28 I decided to adopt actually because of my partner.
01:31 I never seen myself as a mom until I got with Mariana's dad.
01:35 And so that was something that he had in the vision for our life,
01:38 and we embarked on that journey together.
01:40 We were fostering her first, and then it turned into an adoption
01:42 probably like two or three years down the line.
01:46 At the beginning, she was my little princess, so of course she had the big bows
01:50 and the tutus.
01:52 Now that she's grown up, she almost has a little more swag than me,
01:55 if I can be honest.
01:57 So, Mari, how would you describe your mom's style?
02:00 I would say very much expensive and outgoing because she's very much love.
02:07 Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Dior, you know.
02:13 What do you think about this?
02:14 See, that's cute, but what shoes?
02:17 I could wear my white Valentino heels right there.
02:21 They're cute.
02:23 Mariana started off as my little princess,
02:25 but now I have an independent teenager, it's like I don't know where the time went.
02:30 Look at how big these look.
02:31 These stacked jeans, they're supposed to look like this.
02:34 Actually, a hoodie.
02:37 Y'all love a hoodie.
02:39 Why not?
02:40 What do you think people misunderstand about you and Mari as a mother-daughter duo?
02:44 They like to say I have forced my kid to be gay.
02:48 Mari didn't actually tell me that she was gay.
02:51 Actually, I told my father first because that was the one person I was really worried about
02:57 because my mama, she was going to accept either way.
02:59 Me being a glam type of girl and being heavy on the aesthetics,
03:03 I realized over time that the things that I was buying her wasn't to her liking.
03:07 She would throw the dresses in the back of the closet and try to get them more baggy clothes.
03:11 If it was up to me, Mariana would be a Kardashian.
03:15 Me knowing how I was as a kid and how different I was from my siblings,
03:20 it put a light bulb in my head.
03:23 I want to say that Mariana told her dad before she told me and her dad told me.
03:27 Watching Mariana and raising Mariana, I knew it.
03:30 I just wasn't going to come out and say, "Daughter, you're gay," or, "Are you gay?"
03:33 Because I know me being a trans woman, people were going to, number one, say it was because of me.
03:38 I wanted her to just figure out who she was and nurture that person because that's what my parents did for me.
03:43 So that's the same love that I bestowed upon Mariana.
03:46 How would you describe your life growing up with your mom as your mom?
03:50 It was very like--it was like a roller coaster, especially finding out she was trans.
03:59 What I love about me and my mom's relationship is that if anything goes wrong or anything happens,
04:04 we can come and sit down and talk about it and see how it goes.
04:08 You ready for this one?
04:11 Mm-hmm.
04:12 We started sharing our story online during the pandemic, and we started posting videos of us just dancing.
04:17 And when people discovered that she was my daughter, they started with the narratives that, you know,
04:22 I had a woman in the past that I had got pregnant.
04:25 And when I released that, you know, I adopted my daughter, that's kind of when the story blew up and went wild.
04:30 And we've just been making fun videos ever since.
04:32 It's going to count down.
04:34 Me and Mariana love creating content together. It's crazy.
04:40 I would describe me and Mariana as the power couple best friend duo.
04:45 What kind of content do you enjoy creating with your mom?
04:48 Funny, something to make people laugh, meaningful, so it could be a meaning behind our TikTok,
04:54 and very much relatable.
04:56 It's my favorite.
04:57 People, they have been very judgmental.
05:02 Get help, give your daughter back, you're the dad, you're the dad, you're the dad.
05:07 It's abomination to Christ. I brainwashed her.
05:10 It's just a plethora of things that we get.
05:12 I feel like you should not be judging people about what they is or what they are.
05:16 You just need to get to know them or meet them to judge them.
05:20 But then we have got a gang of followers who follow us.
05:23 We look for the positive. Like, we always go for the people who are supporting us and uplifting us and encouraging us.
05:28 And sometimes we actually laugh at the haters, and it just is what it is.
05:32 When me and Mariana go over our TikTok, we always feed into the positivity and the people who uplift us and support us more so than the negative.
05:39 Even when we go out in public, like, me and Mariana have the best time.
05:42 Your dad and your titty here.
05:45 I'm here.
05:46 Victor is Mariana's dad, and we dated for nine and a half years.
05:50 How you doing, baby?
05:51 Hello, mom.
05:52 He was the one that had the vision of us being parents.
05:54 Victor loved the kids, and the kids loved Victor.
05:56 This right here is Mariana's dad.
05:58 This is also one of the closest people to me who's been with me day through day with my transition and being a mom and just parenting and everything.
06:05 Since we separated, we're like the best friends, and we co-parent amazing, and both have the best interests for her at the end of the day.
06:12 Their relationship is very close-knit.
06:15 I love the fact that Mariana's able to go to Armani and talk to her and be open with her.
06:20 So the fact that they have a very close-knit mother and daughter relationship is really good.
06:25 This is my sister, Andrea.
06:27 This is one of the closest people to me.
06:29 She has been like my rock.
06:31 For a living, I'm a celebrity hairstylist.
06:33 I started doing hair when I was about 14.
06:35 I used to do all the girls' hair in high school and have them come into my house on the weekends, stressing my parents out.
06:39 Andrea, how would you describe Armani as a mother?
06:43 She is wonderful.
06:45 Wonderful.
06:46 She came a long way, because at first she would call me for everything in the beginning.
06:50 I'm like, "Girl, calm down. It ain't that serious."
06:55 But now I think it's just natural.
06:58 So, yeah, it's good.
07:01 It has been difficult being the father.
07:03 I'm a little overprotective.
07:05 So when seeing Armani or either Mariana go through any judgmental situations, it always be a red flag for me,
07:14 because my guard instantly comes up, because I know I have to protect them both.
07:19 But Armani has always kept composure and held her head up high and did what she's supposed to do.
07:25 Okay, let me see you.
07:27 Did your mom kind of role model that kind of attitude for you?
07:31 Yes, my mama had role modeled me to look for the good, not the bad.
07:35 She was just right there every step of the journey.
07:38 She was the biggest support.
07:40 By sharing my story with the world, I hope that the world will see me as regular as they can,
07:46 as far as me being a mom and me being a woman.
07:48 What I want to show is most kids my age should not be scared to come out of what they want to be or who they want to be.
07:56 Keep their head up, no matter what's going on or the comments that they get.
08:00 Just keep it pushing.
08:02 I know the energy that I hold. I know the woman that I am. I know the mom that I am.
08:05 So I want that for my daughter.
08:07 I just really want my kid to be successful, to be able to stand on her own two feet in the world
08:11 and be very independent and secure with who she is as a person.
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