00:00I transitioned and now I'm helping my wife do the same.
00:04He helped me get there and make that decision and actually gave me my first hormone shot.
00:10A lot of people don't even assume that I'm trans.
00:13This is true.
00:14What the is it?
00:15I'm human just like you.
00:17When you came in, it was just like full force.
00:20I didn't have time to computer put two and two together.
00:23I didn't know you or ever hear about you and then you were always there.
00:28I didn't have that person of understanding when I went through my transition and to
00:33be able to be that person for her.
00:40Hi, my name is Malika and this is my husband Sam and people judge our relationship because
00:45we are both trans.
00:46I think I'm going to pull her out tonight.
00:49Welcome to Cardi's Clam Room.
00:51This is where I become my alter ego, Cardi Red Diamond.
00:55We met nine years ago at a nightclub.
00:58Yeah, I was performing that night.
01:00I just got residency there.
01:02I'm a lady of options, I'm a lady of stones, glams, sequins, shine, you name it.
01:07I was drawn to her confidence.
01:10There wasn't much conversation until he asked me to come smoke with him after the bar closed.
01:15The rest is history.
01:16I have been performing now for 10 years.
01:22I started in the scene when I was 18 years old.
01:26We started off in another relationship dynamic.
01:32She was in an open relationship.
01:34I was the third person that came into that open relationship.
01:37This is not even a quarter of what I have.
01:41This is one of my favorites.
01:43I love this outfit, obviously because of the drama.
01:47That first relationship ended and we just continued to date after that.
01:52Yeah.
01:53Way to go, babe.
01:55That was a great explanation.
01:57My favorite color is pink.
01:59This is also one of my favorites.
02:01Catwoman is my team.
02:03And I have acrobatic skills, so this is one of my favorite characters to cosplay.
02:09I kind of took on an assistant role, so to say.
02:15He typically carries the bags.
02:16I got the look under control.
02:18Chauffeuring, helping her get to her gigs, helping her with the bookies.
02:24We got married the same day that we got engaged.
02:32So I planned out a photo shoot for our day and made it seem like we were taking family photos.
02:41Turn around and look at Sam.
02:43And I popped the question and then we went downtown and filed for the marriage license.
02:52You made the ring box yourself in my favorite color.
02:56She walked into a bouquet of flowers and an officiant standing in the living room next to me.
03:05And the officiant looks at me and she goes,
03:07You're getting married today.
03:10And I couldn't even get words out.
03:12I was so like, how I am now.
03:16Speechless.
03:18I bawled like a baby.
03:19I was sobbing.
03:20I was like, so overwhelmed.
03:22She looked absolutely beautiful.
03:25Probably one of the best days of my entire life.
03:28The effort that you put into that is like, unmatched.
03:33Okay.
03:34Get ready.
03:35Are you ready?
03:36I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing.
03:37Just stay in there.
03:38Okay.
03:40You get those comments online like, is that a man?
03:44Is that a man in a dress?
03:46Is that a man in a dress?
03:47I'm confused.
03:48I'm confused.
03:49Our engagement video went viral.
03:51And I think that was the first time that I personally experienced the negativity.
03:57She's kind of had more exposure to that.
03:59I think there were maybe three that popped off before I told her to shut it off.
04:04What the is it?
04:06I'm human just like you.
04:08Just stuff like that.
04:09Dumb ass stuff.
04:10You're wasting your time judging other people.
04:12The biggest blessing in life is that we all have our own past.
04:16We both had several people come to us and thank us for just being visible.
04:21Why are you worried about how my life going?
04:24Go figure out yours.
04:26I started my transition in 2015.
04:32I lived a very, I'd say, sheltered life.
04:35Looking back at my childhood, had I known the terminology,
04:38I would have been able to determine who I was at a much younger age.
04:44I have had my top surgery and I also had a hysterectomy.
04:49I started my transition in February of 2023.
04:53I realized that I was a girl when I was like four or five years old.
04:58Growing up was difficult for me.
05:00When Christmas time came around, it was depressing and I had to pretend that it was a happy time.
05:05Because while I wanted a Barbie or a Bratz doll, I got an action figure and a WWE wrestler.
05:11I didn't want that for Christmas.
05:14I hit 29 and I was like, enough is enough.
05:16Like I'm not living for nobody else anymore.
05:18I know what's going to make me happy.
05:20And he helped me get there and make that decision and actually gave me my first hormone shot.
05:26I've been doing mine for over 10 years, so it's like nothing.
05:31But now we do each other's.
05:33So I do his and he does mine.
05:35I haven't had any surgeries yet, no.
05:37No surgeries yet.
05:39A lot of people don't even assume that I'm trans.
05:41This is true.
05:42So they're just mind blown.
05:44And they're like, well how do you have a better beard than I do?
05:47How do I grow a beard like yours?
05:54SJ is my drag daughter.
05:56I'm a showgirl and I'm a mentor to her.
05:59I have known Malika for seven years now.
06:02I became her drag daughter and I met Sam through her.
06:07It's been a minute since I've seen her, so she's going to come over and visit.
06:10Daughter!
06:11Hello mother!
06:13At first, I was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing.
06:19I was like, I'm not sure how I feel about this man.
06:22When it comes to dating as a trans woman, it's already hard because people look at it as,
06:28oh you're dating a trans woman, you're gay.
06:31Automatically.
06:32No matter what.
06:33How did you feel walking in and seeing a wedding that you didn't know about?
06:37Honestly, it was a bit of a shock.
06:40I was not prepared for that.
06:41I thought y'all were going to get engaged that day, not get married.
06:45Well, I thought I was just going to be engaged that day too.
06:49So we were all a bit surprised except for you.
06:52I think a lot of people also think that it was quick.
06:56Were there questions?
06:57Did you not agree?
06:59Were you...
07:00There was so much going on in that.
07:03I know you were in an open thing.
07:05I wasn't expecting for you guys to get so serious.
07:08Did you feel as though like I was someone that was coming in and like kind of stepping on toes of your parents' relationship?
07:16I mean, yes.
07:18When you came in, it was just like full force.
07:21I didn't have time to computer put two and two together.
07:24Y'all were just together by the time I knew y'all were together, if that makes sense.
07:28I get that.
07:29It makes sense.
07:30I feel like in the beginning, it was like a little hard for me.
07:32Like I didn't really care to get to know you, if I'm being honest.
07:36Then I realized like you truly cared about her deeply and would go to the ends of the earth for her.
07:41Honestly, the fact that a trans person could find another trans person to help them on the journey in itself is very special.
07:48Having a partner that goes through the struggles and things that you go through and can understand them, it means the world.
07:54I want to know why her?
07:57Why do you care so much about her?
07:59And how do you know that this is what you want for the rest of your life?
08:04Nine years ago, I saw the girl that was hiding in drag.
08:08I saw the girl that was driven to the bars to try to be seen and I get to help her do that.
08:15I didn't have that person of understanding when I went through my transition and to be able to be that person for her.
08:29It just solidified everything for me.
08:31Like for the first time in my entire life, I felt unconditional love with somebody.
08:38I've become the person that I'm supposed to be because of him.
08:43She has brought a new light to my drive and she makes me want to achieve more.
08:50The way that he looked at me when he first laid his eyes on me, he has not stopped looking at me that way.
08:56And that to me is more impactful and powerful than anything else.
09:01Go find your person .
09:03I got mine.
09:05He got his.
09:07You.
09:08I got him.
09:13You should have my partner there, but shall I remember.
09:19He sounds better so.
09:20I'm Saying Welling
09:21There's nothing better.
09:26He's going forward by the balance of water.
09:28so that's the day of life.
