From Homeless Shelter To Social Media Fame: How One Trans, Disabled Model Is Becoming The Face Of A Generation

Meet Aaron Philip and prepare to rethink your definition of beauty. She’s a gender fluid model with cerebral palsy, and she refuses to let her disability define her. Aaron’s family, originally from Antigua, moved to New York City when she was a toddler to seek better medical care for her. As a young trans person living through financial struggle in a homeless shelter before settling in the Bronx, Aaron became a disability activist and turned to the internet to spread her message. She started by  sharing her open and honest voice  on her Tumblr blog, Aaronverse , then moved on to write her memoir, This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (NOT Disability) , at age 14. Now, she wants the world to see her face — her photos went viral on Twitter , and she’s calling for agency representation to show the world that trans, black, and differently abled people are beautiful.

Name: Aaron Philip

Age: 17

Favorite app: Twitter

What she does: I am a model. I got into it by doing a lot of research on how to best push myself into this field using my own self-awareness and the typical, professional guidelines such as getting headshots and measurements done.

Three words she’d use to define Gen Z: Resilient. Kind. Ahead.

What she wishes older people understood about her: I wish older people would understand that all I want to do is exist as a teenage girl.

Her greatest accomplishment (so far): Manifesting every single one of my dreams so far as a trans, physically disabled model and creative.

What she’ll be doing 10 years from now: In 10 years I’ll be 27 … I honestly don’t know.

What representation means to her: Representation means seeing yourself reflected in a space for all that you are.

What inspires her: My disabled, black, and trans feminine communities and identities inspire me collectively every single moment.

How she thinks Gen Z will change the world: Gen Z is going to open up a future of consciousness, empathy, love, discourse, tolerance, visibility, opportunity, and respect.

This post was originally published on Yahoo Lifestyle.