Pose star Indya Moore, who uses
the pronouns they/them, says that their parents cut them from people
who supported their queer identity.
Moore, who plays Angel Evangelista, a
transgender woman sex worker, on FX's Pose, spoke with i-D for
a feature appearing in its “The Post Truth Truth Issue.”
In the interview, Moore said that their
parents, practicing Jehovah's Witnesses, attempted to alter their
child's sexuality.
“I don’t really remember having any
friends at 14 years old, and I didn’t have that much freedom
either,” Moore said. “I came out to my mom at that age, and our
relationship shifted drastically. She told me it wasn’t normal to
be gay and suggested taking me to the Kingdom Hall to meet with a few
elders – one of them apparently 'used' to be gay – to initiate a
form of conversion therapy.”
“I always felt uncomfortable and
angry when I was younger. My mom didn’t support me then, but as a
display of affection, she did take me to Dunkin’ Donuts after I
told her about my sexuality. But I experienced a lot of violence and
started getting into a lot of fights at school too. I felt safe
around my sister, but when she got married, I didn’t get to go to
her wedding or see her often because she supported me for my
queerness.”
“At 16, I started hormonal therapy
and started to feel better about my body. At the time, my
parent-teacher coordinator was my escape from all the bullshit; the
one who helped me find both the safety and the maternal support I
longed for. She was everything! She celebrated my identity,
introduced me to voguing, wrote poetry with me and took me to my
first Pride, but my parents eventually cut me off from her. They
didn’t trust anyone who supported me for my queer identity.”
“I couldn't have a relationship with
my family, with friends or with other kids. I couldn't build
friendships because I never got to hang out with anybody who
supported me,” Moore
added.