1. Mediaite
  2. Gossip Cop
  3. Geekosystem
  4. Styleite
  5. SportsGrid
  6. The Mary Sue
  7. The Jane Dough
  8. The Braiser

WATCH: Transsexual Model Lea T. Opens Up To Oprah

Styleite favorite Lea T’s long-awaited Oprah episode aired today and it was as inspiring, enlightening, and engaging as we expected.

Oprah and Lea had a wide-ranging and incredibly frank discussion about the model’s sexuality, upbringing, and career. Because Oprah is, well, Oprah, she also asked the question most of her audience was waiting for, which is to say: “How do you hide your penis?” Lea T answered with delightful aplomb. But she also gave a thoughtful answer as to how she truly views her sexuality. Lea believes she isn’t homosexual, but that she suffers from Gender Identity Disorder.

“I wish I could accept my body as a man. I think [my life would be] much more easy…But it’s something in my brain. Medically, it’s a disorder. I tried to live as gay because its easier…like all transgenders do… but at the end of the story when you go to the doctors, they realize you don’t have any homosexuality, because your brain is like a woman’s brain. When you’re transgender, you feel like a woman. So I prefer men.”

Lea plans on having surgery, but is currently in the process of obtaining the requisite court authorization to do so.

Lea told Oprah that while her family is supportive, it hasn’t been easy. After she walked in Alexandre Herchcovitch’s show in Sao Paulo last month, her father called her to say, “Now I can die happy.” Her mother hasn’t been quite as comfortable with her daughter’s transformation, something Lea says stems from her deep Catholicism. “It is a fight with her religion. But she’s always nice to me.”

WATCH:

Earlier:

A Look At Lea T: The Model, The Muse, The Pioneer
Transsexual Model Poses Nude In French Vogue (NSFW)
Riccardo Tisci Casts Transgender Model In Fall Campaign
Lea T. Talks Gender Reassignment Surgery With The NYT
WATCH: Lea T Dishes On Being Givenchy’s Transsexual Muse



  • Disgruntled and trans

    “I tried to live as gay because its easier…like all transgenders do… but at the end of the story when you go to the doctors, they realize you don’t have any homosexuality, because your brain is like a woman’s brain. When you’re transgender, you feel like a woman. So I prefer men.”

    First of all, not all transsexual individuals (which is implied by the word transgender, although they are technically NOT interchangeable) are heterosexual. There are asexual trans people (not attracted to people of any gender) and gay trans people (attracted to the same gender as the one they are transition too), just like there are asexual cisgender people and gay cisgender people.

    Second of all, being transsexualism does not imply feeling like a woman; she completely disregards transmen with that comment. There are women who are born with a male anatomy (transwomen) and men who are born with a female anatomy (transmen.)

  • http://twitter.com/cpelada Cobertura Pelada

    Just correcting,the Alexandre Herchcovitch’s show was in SP not Rio.

  • TSGUEST1

    I’m a transwoman, and I’ve never been gay. And yea, I’m asexual.

  • http://www.styleite.com Verena von Pfetten

    Thanks for catching that! Just updated.

  • Becky

    I think it must be so hard…all those years trying to understand. I think its great that this woman is so beautiful and has had the courage to be open about it. I think it will help many people who suffer with the same disorder (she said it was a disorder) get their lives together and find a way to move forward in a healthy way.

  • Gretalamedica

    i love she, little big, wonderfull girl!

  • Paula

    I love and admire Lea T, she is beautiful, intelligent, educated etc… but I am shocked she is considering surgery in Italy!!

    Thailand is still the best place for srs, she can well afford it as a successful model. Wish someone would tell her!

    Anyway best wishes to her.
    Xxo

  • Vicky

    I’m in my beginning stages of transitioning from mtf. One of the biggest setbacks is funding. I’m sure there are girls out there that are struggly more than others but I’m your tipical, middle class woman and it’s a big stuggle. (And just about everyone can relate to struggling financially.)
    VB

  • Richesreader

    hey cut the girl a break, she obviously isnt 100% fluent in english. im pretty sure if it was l’Oprah Spettacolo she would have been a little more politically correct

  • Andy96961

    Leah T should not have posed nude. I guess she did it for the money. It doesn’t help people to see a trans person in a good light.

  • another tg

    hi lea, whether you go to italy or thailand for your srs, i just wanna give you my best wishes. don’t worry about the pain. honestly, the physical pain is non existence cause the anesthetics will last you while you recover sometimes up to a week (as happened to me). you’ll be able to walk after 3 -5 days and even board a plane after 1 week (as happened to me). as for the emotional part, since you have been living as a woman, you will actually (finally) feel liberated after the surgery. and trust me there’s no pain in being liberated. so all the best and we’ll hear of/from you soon :)

  • Mjhjfh

       Hi Girls and Ladies too !       I’ve been in-and-out of the closet sooooo often, I should put in a revolving door ! (LOL)   …I can’t beguin to tell you how much time – effort – and not to mension  C A S H  I wasted, over the years…I’m 56 Y.O. now and trying again…I’ve been out in Public, several times, and there’s nothing to compare wih the excitment, for me anyway !  I truly Love it !   But I’ve never had the nerve or enough desire, or whatever it must take to try living a new life as the Woman, “Full Time” that I (might) want to be, deep down inside, I feel like I’m waisting time, and my best days are soooooo far behind me….”Youth !…waisted on the young.”   Don’t you t-gals wish there was a pill we could take (Get a load of me…with the   … ”  W E  could take”…   , another mental “Breakthrough”)  …and become Female, for a day – a week – a month – a year … …would you ever go back…Even knowing there’s a pill to go back with, if you really want to…or maybe you even think you need to…OK, where’s Science when you really need them, girl’s…  
      One more thing…I know I’ve seen many, many more beautiful Women, in this Trans-World…than Ms. Lea T. So I’m thinking there’s Hope for all of us !  (Now Beauty is in the eye’s of the beholder !) I do take my hat off to Ms. Lea T. and only wish and Pray for the best, for her. (And heck, for Oprah too ! )  And all you gals in or out, in Our World !           xooxoxooo       Sincerely yours, Shelly.              Michelle Jessica Johnston.

    (Sunday) August 28TH, 2011        God Bless !

© 2013 Styleite, LLC | About Us | Advertise | Newsletter | Jobs | Privacy | User Agreement | Disclaimer | Terms of Service | Archives | Power Grid FAQ | Style Sheets FAQ | RSS RSS
Dan Abrams, Founder | Power Grid by Sound Strategies | Hosting by Datagram

X