(Dan Tri) – Ha Anh said that before having the opportunity to walk on the catwalks of famous designers, she was rejected many times because she was transgender.
Nguyen Vu Ha Anh (birth name Nguyen Duy Long, born in 1997, Bac Giang) is a model, MC, and was in the top 6 of the contest Miss Transgender Vietnam 2023Before entering the catwalk fashion, she studied Cultural Management at the Military University of Culture and Arts.
Determined to change and live as her true gender, Ha Anh has gone through a long journey of convincing her family, asserting herself and overcoming many barriers.
At Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall – Winter 2024, Ha Anh is one of the few transgender models who has the opportunity to appear for 4 consecutive days and walk on the catwalk of 5 famous designers.
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| Ha Anh (middle) is one of the transgender models in high demand at "Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall - Winter 2024" (Photo: Thanh Dong). |
Ran away from home after admitting his true gender
Share with reporters People intellectual, Ha Anh said: “From a young age, I realized my difference through my gentle personality and passion for beauty. During high school, I began to understand myself and learn more about the LGBT community.”
During her school years, Ha Anh had to endure discrimination and teasing. The malicious looks and words from people around her once caused the transgender hot girl to fall into a state of mild depression.
Ha Anh admitted that at that time she did not have enough knowledge to face the insults, and could only endure them silently. Revealing the story of “coming out”, she said that her family strongly opposed her when they found out she was part of the LGBT community.
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| Ha Anh before her gender transition (Photo: NVCC). |
“At first, my family did not support me and wanted me to change to be like a normal boy. My parents even forced me to delete everything related to LGBT on social networks, newspapers…
Under great pressure from my family, I left home and did not return for more than a year to seek freedom and space for myself. I was very sad but there was nothing else I could do,” Ha Anh confided.
In order to convince her family to support her true self, Ha Anh often secretly brought LGBT documents home and intentionally left them behind before leaving so that her parents could read them and understand more about transgender people and this community.
The big turning point for the girl from Bac Giang started in her first year of university, when she decided to change her appearance to be true to herself. Ha Anh received many discriminatory words from people around her and her neighbors when she decided to dress and grow her hair long like a real girl.
To save money for her gender transition, Ha Anh had to be financially independent by working various jobs, from waitressing, singing to MC and cable TV editor.
Due to financial difficulties, Ha Anh had to take birth control pills to improve her hormones, instead of injecting hormones like many of her friends in the LGBT community.
She underwent genital surgery to become a complete woman by 2023. The decision to change her appearance helped her perfect herself and was a great motivation to pursue her passion for fashion and art.
Many times "lost job" because of being transgender
Becoming a professional model, Ha Anh had to face prejudices and strict selection in the fashion industry. She was even rejected many times in work because she was transgender.
Ha Anh shared: “In the fashion industry, the selection of models always depends on the criteria of the designer and the organizers of each program. Sometimes, my transgender models and I were not included in the selection list because it did not fit the spirit of the collection.
There are also some rumors that shows and designers will no longer choose transgender people like me to walk in their fashion shows.”
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| Being transgender, Ha Anh was rejected many times at work (Photo: Character provided). |
With perseverance and effort, the girl born in 1997 has made her mark in many major entertainment programs. Ha Anh feels lucky to have performed on many catwalks and gain more experience related to the fashion industry.
At Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall – Winter 2024 Recently, she participated in all 4 days and walked on the catwalk of 5 famous designers, including designer Cao Minh Tien, Adrian Anh Tuan...
“The casting process is often very stressful as the organizers and designers carry out a strict selection process to find faces and body shapes that match the spirit of the collection.
For me and other transgender models, the dream is to walk on a big catwalk, a professional stage like Vietnam International Fashion Week Fall – Winter 2024 It is an affirmation of one's own ability to be selected for the show," Ha Anh recounted.
During the shows, the Bac Giang girl was especially impressed with the professionalism and enthusiasm of the backstage team. Despite often having to race against time to prepare costumes and makeup, everyone still completed their assigned tasks well as well as strictly followed the process.
According to Ha Anh, today’s society is gradually becoming more open to LGBT. People from this community are appearing in all fields and asserting their abilities. Thanks to these efforts and practical contributions, they have helped change perceptions, creating love and deeper understanding from everyone.