 
 
 
 
Hunta Williams Narrator   Andrea Jenkins Interviewer 
    
The Transgender Oral History Project Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies University of Minnesota 
 July 18, 2016 
 
 
 

   
 
  
The Transgender Oral History Project of the Upper Midwest will empower individuals to tell their story, while providing students, historians, and the public with a more rich foundation of primary source material about the transgender community.  The project is part of the Tretter Collection at the University of Minnesota.  The archive provides a record of GLBT thought, knowledge and culture for current and future generations and is available to students, researchers and members of the public. 
The Transgender Oral History Project will collect up to 400 hours of oral histories involving 200 to 300 individuals over the next three years.  Major efforts will be the recruitment of individuals of all ages and experiences, and documenting the work of The Program in Human Sexuality.  This project will be led by Andrea Jenkins, poet, writer, and trans-activist.  Andrea brings years of experience working in government, non-profits and LGBT organizations.  If you are interested in being involved in this exciting project, please contact Andrea. 
Andrea Jenkins jenki120@umn.edu (612) 625-4379 
 
 
 
 
  
Andrea Jenkins  -AJ 1 
Hunta Williams  -HW 2 
 3 
 4 
AJ: So, good afternoon.  My name is Andrea Jenkins.  I am the oral historian for the Transgender 5 Oral History Project at the University of Minnesota.  Today is July 18, 2016, and Im actually on 6 the campus of the University of Minnesota, in the Anderson Library, and I have the honor and 7 pleasure today to interview Hunta Williams.  Hello, Hunta.   8 
HW: Hi, Im very fortunate to be invited here today and Ive been looking forward to this.   9 
AJ: How are you feeling today? 10 
HW: I feel a little bit nervous right now, but excited.  Im very honored and happy, just being in the 11 deaf community and as a transgender deaf person, this is really an inspiring and, I think, also an 12 important project.  Im very happy to be here to share my experience, have people look and see 13 what my experience has been.  I think its going to be a real joy.   14 
AJ: Im deeply happy that youre a part of this project, Hunta.  So how about if we start, can you just 15 spell your name . . . state your name, spell your name, and then tell me what is your gender 16 identity today, what was your gender assigned at birth, and what pronouns do you use?   17 
HW: OK.  My full name is H-u-n-t-a, Hunta, my last name is Williams, W-i-l-l-i-a-m-s.  And thats my 18 name sign that I just showed you.  The pronouns I prefer are he and him.  The gender identity I 19 am currently is a man.  I was born female, or assigned a female label at birth, and through that 20 experience its been very interesting.   21 
AJ: Yeah, well we hope to get to talk about some of that interesting stuff.  Hunta, what is the first 22 thing you remember in life?  It doesnt have to have anything to do with your gender identity, 23 although if it does thats fine, but just tell me what is the first thing you remember.   24 
HW: The first thing I remember really. . . I think it was feeling different, like internally.  There was just 25 a difference, not like outside and how people looked at me, it was just internally different and I 26 dont know what that was.  I think just being a young person, very young, and just feeling like I 27 didnt necessarily fit but that feeling kept going and I think youth often times feel like they dont 28 fit but then I want to say four or five years ago I met a person that identified as a trans person 29 and why I met them, I dont know.  I got to understand that I was feeling the same thing, but 30 there was nothing wrong with me.  This difference I was feeling didnt mean there was 31 something wrong with me, but when I met this person and we got to converse and I realized 32 how many things I had in common with them and that feeling of like not fitting  my inside and 33 my outside didnt match.  Dressing as a male or walking strong and tough, it didnt seem like the 34 female thing and this kind of crossing your legs and the things that females tend to do.  I think 35 my emotions tend to be more male and that was my entire childhood experience and so thats 36 how I was raised and thats how I felt, but I didnt know about my identity at that time.  And so 37 as I conversed with this person, I really felt like this  this is exactly what Ive been feeling for so 38 long.  That was my first feeling, thats the first thing I remember. 39 
AJ: About how old were you when you starting having these feelings? 1 
HW: I want to say age 6, maybe 5 or 6.   2 
AJ: Where did you grow up? 3 
HW: I grew up in New York City, in Brooklyn.  Born and raised. 4 
AJ: Were Brooklynite, were Brooklynite.  Wow.   5 
HW: I love that city, I love that city. 6 
AJ: What brought you to Minnesota? 7 
HW: I grew up there, I moved here I want to say six years ago, moved here to Minneapolis.  Started 8 school to become a chef.  I went to the Art Institute of Minnesota, thats in downtown 9 Minneapolis  thats where I went to school.  So I graduated from there after about four and a 10 half years and I was the first deaf person to graduate from there. 11 
AJ: Oh, wow . . . congratulations.  Thats awesome.  What do you like to cook?  Whats your favorite 12 thing to cook? 13 
HW: Jamaican food, like soul food  that kind of thing.  International food.  Im sorry, I dont really 14 like American food  sorry. 15 
AJ: Is your family Caribbean? 16 
HW: Yes, all my family are from the Caribbean  from my grandma.  A lot of respect for my grandma, 17 she did pass away.  She died while I was in high school, before I graduated she died.  Shes the 18 one that taught me everything about cooking, about cooking from scratch, she taught me how 19 to cook outside, how to make the fire pits, how to make some of that Jamaican food and just so 20 much inspiration came from her.  Honestly, she was a slave a long time ago and her history, her 21 heritage that was really the inspiration for me and thats how I got going with food and it kind of 22 took off from there.  The love of food and passion for food, yeah  a really rich experience for 23 me. 24 
AJ: OK, she couldnt have been a slave, right?  She was a servant maybe. 25 
HW: Yeah, a long time ago  her family heritage. 26 
AJ: OK.   27 
HW: No, no, no  she wasnt that old.  My grandma . . . like great-great-grandmothers were slaves 28 and they actually ran away and they ran to New York City from Atlanta.  I dont know when that 29 . . . ever since I was born thats what they taught me was food, so Ive got to thank all my 30 grandmas for that. 31 
AJ: What was it like growing up in Brooklyn as a child who felt different from other kids?   32 
HW: Well, I was definitely isolated being the only deaf kid in the family, everyone else in the family 33 could hear.  Most of the kids they would play and everything and I was usually off by myself just 34 kind of observing.  I did have one cousin that would play with me  they would have a doll . . . 35 
was it GI Joe?  I cant remember.  It was like GI Joe, those soldiers.  We would play . . . they 1 would also have Barbie and Ken, whatever those are, back in the day.  Id just destroy them and 2 then throw them back.  Some of the boys would play ball, basketball or something, and thats 3 what I felt like growing up  thats what I wanted to do.  I went to a deaf school, once I got into 4 the deaf school there was a lot of boys and less girls so there was just . . . and I didnt fit with the 5 girls, I fit with the boys.  I would chat with them and we would talk about basketball and wed 6 talk about Army stuff, different kinds of stuff, and thats where I felt the strongest.  I felt like 7 running around and biking with those boys and if I got hurt or fell down or something like that, I 8 didnt cry.  I was a tough kid and I went with it.  I used to make fun of the girls a lot, they were 9 like sissies to me  theyd cry like little babies.  But that was back in the day. 10 
AJ: Did the boys respect you? 11 
HW: Right away, right away  I got that respect right away.  They called me homeboy or my brother 12 or, Whats up?  Whats happening?  How you doing?  I felt a strong connection with them.  I 13 think that respect feeling was there and if I felt disrespected they were there for support.  Yeah, 14 it was always there and that was my experience growing up.  Some of the bad boys . . . there 15 was two groups, right?  There was the good boys or the guys that do all right and then the bad 16 boys, so to speak.  Bad boys and the . . . in terms of the way I define it, the good guys might kind 17 of tease each other and rib each other a little bit, but the bad boys, theyre a little bit more 18 harmful and hurtful  bullies, if you will.  So I was definitely in the good guy group, not so much 19 with the bad boys.  In Brooklyn there is definitely two groups like that.   20 
AJ: Right.  What part of Brooklyn?   21 
HW: In New York City, just Brooklyn in general.  It was the south . . . if you ride the train . . . 22 
AJ: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Flatbush, Jamaica . . . well, Jamaica thats in Queens.   23 
HW: Yeah, thats in Queens.  Let me see, Flatbush . . . what was the other one?   24 
AJ: Park Slope. 25 
HW: Pennsylvania Avenue, Cosgrove Avenue.  But really, at that time Brooklyn was a dangerous place 26 . . . back then it was rough.  Now its better, its a lot better.  But back then it was rough.   27 
AJ: A little more gentrification coming in now, huh? 28 
HW: Yeah. 29 
AJ: Starbucks, Whole Foods.   30 
HW: Yeah, but back in the day  no, we didnt have that.  There were no playgrounds  basketball 31 maybe.  Every once in a while youd find a corner store, maybe there would be food on the 32 corner or something like that, but it was 24-hours . . . corner, corner.  I remember that 33 neighborhood.  A group of us boys wed go to KFC  maybe $2 or $3 for fried chicken and wed 34 do that all the time, all night.  Wed just kind of . . . being pretty mischievous.   It was fun though.  35 Now I think you have to kind of back off and say, OK, thats not my life anymore.   36 
AJ: Do you have a lot of brothers and sisters, or any brothers and sisters? 37 
HW: Im the oldest one, I have one brother and one sister.  Im the oldest and then the second oldest 1 is my brother and then Ive got a baby sister. 2 
AJ: So Hunta, when was the first time . . . and I know you said like maybe six years ago you met this 3 person, but when was the first time that you really knew that you were different from all other 4 little girls?   5 
HW: High school.  When I really knew, I think it was middle school but I didnt say anything until high 6 school.  Back then I think there was a lot of discrimination, a lot of negativity.  Youve got to 7 dress like a girl, youve got to dress like a girl.  Theres a lot of discrimination, a lot of criticism  8 a lot of negativity.  With being Black and white and the whole kind of segregation of that and 9 then obviously theres some discrimination against deaf people and then theres Black 10 discrimination and then coming out as a woman, obviously I got discrimination there.  And then 11 transgender discrimination . . . I didnt come out until high school and thats when I kind of came 12 out and decided, Hey, I feel that something is wrong with me, and my family was like, Wait, 13 theres something wrong with you?  You were born fine, youve got to accept who you are and 14 stop with this thinking . . . youre being silly or youre being kind of ridiculous, stop with these 15 silly thoughts about your gender identity.  Youve got to think about and focus on school and 16 youve got to get into school, youve got to dress like a woman.  That was all I was getting from 17 my family time and again and it was hard to put up with but I did.  I think my grandma already 18 knew, I think she already suspected.  She knew that inside I was definitely identifying as a male.  19 She didnt say anything but my grandma was just always trying to . . . she gave me love and took 20 care of me and stuff like that, but I think she knew.  I think she was the one person that knew.  21 All the grandparents knew.   22 
AJ: Was your mom and dad in the household too?   23 
HW: No.  My dad wasnt in and . . . my mom and I didnt get along most . . . really, it was just me and 24 my grandma and my dad wasnt involved.   25 
AJ: OK.  At the top of this video I should have mentioned that James and Steven are the interpreters 26 that are helping Hunta and I conduct this interview so I just want to make sure to acknowledge 27 that they are here and that theyre helping us out. 28 
HW: No problem. 29 
AJ: So you grew up primarily with your grandmother.  Is she still alive?   30 
HW: No, she died.  She died the day I graduated from high school. 31 
AJ: Wow, Im so sorry.  So do your brother and sister know about your gender transition? 32 
HW: I actually just told them three months ago.   33 
AJ: Is that right? 34 
HW: Yes. 35 
AJ: How did they respond? 36 
HW: You have to understand, I hadnt told my mom yet.  About two months ago I told my brother 1 and sister about going through the transition and they said something about the way I was 2 dressing.  I said, No, no, you have to understand, I am transitioning from a woman to a man 3 completely, Im not just talking about my outer dress or appearance, Im talking about my entire 4 being.  So then they were like, Wait a minute, youre going to change different parts of you?  5 Youre going to have things removed, etc.?  Hang on, wait a minute, lets back up here.  You 6 now have another sister, or excuse me, You dont have another sister anymore, you now have 7 another brother.  My sister was like, Oh, I have another brother?  I have another brother  8 what?  And then my brother was responding, What do you mean I have another brother?  I 9 said, Let me explain it to you.  So I had to wait for them to catch on and I was telling them 10 through a video relay interpreter so it was kind of a little cumbersome at first and they said, 11 Can I ask you a question?  I said, Sure, ask any questions you want.  Do you like women 12 now or do you like men?  My brother actually wants to transition from a male to a female now 13 that Ive come out to him. 14 
AJ: Your brother? 15 
HW: Exactly. 16 
AJ: Mind blown!   17 
HW: So I guess the two of us have the same . . . weve gone on the same path.  Im five or six years 18 older, we went along this path  same path growing up, I think, but he didnt really come out or 19 share or talk about anything or share with anyone.  He saw a lot of things growing up, he saw a 20 lot of people that were gay and how they were abused and bullied and some of them actually 21 murdered or killed, and so he knew to keep everything inside and not to . . . we both did.  Dont 22 share what we know because were already dealing with our African American heritage which 23 we didnt want to come out as that.  So him transitioning to a woman, he kind of rebelled 24 against that at first.  Most people are born the appropriate gender but some places . . . in some 25 situations youre born the wrong gender and you have to think of what it is to do.  So he 26 informed me that . . . I informed him I was becoming a man, so he had all these questions about 27 how I went through that.  And so, we had this very in-depth conversation in person later, but 28 going through the interpreter was really cumbersome at first.  He said he wanted to become a 29 woman but he was actually really afraid to go through the process.  I told him I understood so 30 now our sister just said, As long as you stay the identity you are, I love you.  Whoever you are, I 31 love you no matter what.  So shes been very supportive of both of us.  About two or three 32 weeks ago I tried telling my mom, but mom . . . she didnt really . . . my mom, she didnt have a 33 mother/daughter relationship, a mother/son relationship . . . we didnt really have any type of 34 relationship whatsoever actually.  Thats the hardest part for me to tell her . . . she didnt want 35 to hear or deal with the criticism, I didnt want to hear that from her.  So, I told her what I felt 36 and she said, Huh, OK.  So all along youve been wanting to be a boy?  I said, Yeah, actually 37 thats what has been going on, that is my identity is and I feel like my brain and my emotions are 38 finally catching up with my body.  Its been hard for me but at the same time shes accepting 39 me as her son.  She is calling me Hunta, which is great. 40 
AJ: Thats awesome.   41 
HW: She obviously wanted to learn some more and learn to be more respectful of me.  I said, You 1 can be respectful of me but you have to be respectful of transgender people in general.   2 
AJ: So youre educating.   3 
HW: A little bit, just a little bit.  Were doing baby steps.   4 
AJ: Baby steps. 5 
HW: I teach her a little bit more each day  how to say the right word, how to say the right gender.  6 Before she called me she, and I said, No mom, he  Im a he now, not she, he.  Lets get the 7 pronouns right.  So shes trying to . . . I wasnt being disrespectful back at her or being angry 8 that she used the wrong gender, shes been calling me she my entire life and I dont expect her 9 to change overnight to call me the right gender immediately.  So Ive just got to give her time 10 and a little space and teach her more and more about transgender people and the pronouns to 11 use and you just have to give them time.  It could take up to a year before they recognize and 12 start using proper pronouns appropriately  nothing is going to happen overnight.   13 
AJ: Wow.   14 
HW: Thats my opinion anyway. 15 
AJ: This is fascinating.  Ive interviewed . . . youre the 90th person that Ive interviewed so far and I 16 have . . .  17 
HW: Im #90?  Wow, thats really cool. 18 
AJ: But I dont think Ive talked to anybody who has had a transgender sibling so thats kind of 19 fascinating.  So Hunta, to the extent that you feel comfortable, what medical interventions have 20 you undergone up until this point or do you have plans to do any medical interventions?  You 21 dont have to answer that question if you dont want to. 22 
HW: Sure, I would love to share that part.  About two or three weeks ago there was a big deaf 23 community event and somebody asked me about my transition process and I said, Sure.  First, 24 I started with hormone injections with testosterone. 25 
AJ: How long? 26 
HW: This month, July 18th will be one year. 27 
AJ: Wow.   28 
HW: Then I had a double mastectomy on March 2nd, actually just this past March I had a double 29 mastectomy and I plan to do what they call bottom surgery at some point.  That one is a little bit 30 tougher for me because I have to contact some other states  like California, Canada or Florida, 31 Texas.  There is only a few places that do the bottom surgery for transitioning from female to 32 male.  I wish they did that here.  So Im going to fly to these different locations, get some 33 consultation done, meet the different doctors, and all of this is out-of-pocket expenses. 34 
AJ: Yeah, thats a lot of money.   35 
HW: Someone said . . . there was one doctor who would do the bottom surgery, he just happened to 1 be here at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester . . . he didnt want me to be his first patient.   2 
AJ: Why do you think that is? 3 
HW: I dont know if he was worried about being embarrassed or ending up being in the newspaper 4 being the first patient.  I didnt know if he would be overly demonstrative, like, Oh, look, this is 5 my first patient.  I want this to be a private thing.  I want somebody who has been doing the 6 bottom surgery for quite some time and knows what it is that theyre doing.  I want to be able to 7 meet the doctor, talk about the procedure without having to go through the transgender culture 8 and all this other stuff.  Being the first patient with this other person I would have to do all this 9 back fill and education. 10 
AJ: So you didnt want to be the first person?  11 
HW: Right.   12 
AJ: OK, got it.  Wow, thank you for sharing that.  Youve done quite extensive medical interventions 13 up to this point.   14 
HW: Yes.  Its tough, especially dealing with the insurance companies.  That was another issue. 15 
AJ: Having done that, do you have any . . . is there anything that you would have done differently up 16 to this point?   17 
HW: Hmmm.  Before I started doing the hormone injections, I did a lot of questioning of people who 18 had gone through the double mastectomy, gone through the hormone treatments and got their 19 reactions for what it is they went through.  So I did a lot of research, I did a lot of research to see 20 what insurance covered.  I asked people if they were happy when they had their breasts 21 removed.  Having the identity doesnt mean you have to get rid of everything or add everything.  22 Identity is not about the physical attributes but more of the person themselves so I wanted to 23 ask a few questions before I did any medical interventions.  The reason why I did decide to do 24 the medical interventions is I didnt want to feel remorseful about having done anything before I 25 went and did it.  So when I made the decision to go in and ask the doctors for the hormone 26 treatments, I hadnt decided about the mastectomies yet  I wasnt sure about that part of it yet 27 because I didnt know what it would feel like.  Did I have an emotional attachment to my 28 breasts?  So when I started the hormone shots I realized there was a big difference and my body 29 changed.  My voice, being deaf, I didnt recognize it myself because I couldnt hear it but people 30 were saying that my voice, when I would use it  that the tone would be lower and lower and 31 lower when I started the testosterone treatments.  So I decided to ask some people about the 32 breast surgery and the bottom surgery as well.  So when I decided to ask these questions about 33 the top surgery, I asked them why did you do that?  I didnt like all this extra stuff here, it 34 wasnt me, is the common response I got, they wanted to be flat like a man.  I wanted to have 35 them removed so I asked some questions.  How was this going to affect me?  I had a lot of 36 questions I was asking, I did a lot of soul searching myself.  I did that for almost a year before I 37 made the decision to have the mastectomy.  So then I had the double mastectomy.  I was 38 actually really afraid, of course  once theyre gone, how was I going to look?  What was my 39 chest going to look like?  I was really, really thankful though for the experience, having gone 40 through it now.  Dr. Buckley was my surgeon.  He or she helped me really understand what the 1 specifics were and what was going to be successful and how it may or may not feel.  I was really 2 nervous at the time, I was really excited at the same time.  When I finally went back to the 3 doctor to have the surgery done, I had these bandages and when I had the bandages off . . . I 4 removed the bandages and looked in the mirror and went, Yes!  Finally.  I was so happy.  I 5 finally saw myself.   6 
AJ: Wow.  Did you used to wear binders? 7 
HW: Yes, before surgery I used . . . there was these tan bandages I would stretch over my breasts, 8 those were really painful.  So I started looking . . . I met this one group here, a transgender 9 group.  They had a meeting and I met some different people and they were showing different 10 binders that could be used.  That was completely new to me, I didnt do a lot of research about 11 binders or packers for the bottom.  I didnt know about all this stuff that was available.  I was 12 like, Oh, this is all available?  My mind was opened to try a variety of different things.  So I 13 tried on the binders, you know.  This was before surgery . . . I was like, Huh.  I still wasnt 14 satisfied with the binders, it just wasnt me.  When I would take it off, the breast would still be 15 there  they didnt match with what was going on in my head.  So finally when I took off, I can 16 swim without my shirt on, I dont have to worry about putting on a bra or anything like that.  I 17 am finally . . . I love women, dont misunderstand me  I love women, but the breasts were not 18 for me though.   19 
AJ: Speaking of women, who do you date?  Men?  Women? 20 
HW: I date women, sometimes I end up dating transgender women  those who are going through 21 the process themselves. 22 
AJ: Have you ever dated a man?   23 
HW: No.  Well, thats a good question.  I dont think so.   24 
AJ: I dont know  a lot of transgender men, once they start on hormones and have breast surgery 25 realize that they actually enjoy being with men as well as women.   26 
HW: Yes, I can feel that.  For me, when I was a woman before I started the shots, I wouldnt consider 27 myself straight before I did the transition.  I dont use labels  Im just Hunta, I like men and 28 women.  No matter who they are, it depends on whether or not I like them. 29 
AJ: Got it.   30 
HW: I fear, in some ways, if I date men people are going to start calling me gay and I dont feel gay.  31 So theres a lot of emotions involved when it comes to relationships for me.  Its harder for me 32 to understand all the emotions inside that.  Oh, youre a transgender man, but I already loved 33 him before they transitioned, so now that theyre transitioned does that mean that I dont love 34 them anymore?  Its harder for me, I think, to understand what the emotions are going through 35 this process.   36 
AJ: Are you in a relationship right now?   37 
HW: Yes, I have a partner. 38 
AJ: How long? 1 
HW: Thats complicated.  We were really good friends for a long time but weve been in a 2 relationship for the last four months but weve been friends for quite some time.   3 
AJ: OK, nice.  Very nice.  Hunta, so you have walked through this world as a Black female and now 4 you are and youre being perceived as a Black male in this culture and society.  Whats different 5 for you now?   6 
HW: Its such a big difference for me.  As a Black woman, I experienced a lot of discrimination  as a 7 Black woman.  Its hard to explain but as a Black man, its almost like a triple threat of 8 discrimination  or triple the discrimination, especially here in Minnesota.  In Minnesota, we 9 have a lot of Black culture  we have Black women, we have Black men.  For example, in New 10 York City where I lived, everyone was pretty much the same, perceived the same, but how they 11 looked to the outside world was very different and how they reacted to the outside world, 12 depending on if you are a Black man or a Black woman there specifically when dealing with the 13 police.  Im not sure if Ive even answered your question.   14 
AJ: Well, you said that its different.  Im really curious about these police interactions though 15 because as being a deaf person, a lot of what happens with police is vocal.  They tell you to stop 16 or put your hands up.  As a deaf person you may not always recognize their commands right 17 away. 18 
HW: Yeah, Ive been stopped a few times.  Ive experienced that a few times.  When I was going to 19 school, I was walking downtown Minneapolis.  I was going through some kind of construction 20 and a police officer came up to me  I didnt know what to do or what happened or what it is 21 that I did, so they decided to grab me and throw me down on the floor.  He started talking at 22 me.  The police had a Taser, I think  the Taser wasnt on but they had it out and I screamed and 23 I said, I cant hear you.  I let out this guttural scream, I was very aggressive and so they, of 24 course, arrested me because I was being aggressive. They put me in their car.  I waited until 25 someone came and I still said, I cant hear you.  And so they looked at me as a Black man and 26 then the thing that they looked at the most was the deafness  and then they looked at Black 27 and then they looked at man.  So thats how they perceived me.  If I was hearing, of course, they 28 would have looked at the blackness first.  If I was a hearing Black man the thing that they would 29 have focused on the most was the color of my skin.  And once they realized that I was deaf, I 30 was so angry and just so hurt.   31 
AJ: Did you go to jail? 32 
HW: No.  Another man came who knew some sign language.  I told him I was deaf and the police 33 explained to me . . . you know, he can hear, he screamed.  And he told the police I was hurt, I 34 hurt, because of what they were doing to me.  I have a right to scream if youre hurting me, 35 thats how much pain I was in when you threw me down to the ground.  It was a hard cement 36 floor that you threw me on.  So I screamed, I have a right to scream because you hurt me. So I 37 got an interpreter there and they asked if I wanted an ambulance or anything like that.  They 38 asked me if I was going to press charges against the police for what they did to me and I didnt 39 see them, there was nothing going on  I was just walking outside enjoying the day.  I had just 40 left class and I was enjoying the day.  So that experience really frightened me  being deaf, and 41 then Black, and then finally male.  They always see the blackness first until they realize that Im 1 deaf and then its deafness, blackness, and then my maleness.   2 
AJ: Wow, thats fascinating.  Ill make a note of that  deafness, blackness, and maleness.  So, has 3 there been a specific moment or person that was pivotal in your transition, Hunta?   4 
HW: I think my . . . as a deaf transgender person, there is an interpreter named Alex. 5 
AJ: Oh yeah, Alex Nelson. 6 
HW: Nelson  yes.  He really inspired me, Alex really inspired me.  Just amazingly supportive person, 7 great friend.  Hes very well known all over.  Im sure youve probably met Alex. 8 
AJ: Oh I know Alex very well.  I had a crush on Alex a long time ago.  Hes beautiful. 9 
HW: And hes the one that really got through to me, got through to my heart.  His experience, his 10 support, his empowerment  especially in this community, especially for a young person and as 11 a transgender person.  Hes the one who really helped me go through it.   12 
AJ: Hmm, wow.   13 
HW: Yeah, and especially as a deaf person because I met him and I had just moved here, I was going 14 to school and trans deaf people . . . there werent any at the time.  No deaf trans, at least at the 15 time.  So I got involved in some of the hearing community activities  sure, yeah.  There are 16 hearing transgendered people, but there wasnt anybody in the deaf community at that time  17 at least not people that were out, nobody had come out at that time.  So I think there was a lot 18 of fear  being deaf and then being a Black man or female, thats a lot to handle also along with 19 the religion aspect and family and all that stuff.  I got it, I understood that fear.  I totally got it.  20 So Alex was the one that I met, we chatted, he helped me through the deafness part of it, as 21 gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans  in that community, the GLBT community, but also I was able to put 22 aside some of that stuff and focus on the trans, where are the deaf trans people?   That was 23 some of my fear and I think trying to decide to kind of ignore that and just say, Hey, Im here 24 and I can get support, come out as you are, and stuff like that.  That was my pivotal moment. 25 
AJ: So have you found trans deaf community in this area? 26 
HW: No, not yet.  I think Im aware of people but not necessarily them coming out.  I think maybe if I 27 see them . . . Ive had people ask me about the deaf trans experience and ask me certain 28 questions.  Ive gotten a lot of questions  Ive had questions about hormones, Ive had 29 questions about the top surgery.  Ive responded and said, Hey are you considering to be a 30 trans?  I just kind of leave it alone at that.  I dont want to put any pressure or any kind of 31 cajoling, just kind of letting people be who they are and in their time.  But, really  Im open to 32 conversation and thats fine with me.   33 
AJ: Youre like a pioneer, Hunta.  Youre making space for other deaf trans people to see that there 34 is some possibilities.  Thats awesome. 35 
HW: Yeah.  And Im looking forward to that.  Ive started signing, working with a family tree clinic 36 talking about trans issues in using ASL and theres one person there that is doing the close 37 captioning and were going to put the ASL video . . . I think it was just about two weeks ago we 38 put it out.  And so tomorrow well start talking about hormone injections, top surgery, bottom 1 surgery  well start kind of explaining what that experience is like and what the process looks 2 like and try and disseminate that stuff and get it out into the community.  My goal is to be an 3 advocate, a Black trans man advocate.  I think trying to get this information out there and get it 4 out to the greater community is really what my goal is.  And then, get it outside of Minnesota 5 and keep going and saying, If youre here and if youre deaf . . .  For me, deafness is my 6 heritage, its my culture and feeling that that is my number one identity, thats who I am first.   7 
AJ: I cant wait to read your book.  Youve got to write it.  8 
HW: Im not so good at writing English, Id be better at writing at an ASL book.   9 
AJ: Hunta, what do you think the relationship is between the trans community and the gay, lesbian, 10 bisexual community? 11 
HW: Theres been a few times when Ive had to answer that with other people.  Are you ready for 12 this?  I think for the GLB community and the trans community, I think its GLBT . . . I get that, I 13 get that thats what the label is, or LGBT.  As a trans person and a fully transitioned man now, 14 like before I was a lesbian and I was in the lesbian world.  I get that.  And now to transition over 15 to the trans world, I look back and I go, Wow.  I feel like trans people get ostracized in some 16 regards.  The support and all that stuff, yes  I think there is some of that and I get it.  But, once I 17 transitioned I was like, Wheres your help now?  I support you through gay marriage and 18 getting your marriage license and equality and all this stuff and all these opportunities, but now 19 where is ours?  Like first off, our identity, you know  for insurance, for health insurance, for 20 going through transition surgeries, gender construction, the surgeries alone.  Many of the issues 21 in our trans communities are . . . we need their help, but right now that relationship if for events 22 and its like its great, its fine, but then where are you after that?  Where is that support, 23 supporting us?  Like that coalition, that collaboration, is gone it seems like when it really 24 matters.  Where is it?  And so right now I feel . . . wow, Ive had both experiences.  I look at both 25 communities and its hard.  I dont think they realize that both need to work together.  We have 26 to have a relationship  period.  Its not like just because were in the name and its by name 27 only  no, I dont care about the name.  Its about this group, these groups of people  they 28 should be collaborating, they should be together not apart  period.  And thats what I believe.  I 29 dont know if other people look at it and they dont think the same, like, Well, I dont feel like 30 the same as trans people.  Well I feel like that is disrespectful.  I feel like that is shunning us.  I 31 think thats something that we need to work on, we have to work on that.  I think its people in 32 the leadership roles in the trans community and the community all over  we have trans here 33 and trans there, come on out and help us.  Help us.  Ive transitioned, Im on with my life, Im 34 not going to come back and help this culture.  No, no, no you have to come back, you have to 35 come back with us, support us and still be a part of us even after your transition.  I think thats 36 what is disappointing  to see what weve all gone through.  Im through it, Im done in a matter 37 of ways but Im not finished with it all.  You think about your experiences as a trans person and 38 empowering others in the future that havent transitioned yet maybe.  Thats what we need, we 39 need help, we cant do it alone  they cant do it alone.  There are people out there screaming 40 for help.   41 
AJ: Thats why youve got to write your book, Hunta.  So what have been some of the more positive 1 aspects of you coming out as being transgender?  What has made you happy? 2 
HW: Hmmm, some of the positives.  Theres been a lot of positives.  I dont struggle anymore.  When 3 I was trying to hold it in as a child growing up with my parents and people, having to be a yes 4 person and then finally when Im 18 and 19 and getting out, still struggling but then finally I 5 dont feel like I have to struggle anymore.  I feel like that weight is off my shoulders, I am free  6 free.  What Ive gone through is done.  The discrimination part  yeah, its still there.  But finally, 7 I can speak out and I feel like thats a positive.  The things that Ive been going through, theyve 8 been positive.  I can finally stand up on my own for what I want, what I decide, how I feel  9 thats it, its me now.  Period.  If you dont like me, OK fine  but goodbye.  Simple.  Im free.   10 
AJ: What about some of the challenges?  What have been some challenges?   11 
HW: Challenges  you mean now or before? 12 
AJ: Since youve been out?  I guess coming out, youve talked about some of them  medical 13 insurance, police interactions.  How was school?  Did school . . . were you out at school when 14 you went to college?   15 
HW: At the very last . . . I came out at my last . . . close to graduation.  It was in December.  I wasnt 16 sure where I should come out  should I come out with my friends, my family, and then also at 17 school, at the government level, at the political level, licensing and stuff like that?  Should I go 18 ahead, should I keep it . . . that was a challenge actually.  The name change itself was a 19 challenge, Ill say that.  License, getting my license changed.  Birth certificate  that was a 20 challenge.  And then insurance, of course.  I think the name change . . . it wasnt too much but I 21 had to prove my name and why I wanted my name change and all that kind of thing. It was kind 22 of boring paperwork kind of stuff, but lots of paperwork.  My license, lets see . . . that was 23 tough because Im from New York.  My ID said female, so I had to go back to the doctor and get 24 two different kinds of forms  like proving that yup, Im on hormones, Im going through these 25 things and doing this.  And then I got that turned down, denied.  So then I had to call for my 26 birth certificate where I was born.  I had to call and explain the situation and they were like, Oh 27 yeah, no problem, we already have the transgender process in New York, its already set up 28 here.  So it was easy there but I had to wait two months.  I wish it was just lickety-split but it 29 wasnt.  That was the most challenging.  Go there, ask that, get that all ready and then I get this 30 paper and its official, I get the M on my birth certificate and it says right there  I kiss it, hold it 31 up, got that done.  Go back to the license department, show them, finally they change it on my 32 license and then its done.  I said, Is that it?  But man, was it a long time  a long process.  So 33 for you Minnesota people that are born here, you can just show it right away.  But if people are 34 born in another state, you have to wait two, three, four months for this process  boy.  And then 35 for insurance, the surgery  the double mastectomy, that was one of the most challenging parts 36 for me because of my age.  So I had to go and get a mammogram.  But seriously, I have to go 37 through a mammogram  but that was the insurance.  Really?  So I met with the doctor and 38 we kind of haggled for about two hours.  No, no, wont do it  youve got to have a 39 mammogram.  At your age you shouldnt have a mammogram blah, blah, blah.  Its like, Well, 40 Im trying to get a double mastectomy, and so then the doctor realized . . . and that group of 41 doctors didnt understand about transgender issues, so that was a problem.  So I had to get the 42 mammogram, double mammogram, and then got that done and then it seemed like everything 1 was going along and going to go through OK, and then another problem showed up and it was 2 for bottom surgery.  The bottom surgery is a long process, and I get that, but Im already 3 identifying as a male, its in my insurance, its on there.  But I have to get a hysterectomy for the 4 bottom surgery.  So one person that had gone through it said that it was very frustrating and 5 they were telling me about it and that kind of scared me a little bit.  They got turned down by 6 insurance because they were already identified as a male.  Well, you dont have this.  And 7 then you have to explain the whole situation again and you have to change to female, go back to 8 being a female for a little bit, to prove it to the insurance, and then go back to the insurance and 9 then once thats done, once that bottom surgery is done, then I have to go back to male.  And so 10 now its my turn to go through that very same thing. 11 
AJ: Wow. 12 
HW: So finally, I will be having surgery in August. 13 
AJ: Bottom surgery? 14 
HW: Yes. 15 
AJ: Or a hysterectomy? 16 
HW: Yeah, for the hysterectomy  not the bottom surgery.  And thats August and that is where I feel 17 kind of the insurance . . . thats where you dont get a lot of the support.  The insurance is like, 18 Well, you have to go and do this, you have to be a female again, and then be male.  Wait, Ive 19 already changed myself, Im already transitioned to a male.  Ive already gone through this.  20 Well then you have to call and change it back and then you have to jump through this hoop and 21 go back to that hoop.  Its just that  its silly, its ridiculous.  So Im a little afraid of what is going 22 to happen for young trans people too.  I just dont want them to have to go through that.  I think 23 that that is the biggest challenge in terms of the process.   24 
AJ: Yeah, thats a lot.  So have you ever worked with or for a transgender or LGBT organization 25 before, Hunta?  Like volunteer or paid job? 26 
HW: Im trying.  Im trying to get involved but it seems like as a deaf person theres been a little bit of  27 a hiccup so Im going to roll up my sleeves and get to work and get it out there and say, Hey, 28 its OK to talk with me and work and we can get interpreters.  I think thats the new thing for 29 the trans community, Oh, deaf trans person  wow, OK, what do I do with that?  So I think 30 thats . . . sometimes theres a first for everything.  The first time for everything can be a 31 challenge and as a deaf person and also mingling with the hearing world, we deal with that 32 every day and you have to.  Sometimes you just have to stand up, roll up your sleeves and say, 33 Hey, here we go, this is how this works.  Its exactly like what Im doing today.   34 
AJ: Thats beautiful.  Hunta, talk to me about . . . man, Ive been feeling really distressed the last . . . 35 I dont know, couple years really, but these last few weeks . . . the young man in Falcon Heights 36 was murdered, Philando Castile, the brother down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Alton Sterling, and 37 then recently police officers have been murdered in Dallas and Louisiana.  How are you feeling 38 about all of this as a Black person?  What are your thoughts? 39 
HW: Am I allowed to curse?   1 
AJ: Ahhh, yeah. 2 
HW: Im like, Fuck you.  3 
AJ: Oh wow. 4 
HW: As a male, as a Black male, and my identity as a Black man, Im afraid to go out there.  Im afraid 5 every day.  Im afraid something is going to happen to me.  A few years ago when I was . . . or 6 the man in Louisiana and the cops in Dallas, how that happened and whats been happening . . . 7 what was before?  Two guys, Mike . . .  8 
AJ: Mike Brown, yeah.   9 
HW: And then there was . . . 10 
AJ: Eric Garner.  Trayvon Martin.  We can name off a lot of people.   11 
HW: Yes.  12 
AJ: Jamar Clark. 13 
HW: One of the things that pissed me off the most, it pissed me off the most, is that . . . its like 14 equality but its not enough.  Its like where is our justice?  Whether its the police that hurt us, 15 but wheres the justice?  Just admit that there is injustice and the violence and the escalation . . . 16 you dont want to see that.  I know the police, I know some police that are horrible  that can be 17 horrible cops, and Im like, You cops, fuck you.  And all the petitions are lost, all this stuff . . . 18 and where is the spotlight?  And just because people . . . we, as the Black community, its our 19 lives.  Were the ones losing out.  I cant imagine if it was me, I cant imagine if this happened to 20 me.  I would make sure that people were videotaping it, that there would be some kind of 21 justice and that somebody would be responsible.  But they get off for free.  I dont think they get 22 off for free  no jail for them, no justice.  Thats where I feel like what is happening to this world.  23 Im like, Fuck that.  Youre talking about police are doing a good job and doing their work and 24 Im like, Yeah, yeah, yeah  whatever.  How do you approach a Black person?  Its awful  its 25 awful.  For example, with Philando, I have a conceal and carry permit, and he still shoots him 26 when he was reaching for his wallet.  And thats where Im afraid that if that happened to me 27 and I get pulled over and as a deaf person, what am I supposed to do?  Are they going to shoot 28 me if I raise my hands up and try and say something?  All this stuff that is happening, Hands 29 up, and people put their hands up and get shot.  Its happening time and again and Im like, 30 What the fuck?  What the hell?  Im so angry and hurt, I feel hurt.  Im disgusted.  Im scared  31 period.  Thats it.  I dont trust the police  I dont.  I know there are good ones and bad ones, I 32 dont care.  You see how many Black people have died over these little, little things  they get 33 killed, and theyre making a big deal . . . we cant have mistakes?  No, theres no mistakes  its 34 just that simple.  A Black person cant make mistakes.  Im like, Fuck that.   35 
AJ: Take care of yourself, my friend.  Ride your bike, play some hoops, walk around the park, see 36 some greenery.  Trees are healing.  Be gentle with yourself and tell your friends and family you 37 love them.   38 
HW: Thats what were trying to do every day, just tell people we love them.  If youre mad or upset 1 just say, Hey, look  I love you.  Ive been doing that every day, especially for the children.  2 One thing that I think has hit me the hardest is I have a four-year-old son and how . . . Philandos 3 four-year-old son, that four-year-old son that was in the car with Philando, how does a child 4 witness that?  How does a child witness that and what does he go through?  That feeling . . .  5 
AJ: You have a four-year-old child?   6 
HW: No, I meant in the car  that four-year-old that was in the car that witnessed. 7 
AJ: Yeah, the little girl. 8 
HW: I do have a four-year-old son . . .  9 
AJ: Oh you do  wow.   10 
HW: I have four sons.   11 
AJ: Oh my goodness.   12 
HW: And Ive already told them, Be careful, youve got to be careful.  In college and stuff, be 13 careful.  Why?  Youre Black, its raw out there.  I just told them, Youve got to be careful.  14 Really, technically youve got to be careful  youve got to take care of yourself.  Everywhere you 15 go youve got to be . . . I dont care if youre here or there or wherever, youve got to be careful, 16 period. 17 
AJ: So Hunta, last question.   18 
HW: Sure. 19 
AJ: Theres been a lot of visibility for transgender people lately  Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, CeCe 20 McDonald  theres a new movie coming out about CeCe in a couple of weeks. Transgender 21 issues, transgender people have been really getting a lot of attention.  Where do you see the 22 transgender community in 50 years from now? 23 
HW: For the people that are actually getting in the spotlight, I dont care about the money so much  24 I dont care about donating to the cause, but come back and help.  I think in terms of the 25 community, the transgender community, in 50 years, I think well have a strong foundation.  We 26 have a strong foundation in this community and I think if we can stay together and we can build 27 that collaboration, thats my hope, and then we can be successful, we can make improvements, 28 we can be better.  I think maybe in 50 years, if Im still alive, Ill be raising my old hand up and 29 saying, Right on. 30 
AJ: Youll be around, my friend.   31 
HW: Yeah, I cant move . . . but yeah.  So yeah, I hope we get bigger.  I think especially for the young 32 trans people and to collaborate with them and the people out in the spotlight, Hey, were still 33 here.  Im here to help you, dont forget about us  fight for us.  Were still here.  I dont want 34 what happened to us to happen to them  the younger people. 35 
AJ: Wow.  Hunta, I am so inspired by listening to your story today.  Thank you so much for sharing 1 your heart and your spirit and your words.  Its been truly a joy and a pleasure.  I hope we just 2 keep working together in the future.   3 
HW: Yeah, let me know please. Im here  Im here.  Thank you so much for the dialogue and really 4 everything.  I appreciate it  thank you.  Lets spread the word.  Advocacy  lets spread it.   5 
AJ: All right. Peace, my friend  until we meet again. 6 
HW: Right on  yeah. 7 
AJ: All right. 8 

