Meet the trans 'Jubilee' debater not afraid to speak truth to power

PRIDE: Please tell our readers a little about yourself.

Blossom Brown: My name is Blossom C. Brown. I'm an activist, astrologer, life coach, tarot reader, creative, and debater. I'm originally from the birthplace of Blues—Greenwood, Mississippi—but I was raised in Jackson, Mississippi. I became the first Black trans woman to graduate from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health.

And in that same time frame, the world got to know me in season one of Caitlyn Jenner's I Am Kate, also on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I also became infamous in 2019 when I disrupted CNN's LGBTQ+ town hall live on television. I starred in the documentary One Life to Blossom. It's an award-winning documentary about my activism as well as my gender-affirming surgery. This year, people may recognize me from my debates with Pierce Morgan, Dr. Phil, and numerous Jubilee debates.

What is it like to have your transition recorded and published for an audience?

It's beautiful. I wanted to document my transition into becoming the butterfly I was always meant to be. And gender-affirming care, especially facial feminization surgery, was something that I truly wanted. It was something that I would document for other people who may be going through the same procedure or going through something similar, and who may have doubts and fears. But I just wanted to embrace who I was and share my human experience, because we all go through something like this.

It was essential to show that part of me to the world. And I have to admit, it's uncomfortable when you look at old visuals of yourself…When I look back at my documentary, I was going through a lot of challenging things. I was dealing with a toxic ex-boyfriend. I was dealing with betrayal. And so when I look at that, I go, "Wow, I survived it." And so I just wanted to offer people generosity, love, care, kindness, and just the power and the ability to love themselves.

And you definitely bring that power and love to people who may not appreciate the power and love that trans folks have. What is it like to make yourself so public and vulnerable in those spaces where you know you'll have to be on the defensive?

You know, when I put my vulnerability on the line in such a public way, it's because I know I need to be the representation for the voice that debunks a lot of the BS that they put out there. When I go on these programs, I'm not there to change people's minds. But I'm also open to listening to the other side, looking at, and listening to how they think and feel about certain things.

People are trying to dismiss everything I'm saying, and it's all fair game. And I love that the debate world is taking more of a look at me and other trans folks like me who want to come on these platforms. You know, some of my trans sisters who have been with me are incredible trans women, and I'm so grateful to share the space with them. And unfortunately, it's kind of, and I hate to say this though, but people like Dr. Phil and Pierce Morgan are giving me more of a platform than Democrats and liberals are…And I'm very loose and liberal as they come.

I don't mind picking on people who are racist and bigoted, like some of these folks that I've debated. It's nothing for me. I'm from Mississippi. I have dealt with racism all my life. I was literally born in a town that was only 16 minutes away from where the body of Emmett Till was found. So racism doesn't mean anything to me. But I know that I am a part of the representation of trans people who want to tell the truth about our experience and what's really happening, and follow the science and talk about the science and debunk a lot of the myths that conservative influencers have run off on that propaganda.

Some conservative trans content creators have also targeted you through their accounts. How do you counter their arguments and statements?

I just remind myself that they're mad at me because I'm in the spotlight and have the platform. I'm the one who's going on these shows and being able to share my experience and share the truth. And the reality of it is, they just want to be keyboard bullies. They're mad and upset because I think they are just bitter that they haven't progressed as they thought they would. And it's quite a few… they're white, conservative, and trans, but they just want to be the pick-me of the trans community because they want to be liked and loved by conservatives.

Trans conservatives are an oxymoron, but they love the fact that conservatives give them the clout to be able to amplify their platform. Typically, conservatives do support trans conservatives more than liberals support dolls like me. And that's unfortunate, but that is something that they do have an advantage over me. And so, they will demean their own experience physically, mentally, and emotionally, as well as the experience of the trans community, because they want to be loved by the conservative community. They want to be the pick-me, and they think that it's going to amplify them somewhere. But the truth is, I'm getting booked on those conservative platforms and not them. And I think oftentimes these influencers get upset that I have the spotlight and that I take up space. I demand space. I take up space because I know I do not deserve disrespect. And I am somebody who calls out the disrespect.

How do you center yourself and your joy in a time of increasing anti-Black, anti-trans rhetoric on and offline?

I focus on my spiritual care. For one, I create a lot of spiritual content. I enjoy my tarot readings, life coaching, and the wisdom I offer. I'm trying to embody myself in that first because, as somebody who's an astrologer, I see the bad that's coming. And let me tell you something, you heard it here first. The trans community is going to come out on top. It's in the astrology.

And so right now, as I'm looking at everything play out, you know, for the transformation of the trans community to come, destruction does have to come first. And so within that destruction, we're seeing what the Trump administration is trying to do to our community. However, what we're also seeing is not just the resiliency within our community, but the power that our community possesses. For some reason, we are a powerful 1%. And this is something that I try to remember every single day, through my meditation and my whole spiritual practice. Although we are 1%, the Trump administration is trying to dismantle our little 1%. That little 1% has power. Trump loves power. And Trump, if somebody else's power threatens him, he will try to dismantle it. And that's why he's trying to come after the gun rights of trans people, trying to go after gender-affirming care of trans people, and trying to create this war within our community.

But he's not going to succeed. It is tough to see how he's continuously attacked our community. However, I also know that now, more than ever, we must take care of one another in our community.

Lastly, what message would you like to convey to the community, especially the trans community, at this time of increasing hostility both outside and within?

Take care of yourself first. Self-care is crucial before you can do anything else. It's okay to turn off the news. It's okay to take a break from social media. It's okay to take care of yourself first and get some sleep. Focus on your mental health. Also, if you would like and if you can speak truth to power, say what's on your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. I feel like there's a lot of activists and a lot of trans folks and non-binary folks who are going to rise. Their voices are going to rise through this challenging time, and we're going to see more people step into their truth and power. That's going to be a beautiful thing.

Make your voice loud and proud. Stand true to who you are. And if you don't know who you are, that's okay, too. Love yourself, love each other, take up space, share space, and truly tap into your inner power.

Perspectives is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit Pride.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Perspectives stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of PRIDE or our parent company, equalpride.